Just two weeks later, on May 2, Barbara said good night to Rick and Jane about 11 p.m. The next morning, a Tuesday, Barbara was set to take Andy to school, as she did every Tuesday and Thursday. About 8:15 a.m., she went to the kitchen to make sure the boy was ready. Eating his cereal, the nine-year-old told her that his mom and dad hadn't answered their intercom and that their door was locked. She told him to let them sleep.
After Barbara dropped Andy off at Coral Springs Elementary School and returned home, she expected Jane, a fairly early riser, to be awake. When she wasn't, Barbara made some bacon, thinking the smell and sizzle of it would surely rouse her friend. Nothing. So Barbara went into her own bedroom and worked on an ongoing project for the Humane Society. About 11 a.m., she returned to the kitchen. Still, no one else was up.
For the first time, she thought something might be wrong. She called Rick and Jane on the intercom and got no response. She walked down the hall and tried to open the door, but it was still locked. She could see artificial light coming from under the door. She knocked loudly and looked for a note in the kitchen. Barbara walked to the patio and found that their sliding glass door was also locked. There was only one way in: through the fireplace in the living room that connected to their room. After opening the glass doors, she got down, pushed past a dark screen, and crawled through. While still on all fours, she saw Rick and Jane on their backs in bed. It looked like they were sleeping. The sight terrified her, though the truth didn't register until she felt their cold bodies and tried to wake them.
They were both dead.
Next week: the investigation
