"I have no idea," said Jessica in her most innocent-sounding voice, shrugging with elegance as she tried to ward off William's suspicion.
"Who knows?" she continued, with a great deal of nonchalance, "Maybe it was a mischievous rat that got attracted by the secluded location of the cupboard." Her words almost danced around the truth.
"Rats?" William repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, as he raised an eyebrow incredulously. "How would rats enter this well-kept house, eat only the cupboard, and leave everything else in perfect condition?"
Jessica's face was calm, a perfect mask. "You never know, William; this room has been closed up for weeks what unwelcome animals would want to nest in and investigate."
William squinted his eyes into the darkness. "Jessica, had you been in this
