That evening, Lane didn't light a lamp.He sat against the wall inside the arch, facing the stairs. The light from the vent had shifted from gray-white to dark gray, bleeding toward deep blue. He didn't move, didn't stand to add wood, didn't touch the stacked oil paper on the counter. He just sat there, left hand on his knee, not gripping.When he heard footsteps, the sound was different from Evelyn's. Heavier. More hurried—landing with a low, pressed breath, like someone who'd run a fair distance. He didn't stand. The footsteps came down the steps, stopped outside the arch. A gray-white envelope was pushed through the arch's edge, landing on the steps—corner-first, sliding a short distance, then stopping. The footsteps turned immediately, climbed back up, didn't pause.Lane waited until the footsteps had completely faded, then stood, walked over, bent, and picked up the envelope. Brown paper—folded many times, the creases deep enough to pale the surface. No name on the front. No addr
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2026-08-13 อ่านเพิ่มเติม