HIS NEIGHBOR WOULDN’T STOP REPORTING THE SOUND OF A GIRL CRYING INSIDE HIS HOUSE—THEN HE HID BENEATH HIS DAUGHTER’S BED AND HEARD HER PLEAD FOR SOMEONE TO SPARE HER

None of this was supposed to happen. Lucia should have been sitting in class. Veronica should have been at the dental office. Thomas himself should have been working a construction job across Dallas, pouring concrete under the afternoon heat.