For several seconds, nobody moved.
The photograph lay shattered across the floor downstairs.
Glass glittered around the broken frame.
Mathew stared toward the staircase, his chest rising and falling heavily.
Carol's fingers tightened around his arm.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them needed to.
They had all heard it.
The front door.
Something had opened it.
Something had closed it.
And now—
whatever had done it was somewhere inside the house.
Mathew slowly looked toward Carol.
"Stay here."
Carol immediately shook her head.
"No."
"Carol—"
"I'm not letting you go alone."
His jaw tightened.
"We don't know where it is."
"We don't know what it is."
A faint sound came from the hallway.
Not a footstep.
Not exactly.
More like the soft drag of something against the wall.
Both of them turned toward it.
The sound stopped.
Mathew's eyes moved toward the staircase.
"Stay with Cameron," he whispered. "I'm going to get the girls."
