I wasn’t even thinking real thoughts as I ran through the rain; I didn’t have a place in mind, but, out of habit, my feet led me directly to the park. I was absolutely drenched by the time I ducked under the big arch above the pathway, but I slowed to a walk down the path. I headed towards the gazebo, flapping my arms to get the rain off of my jacket. The gazebo was quite damp, too, but the floor in the middle was dry so I sat there, unzipping my rain jacket and slipping it off so I could wrap my arms around my legs.

  I realized I’d been crying the whole way to the park; the water trickling onto my lips was salty. I wiped my nose on my sleeve. All around me, rain was slowly pattering against leaves and the sidewalk, and I could hear a few drops against the roof. It seemed to be slowing down, finally. I reached around for my raincoat and felt a small, soft lump in one of the pockets. Plunging my hand into the pocket, I pulled out Stenway’s hat. It was dry, so I put it on, slanting it a little over my eyes. Looking out across the park underneath the brim, something caught my eye.

  Someone was walking along the tree line, back where the sidewalk curved around out of sight. I stood up; something about them looked familiar, and for a minute, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to hide, or go find out who it was. Really, who on earth would be out in this kind of weather, not walking along the sidewalk?

  I slid off the gazebo and moved around off the path to stand behind some shrubbery, watching. Whoever it was was coming along the line of the trees towards the gazebo. I could see them getting larger as they got closer. Who was it?

  I ducked lower, to get more out of sight, trying to decide whether or not to leave my spot and slide into the trees. The person disappeared behind a group of some green bushes, and I dropped to the ground, whipping the hat off my head and into my pocket, straining to listen. Squeezing back in between two of the dark purpley bushes that surrounded the gazebo, I twisted around to watch the edge of the woods. The edges of the leaves were sharp, and a few cut into the back of my neck, but I didn’t dare move. Sure enough, the person came back around the bushes, into view.

  From this distance, I could see that whoever it was walked kind of like an old person, you know, a little unsure, hunched over at the shoulders, slower than a normal adult. Their chin was tucked tightly down into a dark blue coat, the collar of which was pulled up to their ears, and… a bandana tied around the head? Some little old lady out for a stroll in the rain? Maybe she was in trouble, or forgetful. I wriggled back out of the bushes and moved out onto the path, slowly.

  “Hi, excuse me?”

  The woman’s head shot up, squinting through the drizzle.

  I had to be seeing things. My heart stopped. “Ms. H?”

  All of the color drained from the face of Mr. Left’s old housekeeper, and her hands went up to her collar, pulling it higher up her face, before she lowered it, shoulders sagging. “Ms. Tyler. How… how are you, dear?”

  Now it was my turn to go pale. “Ms. Higley, what are you doing here?”

  She moved more quickly than I had ever, in my years of working at that house, seen her move. In a second she was beside me, snatching my wrist and pulling me along with her. “I’ve been with the Left household for a long time, my dear. Things don’t change overnight.” She ducked behind the bushes on the other side of the gazebo, yanking me along behind her. With her other hand, she grabbed at a loose slat hanging off of the lattice work covering the bottom portion of the gazebo. Moving me around so she could see me, she released my hand and began to crank the slat. Slowly, to her left, a section of the lattice swung open, like a half door. “I’m sorry to run in to you in a situation like this,” she said, as pleasantly, as ever, “That’s just the kind of day it is today, isn’t it? Rain always bring unpleasant surprise, be it uninvited guests, or snakes in the basement.” With this cryptic remark, she nudged me into the door, and followed, swinging it shut behind her.

  We both stood half stooped, as Ms. Higley fussed around in her pockets. I stared around the tiny chamber; it had changed since the fellows and I used it last. The lattice work had been covered on the inside by some kind of wall, and it felt like the floor was on a slant. Quietly I bent down and touched it; dirt still. I swung my hand out for the nearest wall, and my fingers brushed it with a faint ring. Metal of some kind?

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  “Ah, here we are.” A little beam of light shot out from Ms. Higley’s hand, revealing a round metal circle in the floor, kind of like a manhole cover.

  “Ms. Higley?”

  “Yes, Ms. Tyler?”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Ah.” A noise like the clicking of latch, and the manhole cover opened. “Down there.”

  I folded my arms and sat down on the floor. “I’m not going. I’m cold and tired and wet, and I’m not going anywhere without being told something about the place.” I glared at Ms. Higley. She seemed surprised by my attitude. I don’t know that I’d ever given her any before.

  “Don’t be silly. I’ll put on some tea and we’ll get your clothes warm and dry.”

  That actually did sound okay, but what was really unnerving to me was the fact that apparently, she was still “with the Left household.” As nice as Mr. Left and Ms. H. had been to me, I was pretty sure they were the bad guys.

  Ms. Higley sighed. “You can either come with me, or you’ll stay here in the dark and cold until we figure out what to do with you. It’s your choice, Ms. Tyler.”

  Some choice. But I went with her, she did have a point. We slid into the dark hole onto a ladder, and climbed a few yards down, when Ms. Higley stopped. “Wait a moment.” There was a gentle ‘pop’ and without warning, the tunnel was filled with light, lit by a string of tiny bulbs running down the opposite side of the tunnel. “That’s better.”

  I followed her down to a little landing, where she got off and motioned me through the door in front of us.

  The room was dark, but with the light coming from the tunnel, I could see a table, maybe, and some chairs. “Here we are.” Ms. Higley snapped on a switch, and I stared around me in shock. The room was a kitchen, completely identical to the one at the mansion, except reversed. Where the stove was, if you came from the outside of the mansion, there was the table and chairs, with the stove opposite them, and so on. Even the chairs were painted the same way, and the curtains that hung over the sink were the same material, although the ‘window’ looked out into blackness.

  “You really meant it, didn’t you?”

  “Meant what, dear?”

  “You’re still with the Left household. Literally.”

  Ms. Higley chuckled as she filled a pot of water and set it on the stove. ”When you get to be my age, my dear, change comes at a great price. But enough about me. Let’s have a chat while you dry off. How is school going? Still keeping up your grades? And that poor sister of yours, mooning after the valet?” I giggled as I slid off my coat. Ms. Higley rummaged around in a closet and handed me an old blanket. “Seems that way. And how are those poor dear cats? Still feeding them?”

  “Stenway does still pay me for that.”

  “Good.” She pulled the kettle off the stove and slowly began to make tea. The blanket was warm and I was suddenly filled with a feeling of home; cozy inside and out. I watched in silence as she poured out the cups and passed me one, before I worked up the courage to ask a question.

  “And how is Mr. Left doing?”

  Ms. Higley broke out into the loudest, longest laugh I had ever heard from her. “You haven’t changed one bit, have you? Here we are, you in it as deep as you ever have been, and you ask a plain question to my face.” She laughed for a few more seconds before wiping off her eyes. “Ah dearie, I miss the old days. You did stick your nose in it, didn’t you?” I stared into my tea. “Childish curiosity, I told him. Won’t amount to much, I said. I bet against you, Ms. Tyler. I shouldn’t have. You’re a bright girl.” For a second, her eyes hardened, startling me. “Those boys on the other hand. Nasty little fellows.”

  I grinned. “You’re not wrong there, Ms. H.”

  She chuckled again. “Well, that’s all in the past. Forgive and forget, I say.”

  “They were trying to do the right thing,” I mumbled into my cup.

  She turned a keen eye at me. “And who’s to say what the right thing is? There’s a lot more at play here, than even I can understand, my dear. People lying, hiding, mistreating other people…” She watched me closely. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” I nodded. “As I say, it’s a pity you had to get involved.”

  “I kind of did it to myself.” I took a sip of the tea and shuddered as it went down. Quite strong. I’d forgotten to add the milk. I was about to ask for it when a buzzer went off over by the door we’d come in. All of a sudden, I felt cold, incredibly cold, regardless of the piping hot tea in my hands. I glanced up at Ms. Higley. She had stood, looking from the buzzer over to me, and back again.

  “Well child, there’s nothing for it.” She went over and opened the door.