Chapter 21

Heather returned to the hospital and spent some time with her mother. Once her mother had fallen asleep, Heather headed home to shower and change her clothes.

As she opened the door to her house, a strange smell hit her—a faint scent of smoke.

Her heart skipped a beat. She looked up and saw a shadow rise from the sofa.

Startled, she instinctively stepped back, but Brett quickly approached her, grabbing her arm. His voice was raspy, "Heather, it's me."

He slipped something into her hand and hurriedly said, "Heather, there's been a situation. Keep this with you. If the police come looking, give it to them and say your father asked you to hold onto it for him."

Heather's fingers fumbled over the object. It was a phone.

Brett pulled her into a brief, tight embrace, his tone unusually soft. "Some things have happened, not good ones. But don't worry, none of this will affect you. Just hand the phone over to the police, and tell them you don't know anything beyond that. You won't b