Wintergreen made it in...and froze as the noises from above penetrated his hearing fully. The instinct to go, to aid warred only briefly with his resolve to let Addie have a clear opening.

He was upstairs in heartbeats, and coming back through the door he'd left minutes before, coming to kneel in front of Slade and his ex-wife with remorse.

"My dear boy, I never wished for hurt to come to you like this." He ignored Addie for the moment, as his hand came to rest on Slade's leg.