Aiden Shaw leaned over and tapped his ash into the ashtray on the coffee table. "You should head back now."
"You'll never be able to calm Laura down on your own. How about I stay and help?"
"Don't bother. Just go."
Aiden Shaw's deep voice was laced with frustration. The thought of how cold she'd been to him made him miserable.
"All right, then. I'm heading out."
Ethan Shaw didn't dare press the issue. His brother was clearly on edge, and if he said another word, he'd just become a target for his frustration.
After finishing his cigarette, Aiden Shaw went straight to Laura Lowell's door and repeatedly rang the doorbell.
But there was no response from inside.
He leaned against the door, his fingertips tapping rapidly on the screen. He'd type, then delete... type and delete again. He went back and forth like this several times before finally sending the composed text.
Like a stone dropped into the ocean, his message received no reply. His phone remained utterly silent.
...
