Jason felt like someone had removed his skin, the cool air in his bedroom biting directly into his flesh. “That’s not … I just chatted … You’re joking!”

“I wouldn’t joke about this,” Dad said. “Your mother went upstairs to get Lou for dinner and found Marcus’s room empty. The Gellers searched the whole house and the yard and the neighborhood. The police came, but they found nothing.”

“Do they think someone took her?” Jason choked out.

Dad shook his head violently. “They don’t know. The first available flight to Ohio isn’t until early tomorrow morning. I booked tickets for us. Pack a bag so we can just get up and go.”

Later, in bed, darkness throbbed at the corners of Jason’s vision. His lungs felt like they’d shriveled. In his mind, he tried to list places where Lou could be hiding, but he didn’t know Marcus’s neighborhood well enough. If she were here, he’d scream at her for frightening all of them, mentioning all the reasons she should never do it again.

1. I’m scared
2. I’m scared
3. I’m scared
4. I’m—

Something crawled across his cheek. Jason bolted upright, imagining spiders. When he wiped at his face, his fingers came away wet. The tears only made him angrier.

“Jason …”

It was a whisper from the hallway. Jason opened the door and peered around the corner. The voice called, louder, as if from the mudroom near the condo’s back staircase. “Jason …”

“Dad?” Jason called out. “Did you hear that?”

But his father didn’t answer. Jason made his way down the hall. His father’s door was locked, and when Jason knocked, his father didn’t answer.

“Shhh …” The voice came again. This was followed by the squeaking of the mudroom’s door.

“Louise? Is that you?” But he knew it wasn’t.

Footsteps pattered down the stairs, and Jason ran to keep up. Glancing out into the lighted stairwell, Jason saw a shadow disappear around the lowest landing.

“Hurry!”

This time the voice was clear and present and totally real. It echoed up the chamber, pulling Jason forward. Barefoot, he raced down the steps as if the owner of the voice might get away along with all the answers he’d need to ever get to sleep again.

Down and down and down he went. Past the first floor, toward the basement.

It wasn’t until he was standing in front of its open door that he realized the voice had called him to the storage room. His father had warned him and Lou that neither was to open it.

Darkness flickered inside.

After a few seconds, Jason’s eyes began to adjust. Against the far wall, perched in shadow like a hidden beast, was the dollhouse.

“Come in,” the voice whispered.

CHAPTER 3

JASON SWIPED AT the wall inside the door, but he couldn’t find the switch. A sliver of light beamed from the stairwell.