Aurora had less than a second to decide what kind of mistake this was going to become.
Ray was still facing the basement door when it opened.
For one suspended moment, the sound seemed to cut cleanly through the dust and stillness of the room. Aurora remained behind the shelving unit, one hand braced lightly against the metal frame, every muscle in her body locked so tightly she could feel the strain in her shoulders. The beam of Ray's flashlight had shifted only slightly, but it was enough to expose the fact that he had noticed movement, or thought he had.
Then Carver stepped into the basement.
He did not look toward the shelves. He did not look toward the corner where Aurora stood hidden in the darkness. He came down the stairs with the measured calm of someone arriving with a message he had already decided to deliver the same way no matter what effect it produced.
Ray turned toward him immediately.
