“Floor,” I whispered.
He understood immediately.
Noah dropped beside his chair. I lowered myself onto the tile and helped arrange his arm close to the position it had been in before.
Then I flattened my palm beside my face and shut my eyes.
A car door closed outside.
Keys scraped against the lock.
Noah stopped moving.
So did I.
The back door opened.
Daniel stepped into the kitchen.
His shoes stopped inches from my face.
I could hear him breathing.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then he whispered, “I knew it.”
My heart nearly stopped.
Daniel crouched.
I felt his shadow cover me.
“You shouldn’t have moved the plate.”
My stomach dropped.
He knew.
I heard Noah suck in a breath.
Daniel stood again.
“I gave you one chance to make this easy.”
His voice wasn’t the voice I had known for twelve years.
It was colder.
Empty.
He walked toward the counter.
I kept my eyes shut.
Then I heard a strange sound from outside.
A car engine.
Another door slammed.
Daniel froze.
Someone shouted from the backyard.
“Police! Step away from the door!”
Daniel spun around.
For one second, nobody moved.
Then everything happened at once.
Daniel ran.
