Theo nudged him with her elbow, her smile matching the evil light in her eyes. “Yes, Wyatt, you join Emersyn in there. You two seem to like sharing small spaces. Livy and I can occupy ourselves elsewhere.”
“Nope! We’re all coming out!” I scooted Livy out ahead of me.
In my haste, I knocked my elbow on the back wall of the booth. I heard a click from somewhere close behind me. Then Theo drew in a sharp breath.
I spun around, and my eyes widened.
Where seconds ago there had been a wall, there was now an open doorway leading into gaping darkness.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
“A secret door!” Theo exclaimed with wonder. “This is so cool!”
Livy shrank back until she was almost behind Theo’s wheelchair. “It looks scary. What’s in there?”
“Only one way to find out.” Theo’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
I tugged my phone free from my pocket and switched on the flashlight app. Then I directed the light into the darkness beyond the secret door.
“There’s a staircase,” I told the others. “A short one. Then another door.”
Wary of potential spiders and cobwebs, I stepped through the opening and onto the top stair.
“Don’t go, Auntie Em,” Livy pleaded.
I turned back. “I’m just going to have a peek,” I said. “You wait here with Theo.”
“I’ll come with you,” Wyatt said, stepping into the phone booth.
I led the way down the short staircase, shining my light around, noting that the dust on the stairs had been recently disturbed.
I half expected the door at the bottom of the staircase to be locked, but it opened easily when I put my hand on the knob. The door let out an ominous creak as it opened into a long,low-ceilinged room. The beam from my flashlight app danced over a light switch on the wall to my left. I flicked it on, not knowing if it would work, but sconces on the wall flickered to life, casting a warm glow over the room. I shut off the light on my phone.
“Don’t leave us in suspense!” Theo called from out in the corridor.
I glanced at Wyatt, and he nodded. We retraced our steps to find Livy and Theo peering into the phone booth.
“Well?” Theo demanded as soon as Wyatt and I came into view.
“You’ve got to see what’s down there,” I said, unable to keep a note of excitement out of my voice. “It’s a secret room.”
“Is it scary?” Livy asked.
“Not at all,” I assured her.
Theo frowned at the entrance to the phone booth. “My chair won’t fit. Then there’s the stairs.” Her frown transformed into a smile as she looked up at Wyatt. “You look strong.”
It took only a few seconds for Theo to get on Wyatt’s back, with her arms around his neck and his arms looped under her legs. Livy took my hand, and we led the way down the short stairway and into the long room.
As soon as we crossed the threshold, Livy slipped her hand out of mine and wandered away, curiosity apparently replacing her apprehension.
“Whoa,” Theo said as she and Wyatt entered the room.
I was just as awestruck. Before finding the light switch, I’d thought maybe we’d stumbled upon a dirty old cellar, the kind where no one but serial killers would hang out. I most definitely hadn’t expected this.
Three of the room’s four walls were exposed brick. Red-and-black damask wallpaper covered the fourth wall. In the corner to the right of the door was a small platform, which I suspected had been used as a stage. At the far end of the room, rickety-looking wooden stools lined a bar. The shelves on the brick wall behind the bar held dusty bottles in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
