I was about to shout after him, to ask how long it would be, should we move to a hotel, when my phone rang. Alondra. Finally, someone who could light a fire and get us protection.

She said, “I was on another call. Are you okay?”

“It’s Lena. She—”

“Lena is in Texas, Kacy. There have been some developments, but she’s here in Texas.”

“I know about the postcards, Alondra. But Lena left something at my parents’ house. The police were just here.”

“What?”

“She left a jar of sourdough starter. At my parents’ house! My mom and dad, Alondra.” I’d been holding it together, trying to appear credible to the police officer, but now my body started to shake.

“You’re not making any sense.”

“She knows where they live. And I called and called you.” Studiously ignoring my phone conversation, Jim waved good-bye to Dad and got into his truck. I didn’t even know where he was headed, but his little “no big deal” errand had ended up taking all afternoon and included a brush with a serial killer. I wished my dad would drive off with him, someplace remote and unfindable, out of harm’s way.

“But this is about sourdough starter?”

“Lena gave me some back in Texas, and when my dad’s friend picked up the mail, this other jar was on the front step.” I could hear it now, how banal and unthreatening this sounded, like all the stress had sent me around the bend, but I didn’t know how to convince her.

“And you’re sure it’s from Lena? Not just some neighbor or something?”

“Definitely.” I couldn’t offer the other jar she’d given me as proof; I’d thrown it out. I couldn’t point to her handwriting or a threatening message or so much as a smudged fingerprint, but I knew, knew, it was from her.

“And you reported it?”

“I called the number you gave me. They sent someone to pick it up, but I don’t think they understood about it, and about that picture I sent you, the one where I thought I saw Lena—”

“Kacy, I shared it with them. Take a deep breath. The feds are handling this. Lena is in Texas.”

“How do you know?” Dad was casually leaning against the front door of the house. He didn’t want to leave me alone out here, and that thought, that he was as scared for me as I was for him, pierced me. If Lena was really in Texas, we were safe here, and that was all I wanted. Just to rest together without fear. “Are you sure?”

She was silent for a minute. Then she said, “I’m going to send you something, and I swear to God, if I see it on the news or online, I will make you regret it.”