Leo stirred against my chest, letting out a tiny, soft whimper.

I patted his back gently, praying he would not cry.

If there was an intruder in the house, any sound could give us away.

“We need to get to the main security office,” Lorenzo whispered.

“If the system was disabled from the inside, Mrs. Bellamy is the only one who could have done it without triggering the silent alarms.”

“Why would she do that?” I asked.

“She has been with your family for twenty years.”

“She would die for this estate,” Lorenzo said.

“Which means someone must have given her no other choice.”

We reached the base of the stone steps leading up to the main floor.

The air here was even colder, carrying the faint, metallic scent of rain from the gardens outside.

The heavy oak door at the top of the stairs was slightly ajar.

A thin line of grey moonlight spilled across the stone steps.

Lorenzo paused, his hand resting on the iron banister.

He tilted his head, listening to the silence of the massive house.