Emily swallowed hard, wiped her face, and whispered, “He promised he wouldn’t hurt me.”

Those seven words sliced through Linda like a blade. She pulled over immediately, heart pounding, and turned fully toward her daughter. “Who? Emily, who promised?”

Emily stared at the floor. “Mr. Cole… the neighbor. He said he just needed help finding his cat. He said it would be quick.”

Linda felt a cold, electric shock race down her spine. Their neighbor, Thomas Cole, a quiet forty-something man living two houses down, had always seemed reserved but harmless. He waved politely, kept to himself, and never gave the Warrens a reason to worry.