And the silence inside the family homes can become scary once you understand how fear sounds.
“Cedar Ridge police,” Avery called firmly.
“Somebody at home?”
The dispatcher remained connected to Lila.
He lowered his voice almost to a whisper.
“Honey, the officer is out now.”
A floorboard creaked.
“He’s by the stairs,” Lila whispered.
Those four words changed everything.
Not because they showed that there was danger.
Because they showed that the child was monitoring someone’s movement as a hostage.
The front door opened two inches.
A man appeared.
