Tom, my younger brother, was someone I hadn’t spoken to in years. Our lives had drifted apart after a family disagreement, and part of me thought I’d never hear from him again. But here he was, at the center of this mystery. “Tom? What’s going on?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“There’s no time to explain everything, but you need to know that Robert and Amanda are involved in something dangerous. I’ve been trying to get them out of it, but things escalated quickly. The police were tipped off, and you were at risk just by being there.”