Chapter 3 - The Passage No One Used)
The hidden door opened when Ethan pressed the carved wooden rose indicated in Claire's drawing.
A section of shelving shifted inward.
Cold air breathed from the darkness beyond.
Ethan turned on his phone flashlight.
Narrow stone steps descended below the library.
The passage smelled of dust and damp wood.
He called Marcus.
"I'm going underground."
"Please tell me that's a metaphor."
"No."
"Ethan."
"If I stop responding, send police to Ashford Manor."
"I'm already preparing to."
"Give me ten minutes."
"Five."
Ethan entered the passage.
Behind him, the bookshelf closed.
The corridor curved beneath the house.
Old electrical wiring had been added along one wall. Pipes ran overhead.
He found footprints in the dust.
Recent ones.
Adult shoes.
At the first intersection he saw scratched marks in the stone.
Lines.
Hundreds of them.
Tallies.
Someone had counted days here.
Ethan touched the wall.
Twenty years.
He could not imagine it.
The passage climbed.
At the top was a narrow wooden door.
He heard breathing beyond it.
Ethan knocked softly.
Silence.
"My name is Ethan."
Nothing.
"I saw your note."
A faint movement.
"The one behind the photograph."
Another pause.
Then a woman's voice.
"You shouldn't be here."
"Claire?"
Silence again.
"Is that your name?"
"Sometimes."
"What does that mean?"
"It means she changes it when she's angry."
Ethan's hand tightened around the phone.
"What does she call you?"
"Nothing."
He leaned closer to the door.
"Claire, I'm not with Vivian."
"Everyone is with Vivian."
"I'm not."
"Then you'll leave."
"I'm not leaving without understanding what's happening."
A tiny laugh came through the door.
Not amusement.
Disbelief.
"People always leave."
Ethan looked at the lock.
It was heavy brass.
Old but functional.
"Can you open this from your side?"
"No."
"Do you know where the key is?"
"She has one. Grant has one."
"Mrs. Doyle?"
"No."
Ethan heard a faint metallic scraping.
"The spoon?"
Claire went quiet.
He smiled sadly.
"I saw it through the food hatch."
"It's sharp enough."
"For what?"
Another silence.
"To make them stop if they come inside."
Ethan's expression hardened.
"Have they hurt you?"
"Not lately."
The words were worse than yes.
Ethan fought the urge to break the door immediately.
He needed to know whether there were alarms.
Whether Vivian had weapons.
Whether Claire would panic.
"How old do you think you are?"
"Twenty."
"You're twenty five."
Nothing came from behind the door.
"Claire?"
"You're lying."
"No."
"My birthday isn't until winter."
"It's September."
"No."
"It is."
Claire began breathing faster.
Ethan regretted pushing.
"Listen to me. You don't have to believe anything yet."
"Why are you here?"
"Vivian invited me."
"For money."
"Probably."
Claire moved closer to the door.
"Don't give it to her."
"I wasn't planning to."
"She'll smile."
"I noticed."
"She smiles before she hurts people."
Ethan closed his eyes.
"Claire, do you remember your parents?"
"Some things."
"Your mother?"
A long pause.
"She smelled like oranges."
Ethan said nothing.
"She sang badly."
Claire's voice softened.
"She let me wear her shoes."
"What happened to her?"
Claire's answer came mechanically.
"I pushed her down the stairs."
Ethan's stomach tightened.
"You were five."
"I was bad."
"Who told you that?"
"Aunt Vivian."
"Do you remember pushing her?"
"I remember screaming."
"Do you remember why?"
"No."
Footsteps sounded far down the passage.
Ethan turned.
Claire instantly whispered, "Go."
The footsteps grew louder.
"Go now."
Ethan moved down the steps.
He ducked behind a stone support.
Grant appeared carrying a tray.
He climbed to Claire's door.
Unlocked it.
Ethan watched through the gap.
Grant entered.
The door remained partly open.
Claire backed away.
"Why didn't you eat dinner?" Grant asked.
"I wasn't hungry."
"You need to eat."
"I want Mrs. Doyle."
"You don't get to choose."
Grant set down the tray.
"Mother says you were making noise again."
Claire gripped the spoon.
"I heard someone."
"There's nobody here."
"I heard a man."
Grant stiffened.
"No, you didn't."
"Yes."
Grant stepped toward her.
Claire raised the spoon.
"Don't."
He laughed.
"What are you going to do with that?"
"Stay away."
Grant reached for her wrist.
Claire swung.
Grant jerked back.
The spoon cut his shirt sleeve.
He slapped it from her hand.
Ethan almost stepped out.
Then Grant said something that stopped him.
"Do you want Mother to use the blue room again?"
Claire froze.
Every trace of resistance vanished.
"No."
"Then behave."
"What is the blue room?" Ethan wondered.
Grant picked up the spoon.
He left.
Locked the door.
Ethan waited until Grant disappeared.
Then returned.
"Claire."
No response.
"It's me."
Silence.
"What is the blue room?"
Claire's voice broke.
"Please go away."
"Claire."
"Please."
Ethan heard her crying.
Then another sound came through the passage.
A distant door opening.
Vivian's voice.
"Grant?"
Ethan moved quickly.
He made it back to the library just before the concealed shelf opened behind him.
He stepped out.
The library was empty.
Then the main door opened.
Vivian entered.
She looked at Ethan.
Looked at the bookshelf.
Then looked at his shoes.
Dust covered them.
Her smile appeared.
But her eyes stayed cold.
"Couldn't sleep?"
Ethan met her stare.
"No."
Vivian walked closer.
"Neither could I."
She reached up and brushed a grain of stone dust from Ethan's jacket.
May you like
Her smile widened.
"The old parts of this house can be very dangerous after dark."
