Amber took out her keys and unlocked The Hamlet’s doors—in the side where they received their deliveries. She propped the large door open as Tim and Robert carried the woman inside, draped over with blankets, so it was impossible to discern what they were carrying. They carried her through, Amber and Rachel flicking on light switches in front of them. Just as Rachel was about to flick the lights on in the main bar, Amber barked, “No,” furiously. Rachel recoiled slightly. “We’ll take her to the basement. We can put on all the lights down there, and not worry. Maybe even get the fire on.” Rachel nodded, but still seemed fazed at the instruction from a relative outsider. Edmund, trailing behind with the suitcase in his arms and Pru muttering behind him under her breath, had never seen anyone snap at Rachel before, had never even seen a bad word said to her, so seeing this was a shock.

Instead of turning on the light, Rachel fumbled with her phone flashlight and pointed it down the sharp staircase. Tim and Robert slowly picked their way down, Tim having to go down backward. Edmund didn’t know how many times all of them had drunkenly slipped up or down the stairs, so he couldn’t help admire how assuredly he did it. Soon enough Tim was at the bottom and Robert followed, and then the rest of them. Amber followed last, making sure the basement door was shut and secure.

Rachel turned on the lights in the basement. Tim and Robert scrabbled around the tables—someone had reorganized the basement since they had left, so the tables were separated again—and placed the body in front of the fireplace on the rug. The two of them straightened up, and Robert yelped. There was a large bloodstain on his coat. He struggled to get it off and threw it on the floor next to her.

“Jesus,” Robert said.

Amber got to the bottom of the stairs and saw the woman for the first time. Edmund watched her, curiously. At the sight of the woman, anyone else would’ve recoiled, thrown up, fainted. But Amber didn’t do that. Amber just looked with curiosity, her eyes flickering in the light. And then, the strangest thing, she smiled.

Edmund looked away in disgust.

“Can we get the fire on?” Tim said, ignoring him. “I’m freezing.”

“I’ll do it,” Rachel said, fiddling with the fire. Soon flames were starting up.

They all just stood around the body, not knowing what to really do. Blood was already soaking through the blankets onto the rug, but stopped there. The rug was incredibly thick, so would stop any leakage.

Amber had retreated to the far corner, watching as if she were a curious bystander. It was clear she was going to offer nothing to the conversation, but she wasn’t going to put up any roadblocks either.