When Jason and Connie had combed through the dollhouse from the outside, they hadn’t noticed anyone else but the five kids and the shadow thing creeping through the hallways. What a relief to see him! If Jason wasn’t able to stand beside Lou and protect her, at least their cousin was.

Jason couldn’t see much of the exchange from his spot in the dining room, but he heard all of it.

“Why did the house choose us?” asked Nina.

“Maybe it has something to do with this.” Sadie showed them the symbol on the ukulele she’d found in the music room. “The symbol proves that the ukulele is the same one that my grandmother gave to me.”

“Symbol?” Connie whispered to herself, startling Jason.

“Does that mean something to you?” he asked. Connie glanced worriedly at him, but kept listening.

“There was the same symbol on some objects that belonged to us too,” said Cal. “My antique camera back home. And Lou’s dollhouse—the one that resembles the mansion we’re standing in right now.”

“I bet they were all marked by the same person,” said Lou.

“Or people,” said Sadie.

Nina extended her hand toward Sadie’s ukulele. “Can I see that?” She turned it over and examined the bottom of it closely, running a finger over the carved mark. Her breath hitched, and she shuddered. “I have a piece of clothing that I got at the vintage shop near my house. A black cloak. Beautiful chiffon. Very expensive, but I got it for a steal! None of the other girls at my school had any clue how special it was.” She rolled her eyes. “But … the thing is … there’s a white tag on the inside of the cloak’s collar.” She pointed at Sadie’s ukulele. “This same symbol is sewn right in the middle of my cloak’s tag.” She passed the instrument back to Sadie.

Rufus spoke up too. “A while back, when my mom and me were visiting family in Louisiana, I found a sketchbook in a table at our motel. Half of the sketchbook was already filled with drawings of a creepy-looking dude. I’ve been using the blank half of the book to draw my own comic sketches.”

“Let me guess,” said Marcus. “There’s a symbol in your sketchbook?”

Rufus nodded, his eyes wide with amazement and fear.

As the group continued to converse, Jason noticed Marcus move into view through the sliver of the kitchen doorway. It seemed as though Marcus was looking straight at him. He can see me! Jason thought. Maybe he could signal to Marcus, to pass Lou a message from him. I’m here. Don’t be scared. He was about to raise his hand when Marcus furrowed his brow and turned away. A moment later, the doorway from the dining room to the hall and the kitchen disappeared.

In its place was a wall.

CHAPTER 20