A three AM phone call about a locked room changed everything

He stepped into the narrow space between our bench and the wall, blocking the view of the hallway behind him.

“Stacey, sweetheart,” he said, his voice dropping into that warm, low register he used when he was trying to quiet a crying child or settle an argument over a credit card bill.

“What is this about? Your sister said you were in Toledo.”

“I was continue reading …