Bruce and Lisa came to a stop in front of a small cream-colored house at the corner of the street. The road leading there had been long and mostly empty, stretching from Berwick Grove through rows of quiet neighborhoods and convenience stores that closed too early. The air was still, holding that faint after-rain scent that usually came with late afternoons.

The town itself was modest — neat, calm, and small enough that everyone seemed to know each other by name. The streets were clean, lined ...