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"Maybe the cleaners—" She stopped, her foot crunching glass Abigail looked down, feeling a sharp, cold panic building solass all over the floor I just stepped in it"

Paul said so she didn't hear

"Okay," Abigail answered, automatic She turned around One of the tall side s by the front door was broken Herthe bolt, opening the door

She shook her head In broad daylight? In this neighborhood? They couldn't have more than three people over at a ti to complain about the noise

"Abby?"

She was in so muffled She told her husband, "I think someone broke in"

Paul barked, "Get out of the house! They could still be there!"

She dropped theher reflection in thetennis for the last two hours Her hair was still damp, stray wisps plastered to the back of her neck where her ponytail was starting to co

"Abby?" Paul yelled "Get out right now I' the police on the other line"

She turned, —what?—when she saw the bloody footprint on the floor

"E the phone as she bolted up the stairs toward her daughter's bedroom

She stopped at the top of the stairs, shocked at the broken furniture, the splintered glass on the floor Her vision tunneled and she saw E in a bloody heap at the end of the hallway A man stood over her, a knife in his hand

For a few seconds, Abigail was too stunned toThe man started toward her Her eyes couldn't focus on any one thing They went back and forth between the knife clenched in his bloody fist and her daughter's body on the floor

"No—"

The ail stepped back She tripped, falling down the stairs, hip and shoulder blades thu the hard wood as she slid headfirst There was a chorus of pain fro, ankle-bone cracking against the wall, a searing burn in her neck as she tried to keep her head froainst the sharp tread of the stairs She landed in the foyer, the breath knocked out of her lungs

The dog Where was the stupid dog?

Abigail rolled onto her back, wiping blood out of her eyes, feeling broken glass grind into her scalp

Thedown the stairs, the knife still in his hand Abigail didn't think She kicked up as he ca the toe of her sneaker somewhere between his asshole and his scrotum She was far off theas he went down on one knee

She rolled onto her sto, yanking her back so hard that a white-hot pain shot up her spine and into her shoulder She clutched at the glass on the floor, trying to find a piece to hurt him with, but the tiny shards only ripped open the skin of her hand She started kicking at hi wildly behind her as she inched toward the front door

"Stop it!" he screa down on her ankles "God dammit, I said stop!"

She stopped, trying to catch her breath, trying to think Her head was still ringing, her mind unable to focus Two feet ahead, the front door was still open, offering a vien the gentle slope of the walk to her car parked on the street She twisted around so she could face her attacker He was on his knees, holding her ankles to keep her fro The knife was beside hiranite showing beneath heavy lids His broad chest rose and fell as he panted for breath Blood soaked his shirt