Chapter 2

The sound of me messing with the lock drew Luther over.

He looked like he'd just come back from outside, carrying breakfast in one hand.

“Lily, the lock isn't broken. I'm transferring some data on the computer in there, and I didn't want you accidentally touching anything, so I locked the room.

“The project should be wrapped up this afternoon. I'll unlock it when I get home tonight. Don't worry about it.”

As he spoke, Luther gently steered me away from the office door.

“Forget about the lock. Come on, let's eat.

“I got pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, and those cinnamon rolls you like from that little bakery.”

I nodded obediently and didn't glance back at the brand-new lock that had appeared for no reason.

There was definitely something in that room he didn't want me to see.

I didn't question him directly.

I didn't want to tip him off.

Instead, I sat down and finished breakfast with him, planning to investigate after he left.

Once we were done, Luther headed to work as usual.

When he crossed the balcony, I instinctively looked down, wanting to see whether those two strange shadows were still there.

But the floor was empty.

That was when I realized the curtains had been drawn completely shut.

The only light in the apartment came from the cold recessed lights overhead.

I was just about to reach for the curtains when Luther wrapped his arms around me from behind.

He kissed the top of my head, his voice as affectionate as ever.

“I'm leaving.

“I'll pick you up when I get off work.”

Then he left.

Once I was alone, I called a locksmith.

The person on the phone asked me to send over a photo of the lock so they could identify the model and assign the right technician.

After studying the picture for quite a while, the woman on the other end finally spoke.

“Ma'am, that's a high-security Grade C cylinder. You don't see those very often in residential properties.

“It's difficult both to install and to remove. We only have one technician who's certified to work on that model, and he's tied up at a bank today.

“I can book him for tomorrow.”

She hesitated before adding,

“And this particular model has an anti-tamper mechanism. If someone tries to force it, the internal system can lock up completely.

“So I strongly recommend that you don't try to break it open yourself. If you damage the mechanism, even our technician may not be able to get it open.”

She checked something on her end.

“Once he starts, you're probably looking at at least three hours.”

I froze.

The more complicated the lock sounded, the more certain I became that whatever was inside that office wasn't ordinary.

“Okay. Book him for tomorrow.”

I hung up.

Then I turned on the TV out of habit and started doing chores around the house.

“Good morning. Today is May 14. Welcome to the morning news. We begin with two international stories...”

Around noon, Luther called.

“Lily, what are you doing?”

His tone was casual.

“Did you eat lunch? Don't tell me you're filling up on snacks again instead of eating a real meal.”

My hand froze halfway into a bag of chips.

I gave a guilty little laugh and immediately changed the subject.

“I ate.

“I'm just curled up on the couch watching TV.”

I tucked the chips behind a cushion.

“What about you? Have you eaten yet? Why are you calling me at this hour?”

Luther sighed.

He sounded tired.

“My meeting just ended. I'm about to grab something quick.

“Lily, I probably won't be able to go grocery shopping with you tonight.

“I've got an online meeting a little after eight, so I'll need to take it from the office.

“And tomorrow... I'll probably have to go into work too.”

Hearing the exhaustion in his voice, I couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

At the same time, a flicker of relief went through me.

If Luther had to work tomorrow, I wouldn't have to come up with some excuse to get him out of the house when the locksmith arrived.

“It's fine. We can go another time.

“The grocery store isn't going anywhere.

“Go eat something. I'll see you when you get home.”

He answered softly.

After we hung up, I stared at the mystery series playing on TV.

It was boring.

I could predict every twist before it happened, and before long I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

So I went back to the bedroom to take a nap.

Somewhere between sleep and waking, I had the vague sensation that someone was watching me.

The feeling was heavy.

Clammy.

Unrelenting.

I slept badly.

When I woke up, my heart was racing.

I checked the time, got out of bed, and pulled some meat from the freezer to thaw.

“What should I make tonight...?”

I started listing dishes under my breath.

“Maybe meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and roasted green beans.”

I paused.

“No. We had green beans yesterday. I'll do shrimp and broccoli instead.”

I typed out the menu and sent it to Luther, asking if there was anything in particular he wanted.

His reply came almost immediately.

'No. That all sounds perfect. Basically everything I was craving. I'll be home soon. Thanks, Lily.'

A second message followed.

'I haven't had meatloaf and mashed potatoes in forever.'