At two in the afternoon, Madam Hale slipped back into Hale Residence, a wreck.

Too quiet. So quiet it felt wrong.

The massive house was dead-empty, like everyone had vanished.

She grabbed a maid by the arm. “Has sir come back yet?”

The maid froze. Then she recognized her—and tears spilled out before she could stop them. She choked on the words. “Ma’am, you need to go to the hospital—right now! Young Master Julian was in a car ...