Before he could step in, a thunder of pounding hit the front door upstairs. Evan froze. Another bang—louder—followed by a voice calling, “Police! Open up!”

Evan’s eyes flicked to me, calculating. He slammed the basement door shut and re-locked it, then ran. I heard drawers opening, footsteps sprinting, the clatter of something metallic.

Dad’s voice sharpened. “Claire, listen. My guys are outside with officers. You hear me? Officers. I called in a favor, but it’s legal.