Claire saw the police cars pull up through her window. Now what? Her father beat her to the front door just as the doorbell rang. He opened the door and Claire saw three men on the porch- a uniformed cop and two men wearing suits. "Can I help you?" Jay asked.

"Mr. Lyons?" the man with wavy hair and brown eyes asked.

"Yes."

"I'm Detective Austin Orval, with the Westchester Police Department." He flashed a badge. "This is Sergeant Oscar Carol and Jack Chaplin."

Claire saw a small gold cross pinned to the Jack's uniform.

"May we come in?" The detective asked.

Judi walked into the foyer from the kitchen drying her hands on a dish towel. "What's wrong?"

"These men want to talk to us."

Jay and Claire moved aside and the three men stepped in, following her father into the living room. Claire's heart thudded. Why had the police come?

"Do you have a son, Todd Lyons?" the detective asked.

Judi looked alarmed. Jay nodded. "Has something happened to Todd? Was he in an accident?"

Claire's heart hammered and she felt queasy.

"Actually sir," the detective said, his eyes darkly serious, "there's been a shooting at the restaurant where he works. There's no easy way to tell you this. I'm sorry, but he's been killed.

Time stood still- absolutely, totally still- for Claire. The past and the future lay trapped between heartbeats, snared in a tangle of micro moments. In one heartbeat, she had a brother. By the next, she had none. She struggled to stay static between the beats, because to move forward was unthinkable, to go backward impossible. She was aware that time had resumed its flow, and that her heart had jump started itself, when she heard her mother screaming.

Somehow Claire found herself and her mother sitting on the sofa. Her mother was sobbing and Jack was offering her a glass of water. Jay Lyons was still standing, but he looked sickly pale. "Are you sure it's our son?"

"His empty wallet and photo ID were found on top of him."

"Who found him?"

"The police. Your son had the sense to trip the silent alarm."

"How did it happen?" Jay's voice was a croaked whisper.

"We'll be going over the security tape downtown, but it looks as if your son-"

"Todd," Judi's voice broke. "His name... Todd."

"Todd... yes. It looks as if he unlocked the door and some guy came out of nowhere and shoved his way inside, He had a gun."

"Why?" Judi sobbed. "Why would someone shoot Todd?"

Claire felt numb now, as if she were hearing questions and answers through a thick fog.

"It looks like the motive was robbery."

"Todd always said they took the money away every night when they closed."

"Not on Saturday nights apparently. There's an unopened safe in the back office."

"He wouldn't have known how to open the safe," Jay said. "Only the manager and owner have the combination."

"The owner's on his way downtown to talk to us."

"So you're saying he was killed in cold blood." Jay's voice fell to a whisper.

Claire cringed, felt sick to her stomach. Everything felt surreal, like a nightmare, so vivid that she could smell the odor of stale coffee and cold fries from the fast food restaurant where Todd had died. But it wasn't a dream. She could wake up from a dream. She saw tears trickle down her father's cheeks and clapped her hand over her mouth, afraid she might throw up.

The detective glanced at the others. "The crime scene is being investigated, you'll be able to see the body after the autopsy."

Crime scene. The body. Autopsy. The phrases whirled around in Claire's head like a bad melody with clashing notes that didn't harmonize with her well- ordered world. Boys like Todd didn't get shot. Boys like Todd, who'd never done anything bad to anyone, who was just starting his first job, who didn't get a chance to live, didn't get murdered.

Claire didn't know how long the officers stayed but the second they were gone she fell next to her mother. "I- I have to borrow your car."

Judi's eyes, red and swollen, stared at her in disbelief. You can't be serious."

"I have to, Mom. Please. I can't let her hear about it on the news... you know that don't you?"

Judi's nod was almost imperceptible.

"You can't leave the house. Jay sounded disgusted at Claire's request.

Judi looked at him, held his gaze. "She has to, Jay. Take my car Claire. The keys are on the hook."

Thankfully traffic was light as she wove her way down side streets and through quiet neighborhoods. Inside the houses people were unaware that there had been a shift in the universe and that nothing will ever be the same for Claire or her family again.

She turned down to the street where Dylan lived. She slowed, her heart pounding. Keep it together, she told herself. Just a little bit farther. Claire parked, rested her forehead on the steering wheel and took in great gulps of air. She turned off the car's engine, got out and walked up to Dylan's door, her knees rubbery, her heart thudding with dread. In a few moments the universe would collapse for Dylan too. It wasn't fair . Claire would take away the sunshine, alter the course of her friend's life forever. She rang the doorbell.

Dylan opened the door, saw Claire and smiled. "Hey there hot stuff."

Claire watched the smile fade and concern stamp itself on Dylan's pretty little face.

"What's wrong?" Dylan looked alarmed.

Claire felt her face crumple. "Somebody shot Todd, Dylan. Someone killed my brother."

Dylan staggered backward, as if Claire shoved her. "That's a lie. That can't be true." She sank to her knees in the foyer.

Claire crouched in front of her, let Dylan search her face with stunned and disbelieving eyes. As the truth of Claire's words sank in Dylan gagged, almost retched, hugged herself tightly , rocked back and forth on her knees. She began to wail. Claire dissolved in sobs. She reached out and put her arms around her friend and they clung to each other, fighting to stay out of the black hole that threatened to swallow them both.

Claire couldn't comfort Dylan, and Dylan couldn't comfort her. They needed Todd. He would help them be alright. But Todd was no more. He had disappeared into the vortex of nonexistence, one beautiful, clear, summer Sunday morning, when the evil their parents had once warned them about had come calling.