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“Ready,” Leo said.
“Ready?” Hank turned to Bodhi.
“As I’ll ever be.”
They braced themselves and stepped out into the frigid night air.
CHAPTER27
After Leo left to see what Hank was hollering about, Sasha and Maisy opened the closet to see if it was roomy enough for Maisy’s extensive long weekend wardrobe.
Sasha noticed a panel set into the closet’s back wall. “That looks like a little door.”
“I think it is.” Maisy dropped into a crouch and studied the panel. She pressed the top left corner, and the door popped open.
“How did you know?”
She shrugged. “It looked like it would have a release. You’re not the only one with skills, you know.”
“How cool is this?” Sasha marveled, peering into the narrow passageway. “An actual secret passage.”
“Unreal,” Maisy agreed.
They exchanged a glance.
“Should we?”
“We more or less have to.”
“That’s what I’m thinking, too.” Sasha moved toward the opening.
“Hang on.” Maisy reached into the pocket of her clingy sweater dress and pulled out a thin flashlight.
She moved in front of Sasha and shined the beam into the opening.
“What do you see?” Sasha asked, craning her neck to see around her taller friend.
“Nothing, which is good. Because spiders or rodents would make this a very short-lived adventure.”
“No kidding.”
They grinned at each other and then plunged into the corridor. The ceiling was low enough that Maisy had to hunch over but high enough that Sasha could stand up straight.
“Short people have all the luck,” Maisy grumbled.
“Right. I’m pretty sure that’s how the song goes,” Sasha told her.
Their laughter echoed off the walls. After their giggles faded, they reached a narrow spiral staircase that turned tightly. Sasha took in as many details as she could to share with Leo later. She may not have gotten her murder mystery game, but a secret passageway was a fair substitute.
“I hope there aren’t any forks or dead ends,” Sasha said belatedly.
“Getting lost in the bowels of this house would not be the worst thing that’s happened today,” Maisy countered.
That was undeniably true. Still, Sasha would rather not be trapped in the walls.
Maisy drew up short and stopped walking.
Sasha bumped into her back. “Sorry.”
