Chapter 4: Fourteen Minutes

Lucy's couch had a blanket with cartoon teeth on it, and I did not sleep.

At seven she put a mug of coffee in my hands and sat down beside me with her feet tucked up.

Nate had left at dawn, after he checked the deadbolt twice.

His number was on a napkin on the table.

I had texted him one line: *Thank you for last night.*

He had answered within a minute.

*Eat something. I'm on shift until Wednesday morning. I'll come by after. Lock the door behind Lucy.*

I read it twice, and Lucy watched me do it.

"Don't," I said.

"I didn't say a word," she said, and grinned into her mug.

Conway had sent me twenty-two texts.

Lucy had taken my phone and blocked every one, and then handed it back.

"The app," she said. "You said the camera in his vault records to the cloud. Open it."

"The police took the drive."

"So look for what the cloud kept."

I opened the vault app.

Under the red LOCKDOWN button there was one saved clip.

*Saturday, 8:47 p.m. Duration 14:02. Remainder stored on device.*

My thumb stayed over it for a long time.

"I'm right here," Lucy said.

I pressed play.

The picture was gray and sharp.

Nine people stood under the spotlights, looking at a door that would not open.

The pastor was shouting at the keypad.

The aunt was crying.

One cousin kept trying the code Conway had used, over and over.

"It's not taking it," he said. "Conway, it's not taking it!"

Conway leaned against a case with a glass in his hand.

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