T
ess inspected her jeans and black sweater. Noticed the grime and spots where she had spilled coffee. She’d been wearing the same clothes since arriving in Black Walnut.
She walked into the kitchen, then into the laundry room beside it, and like the rest of Cap’s house, the room was neat and organized. Boxes of detergent and fabric softener lined up on a shelf with folded towels and linens.
When she opened the lid to the washer, her eyes cut to the back of the room and spotted a utility closet. The door stood partially opened—a foot, maybe two. Couldn’t see inside. Nothing but darkness. Her heart rattled and her stomach tightened at the sight of a closet with the door slightly ajar. Her first impulse was to scream. To turn and run away. But she did neither. Instead, she stared into the
