Solid Walls

Chapter Two

As Chloe opened the creaking screen door to knock, Nell walked around the porch. She reached up to run her fingers along the arches between the pillars and cupped her hands against the thick mullioned windows in a vain attempt to see inside. When she peered around the side of the building she saw that the mansion was even larger than it first appeared from the driveway. Its rooms seemed to keep expanding in different shapes and sizes, sending the house farther and farther back into the surrounding woods.

"Getting interesting yet?" Chloe asked.

Nell didn't respond, but she didn't need to. Chloe could read the set of her friend's jaw, recognize that familiar gleam in her eyes.

The sound of footsteps in the grass behind them suddenly made them turn to see a wiry young man walking barefoot through the yard from the woods beside the house, a book in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He glanced up from the screen as he passed and smirked. Then, without pausing on his way through the garden, he let his eyes roll back in his head and drew his finger in a slow line across his throat. He smirked again and disappeared into the garage. Before Chloe and Nell could exchange a puzzled glance, a beat-up blue truck backed out of the garage and peeled down the driveway, sending a cloud of dust swirling in the breeze behind it.

"Very welcoming," Chloe said.

Nell shrugged and turned impatiently back to the door.

"It's a big house." Chloe knocked again. "They might not hear me. Though you'd think they'd be expecting us." She checked the clock on her phone. "We're right on time."

Nell cocked her head toward a metal contraption protruding from the wall by the door. It was a brass likeness of a deer head, about the size of a fist. Its mouth was open wider than would have been natural, and from it protruded a long chain with a ball of pink glass at the end. Nell reached out and pulled the chain down. Immediately, the loud jingle of bells echoed from inside, followed soon after by sounds of movement.

The door swung open to reveal the broad smile of a middle-aged woman wearing a holey T-shirt and jeans with dirt pressed into the knees. Her hair was worn loose to her shoulders under a sunhat, which seemed to have neglected its duties this afternoon—a fresh red burn spread across her cheeks.

"Welcome!" the woman said. "I'm so glad you found the place okay. Though to tell you the truth I was almost hoping you'd take a wrong turn somewhere—it would've given me a chance to change out of these grimy clothes and make myself presentable. I always lose track of time when I'm in the garden. I guess I thought it was more important for the roses to look their best than for me to." She laughed at her own joke and held out a hand, dirt caked under the pink-painted fingernails. "I'm Talia O'Keefe."

Chloe mirrored her smile and shook her hand warmly. "Chloe Henderson. And this is Nell Jones." Nell nodded once, the left corner of her mouth pulling up a fraction. "Thank you so much for inviting us to your home," Chloe continued. "The gardens are absolutely stunning."

"Well, it's an all-consuming hobby, but at least it keeps me off the streets." Talia let out another laugh, like the peal of bells that announced their arrival. "Please, come in, come in!"

They walked into a foyer that was just as cheerful and brightly lit as the outside of the house. The space felt surprisingly open for a building of this age and style, with high ceilings and wide doorways leading to a sitting room on one side and a breakfast nook on the other. The black diamonds lining the mullioned windows meant less natural light, but that was compensated for with sheer curtains, cream walls, and plenty of bright white lamps. Tables were adorned with flowers and family photos.

The only dark spot in sight was the narrow staircase by the hallway, which seemed to have retained its original nineteenth-century dimensions and deep knotty wood color. Nell glanced up the stairs as they passed, but she couldn't see whatever lurked at the top, where the steps curved and vanished behind a shadowed wall.