Page 196 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

“Receipts.”

“Yes.”

“Under your bed.”

“Yes.”

“And the empty one disappeared.”

“Yes.”

“Months ago.”

“Yes.”

Ronan looked toward the door. The explanation was completely ordinary. That should have helped. It didn’t. Because something else had already gone wrong.

“If it was empty, why would somebody bring it back?”

Elliot said nothing. Exactly. Ronan rubbed one hand over his face.

“They’ve been inside.”

Elliot looked up.

“What?”

“Our house.”

“No.”

“Then where did they get it?”

“I don’t know.”

“It was in your room?”

“No.”

“Where?”

“Storage room.”

Ronan stopped. The room beneath the stairs. His eyes moved instinctively toward the narrow door beside the kitchen. Elliot saw it.

“No.”

“You said storage.”

“Yes.”

Ronan crossed the room. Elliot moved faster. He stepped in front of the door. Ronan stared at him. Elliot stared back.

“Move.”

“No.”

Everything inside Ronan went cold.