LEXI
Mrs. Lane said Ward left without even trying to convince her to change her mind. “Or at least that’s what I thought he did until a stench of gasoline that flooded the house woke me up in the dead of night.”
Mrs. Lane’s voice dropped to a whisper, but the horror in her eyes told me more than her words ever could. “I woke up to find the room pitch black. At first, I thought I was dreaming. But I realized I wasn’t and sat up with a jolt.”
Her lips trembled. “I jumped out of bed, phone in my hand, as I didn’t dare turn on the lights, scared they would spark something with how strong the smell was. My hands shook so badly I could barely use the flashlight. I thought maybe it was the car… maybe a leak in the garage. But when I reached the hallway and turned toward the stairs, the stench
