Here’s the trap. His heart raced. He covered his face and forced himself to sit.

“I mean. Sorry. It won’t help. I’m her stepfather. She’s not mine. But that’s not her, it can’t be her. She came home last night. We haven’t had a chance to call yet . . . She’s resting, too. It’s been a long night.”

The officers’ eyes widened. “She’s home? Well. That’s great. You’ll need to bring her by the station. We’ll need you to sign some forms. Thank you for your time, Mr. Stear.” They stood, and each shook his trembling hand. He couldn’t meet their eyes. There was a hardness to their stare that turned his blood cold.

He followed them out, half-focused on the small talk, and shut the door behind them, turning the lock and the bolt, resting his forehead against the smooth panel of wood, listening to the squawk of the police radio from the driveway.

What are they doing? If they sent this girl to trap me, why were they so surprised to hear she was here? Did they find Mandy’s body? Then who is that upstairs?

It was time to go. He’d pack a bag. Leave a note. Say he needed distance from this broken family.

He felt a splash of water against the back of his neck. He turned and saw her there, at the top of the stars, hands flung forward. Water spilled over the edge of the step where she stood.

“More water,” she said.

His heart hammered. His head spun. He’d have to walk past her to get to his room. To his suitcase and wallet and keys.

He edged around her. Her neck cracked as her head rotated, locking him in her dark gaze. He backed into the hallway.

“If you’re feeling dry,” he said, his socks soaking through from the wet carpet, “maybe you’d feel better after a bath. I’ll get it started for you, if you like . . . ”

She smiled. The dark skin inside her lips cracked.

He reached the linen closet, pulled out the last towel, and handed it to her. The fabric darkened at her touch.

He turned and hurried down the hall to the bathroom. He heard her wet, sucking footsteps behind him. He sat on the edge of the tub and turned on the hot water, holding his hand under the stream of comforting heat. As she entered the doorway, the phone rang. He stood to go answer it, but the ring cut short. Karen must have picked it up in the bedroom. He sat back down. The girl stared at him.

Karen flew down the hallway.

The girl didn’t turn, didn’t blink, her unmoving eyes locked to Tyler’s.