The line went dead with a sharp disconnect tone.

Richard stood motionless in the kitchen doorway.

His right hand loosened just enough for his ceramic coffee mug to slide from his fingers and smash on the pine floorboards.

Black coffee spread out across the wood and ran into the thin cracks between the boards.

Steam curled up slowly off the dark puddle.

“Richard?” William asked, stepping back fast from the shards of white ceramic.

“What was that sound on the speaker?”