“She’s left it running,” Dake said.

“What?”

“The car . . . she’s left it running.”

He was right, Jenner realized. Clouds of blue-gray exhaust smoke were still chugging out into the icy cold air, and as Jenner wound down his window, he could hear the low rumble of the idling engine.

He switched his attention to the mother, watching her as she opened the front door, shook the snow from her coat, and went inside. Jenner waited, staring hard at the still-open door.

“She’s left the door —”

“I know.”

There was no mistaking the signs. Leaving the car running, leaving the front door open . . . she wasn’t home for good. She was just stopping off for some reason. And any second now, she’d be coming back out and getting back into the car . . .

Jenner looked at his watch.

It was 12:31.

“All right,” he said, opening the car door. “Let’s get this done.”