Vance's truck came around the corner at oh-five-fourteen with its lights off.
Caleb heard the engine before he saw it. Old diesel. Yard truck. The kind of motor that sounded tired even when it was doing exactly what it had been built to do.
Vance had taken the long way from the depot. No freight route. No company radio in the cab. No convoy. No backup hanging two streets away pretending not to be backup.
He came alone, because Theo had asked for alone.
The truck rolled in behind Iris's car and stopped with one soft squeal from the brakes. Iris did not get out.
She sat behind the wheel with both hands resting low, the way people rested their hands when they wanted everybody watching to know they were not reaching for anything. The dashboard light caught the side of her face and left the rest in shadow.
Vance opened his door.
