Silence climbed the stairwell, step by careful step. Marco waited in the car until the sedan’s taillights dissolved, then walked to his door. The keypad accepted the new code he wrote. The hinge sang. The foyer welcomed him with that expensive emptiness only safety can afford.
He stood very still, listening for any leftover footstep he hadn’t scheduled. There was nothing. The house was a paused orchestra. He closed the door, manually locked it, and leaned back until the oak touched his shoulder blades. The cat padded from the shadows, asked a question, accepted an answer, and forgave everything.