AND LET LOOSE THE BEASTS OF PREY
They should be home by now, thought Sheila—even as a pair of headlights flashed across the wall and she rushed to the window, breathing a sigh of relief. But it wasn’t Stephen.
It was a police car.
Erik joined her at the sill. “Are Dad and Tammy home? Whoa, a police car!”
She shooed him away from the window quickly. “Honey, I want you to go to your room, okay?”
“But, Mom—”
“Just do it,” she snapped. “I don’t have time ...” She paused, catching herself—then crouched in front of him and plucked at his hair. “Sweetie, remember how I told you that mommy and daddy would always try to explain things, but that there were times when they couldn’t, at least not right away? And that there were special rewards for little boys who were patient and showed a little
