Chapter 4

"Chrissy, you're finally home!"

"Here—flowers for you!"

He held out that huge bouquet of fiery roses to me.

I jerked back a few steps and stared hard at his face.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You don't like the bouquet?"

Hugh's face filled with obvious disappointment.

"Or is it that you still won't forgive me?"

Yesterday afternoon, we'd had a disagreement about buying a house for the wedding.

I wanted to buy the new place in Bayport.

Hugh thought Bayport prices were too high—the eight hundred thousand we'd saved over five years of work was only enough for a down payment.

So he wanted to buy in the small town where he grew up.

We'd fought about it and parted on bad terms.

"Fine, I'll do what you want—we'll buy in Bayport. Worst case, we'll work together to pay off the loan!"

Hugh had given in.

By all rights I should have been happy.

But I wasn't. I just felt cold all over.

The person in front of me looked exactly like Hugh, and yet something felt off.

"Chrissy, what are you still standing there for? Hugh already agreed to buy in Bayport—what are you sulking about now? Hurry up and come in!"

My mother's voice came from inside the apartment.

That's right—my mother's voice.

I looked in past Hugh's shoulder.

My mom was sitting on the couch watching TV and cracking sunflower seeds.

The look, the expression, the movements—all exactly the same!

It was my mom. It really was my mom!

Hugh pulled me inside.

My best friend Prissy brought me out a plate of sliced chilled watermelon.

"Where did you run off to just now?"

"The police came by and said someone called 911, thinking there'd been a murder in our apartment. That wasn't you who called, was it?"

I went rigid, my throat tight, and instinctively looked to see Hugh's reaction.

Hugh was smiling.

Not the slightest hint of nervousness.

"Of course not—probably somebody's idea of a prank!"

Then he added another request.

"I don't want any chilled watermelon, I'm afraid it'll give me a stomachache. Honey, could you peel me an apple?"

Once he said that,

I stared hard at Hugh's reaction.

"I'll do it, I'll do it—don't go ordering Hugh around for everything!"

My mom offered eagerly.

"It's all right, ma'am, let me do it. I just made Chrissy mad, so I've got to be on my best behavior now, or I'm afraid she won't forgive me!"

As Hugh spoke, he took the fruit knife from my mother's hand with complete ease.

Then he started peeling.

I stared hard at every move he made, my back already soaked through.

Just then, the phone rang.

I'd arranged for Jacob Chavez to call pretending to be a coworker.

I answered.

"Overtime? Does it have to be right now? Can't I skip it?"

I hung up, forced down the fear in my chest, and said apologetically to my mother and Hugh:

"My boss just told me to come back to the office and rework the proposal!"

"I have to go now!"

Then I stood up and headed for the door, keeping everything as normal as I could.

The door opened.

The door closed.

My legs went so weak I couldn't stand.

The tactical officers outside the door caught me at once.

I was taken to the police station.

Someone handed me a cup of hot water.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking, and half the water spilled out.

Jacob Chavez arrived.

I rushed straight to him, clutched his arm, and shouted through red eyes:

"You saw it? You saw it?"

"Those aren't my boyfriend and my mom at all."

"Something's happened to my boyfriend, and something's happened to my mom too!"

Everything that had just happened had been fed live to every officer through the surveillance feed.

Jacob had seen it too, of course.

His face had gone dark as soot, his teeth clenched hard as he fought to hold down the fear inside him.

"I saw it!"

"I think I already know what they are!"