As she approached, it was apparent he was up. Light leaked from under his door.
Had he heard the noises too and risen to investigate?
She continued forward. Sounds of movement came from inside the room, and she gave a soft knock.
The room went silent.
She knocked again, a quiet rap hopefully only he would hear.
The thin band of light by the floor disappeared, and a few seconds later the door on the now-dark room cracked open.
“Natalie? What are you doing up at this hour?”
“I heard a noise in the house.” As she whispered the words, she scanned the hall over her shoulder. “I thought maybe you did too. I saw the light under your door.”
“No. I got up to get an aspirin for my headache. I didn’t hear anything.” He sounded a tad agitated. And annoyed.
“I’m sorry to bother you in the middle of the night, but would you mind taking a walk-through?”
“Sure. I can do that. Let me throw on my clothes. Go back to your room and lock the door. I’ll knock after I finish.”
“Thank you.”
She retreated to her room, slipped inside, slid the bolt—and waited on the edge of her bed, in the dark.
Ten minutes later, a knock on her door announced his return.
“Natalie? All clear.”
She rose and crossed to the door. Unlocked it and twisted the knob. The light in the hall was on now. “Did you see anything?”
“No. I checked all the rooms, the windows, and the doors. No signs of forced entry or any disruption.”
“I wonder what I could have heard?”
He shrugged. “Old houses make noises.”
That was true.
But she was accustomed to all the noises in this house, and the ones she’d heard hadn’t been in the usual mix.
“I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
“No worries. Go back to bed.” He turned and walked down the hall toward his room.
As he retreated, she homed in on a streak of dried dirt that ran down the back of his jeans, above his left knee.
The hall went dark after he flicked the switch as he passed, and a moment later he entered his room. Shut the door.
Natalie remained where she was, a shiver racing through her.
The dirt on Steven’s jeans hadn’t been there at dinner.
Where could it have come from?
Unless...
Her lungs locked, and she pressed a hand to her chest.
