“She has the original trust,” he muttered to himself.

We withdrew into the shadow of the hallway as the light began to climb the staircase.

My phone vibrated in my pocket again, the screen lighting up the dark floor.

The caller ID showed the unknown number once more.

I looked down at the glowing screen, my thumb hovering over the answer button as the heavy footsteps reached the landing.

I slid my thumb across the glass and pressed the silent button, slipping the phone back into my pocket.

The glow faded, but the silence that followed was heavy and thick.

On the stairs, the footsteps stopped.

“I know you’re up there,” Ethan said, his voice closer now, hovering just below the landing.

The beam of his flashlight cut through the dark hallway, slicing across the vintage floral wallpaper.

I pressed my back against the plaster wall, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Daniel stood beside me, his frame tense, his jaw set in a hard line.

He reached down and gripped a heavy wooden spindle from the broken banister.

The floorboards creaked.

Ethan stepped onto the landing.