CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Give me your keys,” Max demanded to Ariel, stretching his hand.
The woman handed him her keys, and the man unlocked the front door. He pushed the door open and waited for a second, listening intently to possible noises coming from the interior.
Ariel had forgotten to leave the light on in her rush to flee the house. The entry hallway was dark, and the woman trembled almost imperceptibly.
Max patted her arm and went inside first. His gesture encouraged Ariel, and the woman followed him immediately.
Suddenly, the door closed behind her with a bang. It hit Bryan, who was coming after her, right in the face with force. The man fell backward, tripping over his wife, who cried out in distress but couldn’t stop his fall.
Both ended in a pile at the foot of the stairs. Brya
