“Mom? Are you okay?” Isla’s voice startled me. I quickly shut the lid and turned to her with a forced smile.
“I’m fine, sweetie. Just checking something. Go on inside, I’ll be right there.”
As soon as Isla was out of sight, I called the sheriff’s office.
“Sheriff’s Department, this is Leona speaking.”
“Leona, it’s Nora. I need you to come over immediately. I found something disturbing in my trash.”
Leona’s voice turned serious as I described the contents of the can. “Don’t touch anything. I’m on my way. Stay inside with the kids until I get there.”
After hanging up, I couldn’t shake the fear. Our neighborhood had recently experienced a series of break-ins with eerily similar methods—chemicals to weaken locks and meticulous clean-up of evidence. A chilling thought crossed my mind: my house was next on the list.
“Mom, what’s going on?” Kai asked, noticing my unease.
“Everything’s fine,” I reassured him, though my smile felt forced. “Let’s have dinner.”
Just as we started eating, there was a knock on the door. I tensed, but relief washed over me when I saw Leona through the peephole.
“Kids, stay here and finish dinner,” I said before stepping outside to speak with her. I explained everything to Leona—Ravi’s note, his strange behavior, and what I found in the trash. She listened carefully, her eyes scanning the street.
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