Chapter 2 - THE MIDNIGHT LOCKOUT
At 11:59 p.m., I sat at my Seattle apartment desk with a glass of water as the clock changed to midnight. My security app flashed: ACCESS CODES UPDATED. NETWORK PASSWORD CHANGED. SYSTEM ARMED: AWAY. On my camera dashboard, I watched Jessica frown when the Wi-Fi died, followed by my mother punching in the stolen emergency code on the keypad, only to be met with a flashing red denial light. When Dad stumbled awake by the pool and Jessica tried a second code with identical results, I triggered the exterior siren in away mode.
The sound exploded across the Malibu deck. Jessica screamed and covered her ears, Dad knocked over his beer, and Mom slapped both hands against the keypad. As they dragged their suitcases into the driveway, Dad ran back for a cooler, but the front door shut automatically and the deadbolt snapped shut behind him. When Dad kicked the door, it flashed red. They stood outside in their pajamas beneath my porch light, locked out of the home they had stolen. When Mom called screaming for me to unlock the door, I told her I knew exactly what was wrong: You're there. When Dad threatened to call a locksmith, I reminded them of their own caption: You wanted peace without the drama. Enjoy the driveway. Then I hung up.
