“Stop!” Pixley dashed after the hooded attacker, rounding one corner of the hallway a little too quickly. He slipped on a rug, toppling over onto his back.
He waved Ruby on as she bent down to help him up. “Keep going. We must find out who it is!”
For once, Ruby followed Pixley’s orders. She kicked off her heels and hurtled down the corridor and then down the stairs. The flapping, oversized gown with the hood moved toward the back stairs. Toward the cellar. Ruby dashed to the entrance.
Then she stopped. There was no way out of the cellar. She slammed the door shut and slid the barrel bolt into place.
Pixley appeared, limping and wincing.
“Where’s the attacker? What happened?”
“He – or she – is in the cellar. There’s no other exit, so I locked the door. I planned to follow, but then m
