He spun toward the front door, some animal instinct telling him to run, but the heavy thud of boots was already hitting the porch steps before he could take two paces.

And then a voice, amplified and absolute, from just outside the door.

“POLICE!

OPEN THE DOOR!” “Julian, do something!” Valerie shrieked, and she lunged for his arm, clutching at him in terror, the smug landlord and the calculating schemer of ten minutes ago gone completely, leaving only a frightened woman who had just understood, far too late, that she had lost.

And Julian, with the loyalty typical of his kind, roughly shoved her off him.