William stepped quickly forward into the hall, his right hand pressed flat to the oak doorframe.

“You want me to call the county sheriff right now?” William asked.

“I’ve got his personal number in my phone.”

“Negative,” Richard said.

“Don’t contact local law enforcement.”

“Richard, if she’s in danger at that house, the sheriff can be there in ten minutes,” William said.

“The sheriff plays eighteen holes with her husband every Saturday afternoon,” Richard said.

“The local response is compromised.”