Chapter 4 – The Neighbor Who Knew
At exactly 8:42 p.m., the backup phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
I answered without speaking.
A man's whisper came through.
"Don't hang up."
My heart nearly stopped.
"Who is this?"
"My name is Daniel Harris. I live three houses away."
"I've been watching your husband for months."
"What?"
"I used to work with federal investigators. Something about Ryan never made sense."
Daniel explained that he had installed security cameras after several break-ins in the neighborhood.
Over the past six months, his cameras had repeatedly captured strange visitors arriving at Ryan's home late at night.
Men carrying metal cases.
Gas cans.
Blueprint tubes.
Earlier that evening, Daniel watched two men return.
One had circled the house.
The other had locked the front door.
"I already called the police," he whispered.
"But they're twenty minutes away."
Twenty minutes.
We didn't have twenty minutes.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Listen carefully."
"There's an old crawl space beneath your laundry room."
"It connects to the original foundation."
"My grandfather helped build these houses."
"You may be able to get outside."
Hope.
May you like
For the first time all night...
Real hope.
