ser and peered

ANY

put those

d there, faded blue peeked through the peeling cream-colored paint. John remembere

he top corner, because it was wa

seen in cartoons and the movies. When he had been little, John used to peer through the keyhole and pretend

below in that darkness was silent. Not even a whisper came up from the basement. John

at Detective Janek had set on the top of his wall phone, after she ha

she would believe him this time. If Detective Janek went down in the ba

into the devil’s

f blackness from below, he realized that his

tor meant. This place wasn’t safe anymor

side of the stairwell leading upstairs, just around the corner from the basement door. Maybe

should cal

She ought to know that—th

and tell her. He w

lice might not listen to him, might not believe hi

her everything, tell her what had happened, tell her that the devil knew h

clattering on the floor. Rather than slow to pick up the magnets, he started stuffing the photos in the front pocket of his work pants. He

want evil lo

safely into his pocket, he hurri

d for the receive

handpiece and put it to his ear, listening. He feared

hnny. I

g his sister’s familiar, cheerful voice. He clutched the ta

e said in an

slit of darkness und

ay early and the driver is

-hu

ound winded. Did you just

ys knew what to do. She always helped him. He missed her. Right at that moment he missed her more t

…

was the only one who didn’t get impatient a

nked. “A

f brother who lived out w

ngs racing through his mind as he stared

h

in that little town in the desert. He wasn’t the friendliest guy. You were little at the time.

eyes from the da

it was about three we

well, almost f

as he listened to her breathing

e too sad. He never left that place of his and I bet it was because he loved it

id he d

of silence before she

sometimes Kate didn’t want to tell him t