Chapter 6
The red and blue lights painted jagged stripes across the bedroom ceiling, sweeping rhythmically over the floral wallpaper. Julian backed away from the window, his chest heaving as the sound of slamming car doors echoed from the gravel driveway below. Margaret stood frozen by the dresser, her fingers still tangled in her pearl necklace as if she might use it to anchor herself to the floor. Elena stood up slowly, every joint in her body aching, but her movements were deliberate and unhurried. She walked past Julian without looking at him, her grey t-shirt stained with the sweat of the ordeal. Downstairs, heavy boots struck the wooden porch with authority. A loud, resonant knock shook the front door, followed by a voice calling out for the county sheriff's department. Julian looked around the room like a trapped animal, his eyes darting toward the closet before settling on the broken phone on the floor. Elena reached the landing at the top of the stairs just as the front door splintered inward under the weight of the entry team.
