I smiled nervously. ‘That’s the nature of my job, I just have to roll with it sometimes,’ I said as I crept closer to the door and farther away from Cris. ‘Hopefully I can make another trip up soon when Rosie is around too.’

As I walked down the stairs, my thoughts firing rapidly on what I’d found in the boxes, I vaguely registered Cris saying I should come by next week and he and Rosie could take me to their favorite local restaurant that made a delicious jambalaya.

‘Sure, that’d be great. I’ll give you a call when I know my schedule better,’ I said quickly, holding my purse tight to the side of my body as I stood near the front door.

Cris looked at me for a beat, his eyes squinting like he was sizing me up. ‘Are you sure you can’t stay for dinner? You could use my office to do your work before Rosie gets home,’ he said slowly.

His tone had an edge, as though he suspected I was acting off. Oh no, is he on to me? Is this just a ploy to keep me here so I can’t raise the alarm? I tried to look at him and not the bag, afraid my eyes would give away the stolen keys within.

‘Sorry but I really do have to get back,’ I replied as I turned the knob and opened the door. ‘But I’ll be sure to call later and set up that jambalaya date.’ Cris pursed his lips and rocked on his heels but remained quiet.

After I made it to my car, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. Pulling out my phone, I entered the address from the deed into my Google Maps app. When the map loaded, Shandaken appeared to be in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. I switched to directions and the app estimated about a two-hour drive. I glanced out the window to the house; Cris was standing in the living room window watching me. A shiver ran through my body as he raised his hand in a wave. There, clutched in his other hand hanging at his side, was a piece of paper. It had to be the deed. He must have seen my fumble to get it back into the box and gone back to check what I’d been so eager to conceal. Ignoring my pounding heart, I waved back and started the car. Before I released the parking brake, I hit the start button on my GPS. As I backed out of the driveway into the street and shifted the car into drive, I spotted Cris’s garage door slowly opening. I felt panic rise up through my chest and into my throat as my foot hit the gas. As I drove away, I looked in the rearview mirror and could have sworn I saw smoke from a tailpipe coming from the garage.