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about to encounter when she’d deposited her keys there and gone to get dressed for the day. The act had seemed so simple and ordinary, but right now, as she looked at those keys, she remembered again how quickly life could change.
    Yesterday flashed into her mind. She’d been in such a hurry to make her photography appointments. She remembered the sound of ticking. She halfway expected to hear it again. But all was quiet. So quiet she could hear her heartbeat.
    “It’s too soon for you, isn’t it? I should have told you to stay away for a while.”
    “I have to face the house sometime. It might as well be today.” If only she felt as confident as her words sounded. Her body betrayed her and sagged against the wall.
    Brody’s hand cupped her elbow. “Anytime you want to stop, you just let me know.”
    She nodded. “Do you know how he got in yet? I always lock the house up.”
    “There’s no evidence of forced entry, no jimmy marks on the windows or doors, no broken screens or locks. Is there anywhere someone might have gotten a copy of your house key?”
    She shook her head. “I keep one on my key ring and one hidden in my car.” She’d used the one in her car to get inside her home today—it had still been just where she’d left it. So apparently her attacker was a phantom who could creep through walls. The thought didn’t comfort her.
    “Do you always leave your car unlocked, like it was today?”
    Heat filled her cheeks. Locking her home seemed safe and logical, but she never even thought twice about leaving her car unlocked. “I do.”
    “Nobody else has a copy of the house key? A boyfriend or relative maybe?”
    “My parents don’t live in the area and I have no time for a boyfriend, so, no.” Her words reminded her of how much life had changed in the past three years. Her parents had decided to retire and move to Florida six months before her husband had died in an auto accident. Suddenly, there was no one. Just her and Lincoln. Life had gone from being full of love and family to being a struggle.
    “How about if we take a break? We’ll go into town and get you a new door. We’ll get the entire foyer cleaned up before we tackle anything else.”
    Madison nodded, grateful for his suggestion because she was beginning to feel suffocated in her own home.

FIVE
    A fter picking out a door at the closest hardware store, the two headed back to Madison’s house. The ride was mainly quiet. She wasn’t in the state of mind to come up with polite small talk, and Brody didn’t seem like the type who ever used nonsensical conversation. So instead, Madison stared out the window, wishing desperately that her thoughts had an escape hatch. No such luck.
    “Why would someone do something like that?” Madison’s words surprised even her.
    Brody gripped the steering wheel as if trying to find the right words. “Your guess is as good as mine. Some people just get their kicks by causing other people pain. It’s sad, but it’s reality.”
    “You really think this was just some random crime intended to simply entertain a criminal?”
    He shrugged. “Nothing was stolen. The setup was elaborate and required thought beforehand. What other motive would there be except that he was sick? A psychologist would probably give some mumbo jumbo about the suspect’s messed up childhood or a twisted need for revenge because they were bullied in high school. I hate that rationale because it seems to try and justify the behavior.” He exhaled sharply. “I just think some people are messed up. Call them psycho if you want. Insane. Evil. But don’t try and make me feel sorry for them. We’re all responsible for own actions.”
    She shook her head. “So let’s say this was a rational but evil man who did this. If he wanted to kill me, then why not just kill me? If he wanted to torture me, then why not just torture me then kill me? But this man had a plan—a very specific plan, I’d say based on the note he had me