Naomi and Sissy still weren’t back.
She scanned her surroundings—the road in the distance. The fence. The woods and mountains bordering the property.
She saw nothing, no one.
Still, she knew it was only wise to stay alert.
She slipped inside and quickly locked the door behind her. Biscuit rushed to greet her, and she rubbed his head.
After hanging her coat on a hook near the back door, she glanced around, confirming that no one was here.
She needed to know if she’d done something to put anyone here in danger.
There was only one way to find out. But first, she needed to put Biscuit in her room and close the door—just in case.
She did that, apologizing to the dog as she shut the door. Then she rushed back downstairs.
She hurried down the hall and stopped outside the office door. It stood slightly ajar. Through the crack, she could see the computer screen glowing inside.
Her pulse kicked up.
I just need to look at one thing,she told herself.That’s all. It’s for the sake of everyone here. Maybe there’s nothing to worry about. But if there is, I need to tell Caleb.
Steeling herself, she slipped inside and softly closed the door behind her.
Files were stacked neatly on the desk. A printer hummed softly. The curtains were drawn.
She needed to move quickly or she might be caught.
She sat down at the computer and touched the mouse.
The screen woke fully, a browser window already open.
She opened a new tab—incognito—and typed in the name of the cloud-based scheduling app Garrick used to organize everypart of his life. His meetings, deadlines, travel, court cases, personal training sessions, even when to take his supplements.
All this fit his controlling temperament. He liked everything to be perfect—and when that didn’t happen, he exploded.
She’d usually been the one on the receiving end of his temper tantrums.
She hesitated, her chest tightening as she considered her next action.
Then muscle memory took over. She typed the password he always used, the one she’d typed more times than she cared to remember.
Had he changed it? Or was it still the same?
Her breath caught.
She was about to find out.
She hit Enter.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the page refreshed.
His account was still active. His password had worked.
Her pulse thudded as she clicked into the calendar.
