I left Ms. D standing in the hallway. My father had been lying in that secret room for three years while the whole pack believed he was buried six feet under beside my mother.
I walked down the long corridor toward the hidden stairs. No one else knew this path existed, except me, Ms. D and my father, if he could still hear anything at all.
I walked down the long corridor past the storage rooms. At the end was a plain stone wall. I pressed my palm against the hidden panel. It clicked softly. The stone slid aside without a sound, revealing the narrow staircase that led deep under the house to the basement.
Cool, damp air hit my face as I stepped inside. The panel closed behind me with a low thud.
At the bottom I pushed open the thick metal door.
The room was dim. Soft blue light came
