I pulled the door open. An overhead bulb lit the unfinished wooden stairs. “Stephen? Are you down there?”

A tiny laugh echoed up in response, and I released a sigh of relief.

“What are you doing?” Bobbie asked. I twisted to see her standing in the hall, arms crossed. “Getting into more trouble?”

Why was she suddenly here? What prompted her to come and go? I glanced around. Levi was still in the living room.

“I have to get Stephen,” I said.

She walked toward me and looked down the stairs, arms still crossed. “I show myself to you when I’m needed. Like right now. You know that going into the basement’s prohibited.”

“Stephen’s down there.”

“Then call him up.”

I hesitated, suddenly very curious as to what dangers might lurk in the basement.

“That’s none of your business,” she said quickly. “Your business is to keep your nose clean. Stay away from any appearance of wrongdoing. For the sake of your baby as much as your own.”

“What’s in the basement?” I asked, curiosity growing.

“Trouble. Wolves in sheep’s clothing. Everything you should be avoiding. Don’t go down; call him up.”

Trust no one, she’d said. Trust no one. And I wondered if that should include her. The thought confused me.

“Confusion is the devil, Grace. My only concern is to keep you safe.”

“I know, but there’s too many things pulling me in too many directions,” I blurted. “Stephen is my responsibility. I have to get him!”

“I can’t stop you, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She shoved her chin at the stairwell. “Be my guest.”

I looked down, then back at her, but she was gone.

I descended the stairs to a concrete floor and glanced around a mostly unfinished basement. Cold walls with exposed pipes above. Limited lighting and plenty of shadows. A single small window stood high on the far wall. Neatly stacked boxes and a row of steel shelves filled with odds and ends lined another.

I didn’t see any danger.

Against the back wall was another door, also opened slightly, to the only finished part of the basement. A voice drifted from the room, then a tiny laugh that I recognized as Stephen’s. See, no danger down here.

“We aren’t supposed to be down here,” said a voice from behind. It caught me off guard and I spun around to see Levi standing halfway down the stairs.

“Levi! Go back upstairs right this minute.”

“Is Stephen with him?” he asked.

“With who?”

“The new boy. He lives down here, but we aren’t allowed to play with him. Mother said he’s wicked.”

Eli!

My heart caught in my throat. Rose was keeping Eli in her basement!