Why am I making such an ordeal of this? she wondered. It’s only a building, a collection of bricks and lumber. What’s the big deal?

But cold reason wasn’t working. The closer she got to the house, the faster her heart raced. She wouldn’t look at it. She kept her eyes straight ahead on the figure in the baggy coat leaning against the security car.

She tried to think of something else, to focus on the events of the day, but all that came to mind was the series of phone calls from Will, asking if she was all right, calls she’d been too embarrassed to return.

The hurt and confusion in his recorded voice still echoed in her brain, making her want to hide. How could she explain last night to him? It was all her fault. She shouldn’t have let him get that close. When would she learn? She had to resign herself to the reality that she couldn’t have a completely honest relationship with any man. Really… once the truth was out, what man wouldn’t head for the door? And frankly, Alicia wasn’t sure she’d want to have much to do with any man who didn’t.

Alone was better. Alone was easier. Alone was less painful—for everyone concerned.

She was closer now, still keeping her eyes on Jack. She heard him whistling and recognized the tune as the theme from “The Bridge Over the River Kwai.”

“Ready?” he said as she reached him.

She bent and peered into the car, then stepped back when she saw the two bulky forms slumped in the front seat. Her already racing heart kicked its tempo up another notch.

“They’re not… you didn’t… are they…?”

“Dead?” He smiled. “Nah. Just napping.” He looked around. “Okay. Let’s get moving. I don’t know how much longer they’ll be out.”

Here it was—the moment she’d been dreading. Alicia didn’t move. Couldn’t move.

“Alicia?” Jack said. “You okay?”

But she had to move. She wasn’t going to let this get the best of her.

Just a house… just bricks and lumber…

And she was going to conquer it.

She took a breath and turned to face it.

The wrought-iron gate, the tiny front yard, the trellised alley to the back… just as they’d always been. But the rest of the front had been altered enough to make it look like a different house… somebody else’s house.

And with its windows boarded up like patched eyes, it looked like a blind house. It couldn’t see her.

Not so bad, she thought. I can handle this.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Let’s go.”