I Let My Stepdaughter Think She’d Taken Over My House

on the console table by the door and started digging.

Lip gloss.

Wallet.

Charging cable.

Receipts.

No key.

“You see?” she said. “I don’t even have it.”

The officer held out her hand anyway. “Keep looking.”

Ryan spoke from the kitchen doorway. “This is getting ridiculous.”

The officer didn’t look at him. “Sir, then don’t make it worse.”

Chloe yanked open an inside continue reading …