sterile pine scent of Daniel’s SUV. Margaret placed her purse on her lap, holding it like a shield, while Mary got out to lift the gray suitcase into the trunk. The sound of the trunk slamming shut was the only punctuation mark the morning required.
As Mary shifted the car into drive, she didn’t look toward the empty road where Daniel and Ashley had gone. She looked toward town.
“I filed the deed restriction at nine this morning,” Mary said, her eyes fixed on the rearview mirror. “By noon, the
