I slowly pushed myself upright, using the counter for support.
“That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said all morning,” I told him. “It didn’t disappear.”
“Then where is it?”
“Somewhere you can’t reach.”
He took one step toward me.
I saw the anger gather in him like a storm cloud.
Then another sound came from outside.
Not an engine this time.
A car door closing.
Marcus froze.
Rachel moved toward the window, but he caught her wrist.
“Don’t.”
She stared at him.
“What if it’s someone from next door?”
“My nearest neighbor lives half a mile away.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
Another door closed.
Then another.
Marcus snatched the g/u/n from the table.
Rachel’s voice dropped to a frightened whisper.
“Put that away.”
He moved toward the hallway.
I spoke before he reached the corner.
“If you carry that outside, you will make everything worse.”
