Chapter 26

In the living room, there were no traces of a struggle. James’s suit coat rested on the back of a dining room chair, so James was still there. Somewhere.

Chris stepped into the kitchen, which was dimly lit by the security monitors in the laundry room. He walked past the island, glancing behind him once before coming to a stop in front of the laundry room. He looked at the camera monitor that displayed the back yard and the deck outside the bedroom. The haunting figure wasn’t there.

Chris held his breath as he peered into the laundry room. James sat on a chair, dressed for work except for his tie. His head rested against the washer as he stared at the monitors on the cabinets before him.

Chris sighed. “What are you doing?”

James sat up. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d keep watch.”

Chris smiled. “I didn’t know where you were. I thought…”

“Sorry.” James reached out to him.

Chris held James’s hand as he sat on James’s lap. “You’re dressed.”