Chapter 27

The kitchen clock ticked past midnight, its soft rhythm nearly drowned by the clatter of dishes as Helen and Aggie tidied up. The air hung heavy with the scent of rosemary and roasted garlic, lingering from a late dinner. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting long, wavering shadows across the worn linoleum floor.

A sudden blur darted from behind the back door—a sleek black cat with eyes like polished emeralds. Aggie gasped, stumbling backward, her hand clutching the door she’d just secured. “Where’d that come from?” Her voice quavered. The door had been locked tight; no animal could have slipped inside unnoticed. Their quiet neighborhood, nestled far from stray animals, made the cat’s appearance all the more unsettling in the late hour.