Roland lingered by the car for a long moment after they entered the house. The cool evening wind brushed against his face, but even that couldn’t ease the growing tightness in his chest.
Something was wrong with Lauren. He could feel it. The silence in her voice. The blankness in her eyes. That wasn’t exhaustion, that was fear.
He exhaled sharply, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his phone.
The screen flickered to life, the reflection of his troubled face glaring back at him. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Axel’s number and pressed the call icon.
The line rang twice before Axel’s voice came through. “Hello, Roland.”
“You said we were the only ones who knew about the detective,” Roland said quietly, glancing back at the house. “Let’s keep it that way for now. N
