Chapter 20 - A Sinister Package Arrives On The Front Porch
Back at the new rental house, dusk began to settle over the quiet neighborhood as crickets chirped in the tall grass.
Ryan was busy in the kitchen preparing a simple dinner of macaroni and cheese for Lily and Maya upstairs.
A sharp thud echoed from the front porch, sounding like a heavy package dropped directly against the wooden screen door.
Ryan wiped his hands on a kitchen towel, walking cautiously down the dimly lit hallway toward the front entryway.
He opened the wooden door, finding a plain brown cardboard box resting on the welcome mat with no return shipping label.
He looked up and down the empty street, seeing only a black sedan driving away slowly without its headlights on.
Ryan brought the box inside, setting it on the dining room table under the warm glow of the overhead brass chandelier.
With a kitchen knife, he sliced through the thick packing tape, pulling back the cardboard flaps with a cautious frown.
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Inside sat a single, old-fashioned audio cassette tape labeled with a handwritten note in familiar red ink.
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