Page 70 of From the Darkness

“Did you hear that?” Bree breathed.

“Yes.”

“Something’s happened outside.” She started toward the door but was stopped by the housekeeper’s hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t go out there!”

“But somebody may be in trouble.”

“And if they are—what do you think you can do? You’re just a little bit of a thing.”

Bree opened her mouth, then closed it again. She didn’t know how to answer because she had no idea who had screamed and why. If the edge of the cliff had given way, and somebody had fallen into the sea, then they should start rescue operation.

“Go up and make sure Dinah is all right,” Mrs. Martindale said.“I’ll find Graves and get him to search around outside.”

The mention of the little girl galvanized her. If Dinah had heard that scream, she would surely be worried. And Graves was certainly better equipped to take care of an emergency on the grounds than either one of them.

Quickly she retraced her steps, feeling the housekeeper’s gaze burning into her back as she climbed the stairs. When she reached the landing, Mrs. Martindale was still in the hall, watching, as if to make sure that the schoolteacher followed directions.

She gave a small nod, then turned and hurried down the corridor, taking the route she and Dinah had walked the first evening she’d arrived.

She came to the place where Graves had startled them on her first day here—then stopped and gave a small gasp as the curtains rippled.

“In here,” a voice whispered. It was Troy.

Bree wanted to shout at him. She wanted to ignore him. She wanted to ask what the hell he was up to this time.

Instead, she took a quick look behind her to make sure the housekeeper hadn’t followed her up the stairs. When she pulled aside the curtains, she spotted a narrow opening that she hadn’t found the first time she’d searched. But apparently, she’d been right all along. Graves had disappeared through one of the hidden passageways. Now Troy was using it.

She stepped inside, leaving the curtain open so that she could see into the dim tunnel.

Troy was standing several yards from the entrance.

“What happened outside?” she asked, straining to see his face.

“I think we just lost Abner Sterling.”

“What?”

“I’ll take care of Dinah,” he said. “You go find out what Martindale and Graves are up to.”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and disappeared through the opening to the hallway. Still in the darkened passageway, Bree looked around and saw a narrow, winding set of stairs that led back to the first floor. They were constructed at a sharp angle so that she had to step carefully to keep from tumbling down.

Flattening her hand against the wall and trying to be as quiet as possible, she made her way down and found herself facing a blank wall.

Obviously, there was some way to open it, but she wasn’t going to start searching around until she knew what was on the other side.

Several small holes let light into the darkened space where she stood. Moving closer, she peered through one and saw Mrs. Martindale standing at the sink, washing dishes as though cleaning up from breakfast was the only thing on her mind.

Well, that wasn’t quite true, Bree decided. There was a tension in the woman’s shoulders that made her movements jerky.

A noise outside had her looking up quickly. As Bree watched, the door flew open, and Graves barreled into the room.

“Is he dead?” Mrs. Martindale asked, her voice strangely calm.

Bree stared at the woman who had seemed so friendly. She was using the same tone of voice she’d used to extol her hot cross buns.

“Yeah, I took care of him for you.”

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