Full part: My husband cooked dinner, and right after my son and I ate, we collapsed Pretending to be unconscious, I heard him on the phone saying, “It’s done… soon they will both be gone.

I shut my eyes.

Daniel stopped beside me. Every muscle in my body wanted to tighten when his fingers closed around my wrist, but I stayed limp as he checked my pulse and lowered my hand carefully back to the floor.

Then he crossed to Noah.

I heard him touch my son’s shoulder.

“This will be easier for everybody,” he said softly.

That almost broke me.

But I didn’t move.

Daniel picked something up from the table and walked away. A moment later, the door to the garage shut.

I opened my eyes.

Noah’s were already open.

I raised one finger to my lips.

“Phones,” he whispered.