Addison snapped the lid to the laptop shut, but the electronic voice still echoed in her head. She didn't know how long she stood in her kitchen with one hand covering her mouth while the other clutched the two halves of her robe together at the neck. Her sightless eyes stared into the shadows of her apartment where she rarely turned on a light.

She didn't hear the deadbolt slide back, nor did she hear the door open, but all at once she felt warmth at her back and the subtle ...