Lauren left the shop, shocked at how the temperature had dropped; it was a mere ten degrees, according to the gauge on the dash. Hundreds of tiny white snowflakes flurried from the inky sky and were wiped away by the windshield wipers as fast as they fell. She drove slowly down the sleeted highway, the Honda’s wheels struggling to get a firm grip on the icy road. The heater did little to keep up with the bitter cold. Lauren couldn’t wait to get home, take a hot shower, and continue to work on her research.

She was surprised when she saw that the house was dark, with no warm light reflecting in the windows. That was unusual. She hurried out of the car and jiggled with her keys. Inside, the house was dark and too cold. She went to the kitchen and flipped on the lights. On the center of the table was a note in her mother’s perfect cursive handwriting.

Lauren, dear,

We’ve gone to visit Grandpa. Will be home late. There’s soup in the fridge if you’re hungry.

XOXO,

Mom.

“In this weather, Mom? Really,” Lauren said to an empty room. She adjusted the thermostat in the living room, then returned to the kitchen. She wasn’t hungry after the lunch she’d had at Ruby’s, but a cup of tea would warm her up. Using her mother’s old-fashioned cast-iron teakettle, she clicked the stovetop on and waited. She chose an orange-spice tea, knowing it had a kick. Lauren needed a kick just then. She was tired, and knowing her parents had to drive back from the Upside in Pine City, the luxury assisted-living facility her grandfather called home, she would be lucky to accomplish any work until they were home safely.

She rolled her eyes. She was worse than her mother. Still, this kind of wicked cold was not normal for the area, and Lauren wasn’t sure her mother or dad could handle the roads. She’d crawled home at fifteen miles an hour, fearing she’d slide off the slick surfaces. Neither of her parents had a cell phone, so calling them was out of the question. Just one more twenty-first century convenience her father dismissed as frivolous and unnecessary.

Lauren took her tea upstairs to her room and took a warm shower. She slipped into leggings, a sweatshirt, and warm socks, then sat on the bed with her laptop, ready to research her new subject. She read article after article on Giampalo, finding nothing too negative. When she glanced at the bedside clock, it was after ten. Her parents should have been home already. Worried, she peered out her window at the winding drive leading up to the house. Her heartbeat steadied when she saw the lights of their old Chevy station wagon coming up the drive.