As I came back to the door, the beam of the flashlight revealed the ground around the edge of the patio. The cops had been right. I saw footprints that weren’t mine, deep and fresh. They went in two directions—away from the back door and toward it, as though someone had paced outside, perhaps looking in one of the kitchen windows before or after trying the back door.

My heart, which had been going back to its normal size, swelled again. It felt like it might burst out of the center of my chest. Someone had been there. Without a doubt.

I went back inside and quickly closed the door. Then I made sure to throw the bolt and use the chain, making the house feel like Fort Knox.

When I turned around, Amanda was walking back into the room. I figured she’d gone to look in on Henry and come down when she heard the door opening and closing.

“Well?” she asked.

“I didn’t see anyone.”

“So you think I’m crazy?”

“I didn’t say that, did I?” I still held the bat, so I put it down in the corner of the kitchen by the back door. “The tracks were there, just like the cops said. Looks like someone in sneakers. It’s pretty eerie. In fact, I’m going to go around and make sure all the doors and windows are locked. Just to be safe.”

“And the crawl space entrance?”

“Secure. I looked.”

“So I did the right thing calling the police?”

“Yes, of course,” I said.

And I meant it.

“If we hear anything else, let’s call them,” I said. “Like I said, I’ll check everything. Oh, and then I’ll post on the neighborhood Facebook group. Did you check that yet?”

“No. I didn’t think of it. That’s your thing.”

“Maybe somebody else saw or heard something. Or, at the very least, everyone else can be on high alert.”

Amanda listened to me and then nodded. She seemed mollified.

“Are you going to bed now?” I asked. “Can you sleep? Or are you too amped-up?”

“I better. Sir Henry might be getting me up soon.”

“I’ll secure the place and then post in the group. I’ll come to bed after that. You’ll probably be asleep.”

“Probably.”

I went over and kissed her good night, letting my lips linger for a second. I wanted to do more. I wished the night were so simple I could lead her by the hand up to the bedroom and we could slide under the covers together like we used to do all the time before Henry was born.

I wished it were a night like that.

But it wasn’t. I focused on my task of securing the house.

“I’m sorry I interrupted your game,” she said.

“What’s that?”