“I know,” I said, understanding what Sam was thinking. Amanda looked curious about it as well. “I can explain, but I’d rather know what happened here. Go on. Just tell us the story.”

Amanda nodded. “I’d finished with the bath and dried him off. I got him dressed, and then I was going to pack some things to take with us. Henry was in his seat, vegging out while I packed. And that’s when I heard it. Again. Someone messing with the back door.” She shook her head, her eyes widening with exasperation. “I thought I was nuts, hearing things. Maybe I’d allowed myself to get so worked up that I was imagining someone breaking in. Maybe I’d just been hearing things last night. I was seriously doubting myself. But I decided to check. I knew the door was locked. I’d made sure before I went upstairs. I always do, and especially after last night.”

“Good,” I said.

“So I left Henry upstairs and came down. I thought maybe it was you coming home.” She looked me dead in the eyes, and I wondered if she might have been on the brink of crying. But she held it back and went on. “Or my mom might have come over to help. You know she does that sometimes. And she doesn’t always bother to call, since she forgets to charge her phone.”

The teakettle clicked as the water started to heat, the flame pulsing underneath.

“When I came down here and looked out the door, I saw a man standing there. I didn’t know him. Never seen him before. But he was waving at me, telling me to come over to the door and talk to him. I was scared. Enough weird stuff has been going on around here to freak anybody out. But I thought maybe he was a cop. I don’t know. The chain was on the door, and the lock was bolted. So I went over.” She pointed at the door where the man had stood. “If he was just selling something, I could get rid of him.”

“And you had your phone with you,” Sam said.

Amanda looked sheepish. “Like a dumb ass I left it upstairs. If only six-month-olds could dial nine-one-one. Anyway, I went over and asked what he wanted through the glass. He wanted me to open the door, but I told him I wouldn’t. I didn’t know who he was. He looked pretty irritated, but he told me he was looking for you, Ryan. Or Blake. Either one. When I asked him who he was, he wouldn’t tell me his name, but he said he was a friend, that he knew both of you and needed to talk to you both about everything.”

“Everything?” I asked.

“That’s what he said.”

“What did he look like?” I asked.