When Alan pulls into his driveway, the first thing he notices is the porch light is off. He could’ve sworn he left it on earlier. Maybe Brooks turned it off when he came in?
Alan gets out of the car and, force of habit, checks the door to make sure it’s locked before heading up to the house. On the way he almost stumbles over his nephew’s bicycle, which was left tossed against the porch steps. Alan kicks it out of his way with a growl. They’ll have to talk about that in the morning.
Inside the house is quiet, at least. A lamp in the living room is on, throwing a cone of white light into the hallway. It’s enough for Alan to see by, and he steps out of his shoes, leaving them under the entryway table. Next he drops his keys in the cup on the table that’s there for just that purpose, then r
