Chapter 2 — Caleb approaches the wicker laundry basket — Until he lifts the grey blanket and uncovers the hidden phone
She took a sharp step closer to the basket, her eyes locked on the illuminated display.
The incoming caller ID showed no saved name, only a string of digits marked as restricted.
Caleb stared down at the blinking device with a furrowed brow, slowly picking it up by the edges.
Neither of them had placed the phone inside the laundry basket, let alone buried it beneath heavy blankets.
As the phone continued to vibrate against Caleb’s palm, the call history icon flashed briefly on the screen.
Caleb pressed his thumb against the home button to pull up the recent call logs before the screen could go dark again.
A detailed list of outgoing and incoming calls appeared instantly beneath the notification banner.
The very last outgoing call had been placed just twelve minutes earlier.
It was dialed to a number that neither Evelyn nor Caleb recognized.
Evelyn leaned in closer, reading the exact timestamp displayed next to the unfamiliar digits.
That exact timestamp matched the exact moment she had set her phone down on the kitchen counter before walking away.
The phone screen suddenly went dark as the mysterious caller hung up without leaving a voicemail.
An instant later, a new text message preview popped up on the locked screen from the same restricted number.
Evelyn and Caleb stared at the glowing preview text as it displayed a short, chilling instruction.