“Brett knelt beside the girl, adjusting his camera so it hung behind him as he took the girl’s wrist and felt for a pulse. Her skin was clammy and cold—too cold.

‘Is she dead?’ Mark knelt down, eyes wide.

‘Goddamn piece of junk!’ Jayden said from the doorway, looking at his cellphone. ‘How is that possible, anyway? Prevost has been dead for over two months. The house has been empty. She should’ve starved to death by now.’

Brett held up his free hand in a halting gesture. He waited.

Again. Faint, but there.

‘I saw her chest move! She’s breathing!’ Mark said, flashlight trained on the girl.

‘Let me see.’ Brett shouldered Jayden to one side and peered into the room beyond.

The beam from Jayden’s flashlight rested on the still form of a little girl.

‘Keys.’

‘On it.’ Jayden scrambled with the keys, seeking the right one for the lock."