Introduction
The house had been ransacked.
Caroline Harrison squeezed baby Henry closer. Her chest tightened, and each breath came as a spasm as she took in the scene. Chair and sofa cushions lay scattered around the living room. Glass from a shattered vase littered the rug. Two plants had crashed to the floor, their leaves and soil mingled with books yanked from the bookcase.
Who had done this?
Why?
What if they were still here?
A scraping noise from the back of the house answered her silent question. Her skin tingled, and acid filled her mouth.
She had to get out. Now. Her parents’ home was a quarter of a mile back down the winding mountain road. Too far to run with a sixteen-month-old in her arms.
She needed to get to her car. Once she got away, she’d call 911 and wait for the police. She backed up, one slow step at a time, reaching into her pocket for her keys.
Keys that weren’t there.
She patted the other jacket pocket. Also empty. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, but she kept moving—closing the distance between the den and the garage, where the safety of her car waited.
What had she done with her keys?
Her mind spun, retracing her steps.
She’d pulled into her dark garage, frustrated that the bulbs in the garage door opener had blown out—again. She’d grabbed the diaper bag—
That was it. The keys were in the diaper bag.
She’d dropped the bag on the table by the door as she’d entered. She continued to ease backward toward the garage, taking each step with care. Maybe whoever was inside was so busy stealing something they hadn’t noticed her arrival. The longer they stayed occupied, the better her chance of getting away.
Henry slept on, oblivious to the unfolding drama.
Her hand closed around the strap of the overflowing diaper bag. Why hadn’t she cleaned it out this morning? If anything fell out on the floor as she made her escape...
She slid the strap over her shoulder and reached behind her with her free hand. She’d find the keys after she got in the car.
She hadn’t realized her palms were sweating until she couldn’t grip the doorknob. She rubbed her
