Chapter 6 — Caleb rushes to secure the front entrance — Until he discovers the deadbolt has been unlocked from the inside
Caleb pushed Evelyn gently back toward the safety of the living room archway.
His jaw set into a hard, unyielding line.
He strode purposefully down the short hallway toward the front entrance.
The heavy wooden front door remained closed.
The brass deadbolt was still turned to the locked position.
Or at least, that is what Caleb assumed before he reached for the brass thumb-turn.
He wrapped his fingers around the metal lever and twisted it.
It spun freely without any resistance whatsoever.
There was no mechanical click.
The deadbolt had already been thrown open.
Someone inside the house had unlocked it manually within the last ten minutes.
Caleb pulled the door open an inch and peered out into the empty porch.
No one stood on the welcome mat.
He swung the door shut and locked the deadbolt firmly this time, listening for the heavy mechanical thud.
He lowered his gaze to the hardwood floor near the entryway coat rack.
Fresh scuff marks marred the polished wood finish.
A pair of muddy footprint outlines, faint but distinct, led directly from the front door toward the kitchen corridor.
A sudden, sharp electronic chime echoed through the quiet hallway.