John screamed, “LEAVE!”
Rose added in a very low voice, “Just go, please.”
She did not defend me. She did not tell him to calm down. She just told me to leave.
I slowly backed toward the exit, trembling so much I could hardly grip my car keys. I had one foot out the door when Mary tightly grabbed my arm.
She yanked me closer and secretly pressed a vintage photograph into my palm.
“Exactly at midnight,” she whispered urgently, “drive to the location written on the back.”
“Mary, what in the world is happening?”
“Do not return to this house before you do it. Do you understand?”
Her expression looked absolutely frantic.
“Hurry.”
