Chapter 9

For the second time in one day, Corinne’s heart stopped when she heard a heavy fist pounding on the door. She was chopping some vegetables to prepare some vegetable salad for her husband. It was his favorite meal and a special request from him before he’d left to hunt for a job earlier that morning.

She stopped and listened. The heavy knock on the door mounted again. This time, Corinne was sure it was coming from her door. She pushed the chopping board aside and washed her hands in the water flowing from the sink.

She cleaned her hands quickly and headed for the door. Corinne turned the dangling keys, and the door hissed open. She went rigid, half expecting to see the police officers from earlier on back at the door again.

But it was only her husband. She exhaled a sigh of relief on seeing who it was.

“Honey,” she said, peering into his face. “I thought you had the key on you. Why knock?”

Her husband ignored her. He entered the room like a rocket and we