Time went into slow motion. Sarah could see the thoughts chasing each other across Parker's face; shock, fear, uncertainty, anger; and the gun at that point wavered for a crucial one-tenth of a second. Sarah grabbed the opportunity and gave Mrs. Atkins a shove in one direction while she hurled herself in the other. The bullet sliced through the air where they had stood just a second ago. Mrs. Atkins landed hard, face first on the cracked tiles, and stayed there. Sarah ran, stumbling and skittering on high heels, out of the kitchen door into the hallway. Behind her, she could hear Parker following. Simultaneously, someone began banging on the front door.
"Help!" Sarah shrieked. "Somebody help me."
The banging on the door intensified, and she heard masculine howls outside the door, much to
