We stepped outside the car. The night was cold, as if black ice had melted in the skies. The frosty breeze wrapped my body instantly, but it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. The wintry air seemed to go down my throat and up to my head like a fresh current, cleansing the murky brain waves in my mind. It was as if the ghastly wounds of the old lady's death had been suddenly swabbed with analgesic ice, relieving the anguish for a moment.

Tristan pulled the white front door open and the ...