I felt cold.
"You mean the cellar isn't just storage."
He shook his head.
"No."
He looked toward the floor beneath the stove.
"It's part of the original mine access."
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then he said something that changed everything.
"Rose, there's a second entrance beneath the house."
I stared.
"Where?"
He looked toward the old pantry.
"Behind the shelves."
I glanced toward the pantry door.
For eight months, I had stored flour, potatoes, dried beans, and jars of preserves beside a wall that might conceal an abandoned mine.
I suddenly understood why the old pantry always felt colder than the rest of the cabin.
Why William had once told me not to move the heavy shelves.
Why strange drafts sometimes passed through the kitchen.
But one question remained.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
William looked at me.
His face was full of regret.
"I didn't think it mattered anymore."
I stared.
"William."
He swallowed.
"I thought the mine was sealed."
I looked toward the hidden panel.
"And now?"
He took my hand.
"Now I think somebody has been using it."
The following morning, the sheriff arrived with two deputies.
They took custody of the intruder.
They examined the damaged panel.
Photographed the hidden passage.
And began questioning William about the original mining records.
The man refused to explain why he had brought Annie to the cabin.
He claimed he was protecting her.
He said others were looking for the girl.
He insisted the mountain property contained valuables that rightfully belonged to someone else.
The sheriff listened.
Then asked who sent him.
The intruder smiled.
"Ask the dead woman."
William went still.
The sheriff frowned.
"What dead woman?"
The man looked toward my husband.
Then laughed.
"The one he buried."
I watched William's face change.
The sheriff ordered the man taken outside.
Before leaving, the intruder turned toward me.
His eyes narrowed.
"That little girl knows more than you think."
I said nothing.
He smiled.
"And somebody will come for her."
William stepped forward.
The sheriff raised one hand.
"Easy."
The intruder laughed again.
Then disappeared through the doorway.
Afterward, the sheriff looked toward us.
"We need to understand what's beneath this property."
William nodded.
"I'll show you the old records."
"And the girl?"
I stepped closer.
"She's staying with us."
The sheriff studied me.
"For now, that's probably best, provided she's safe and we can arrange appropriate care."
I nodded.
"We'll make sure she is."
He looked toward William.
"We'll also need to verify her identity and what happened seven years ago."