9I went into Woody’s house and closed the wooden door. Twisting the deadbolt, I heard the lock click into place. I set down my carry-on. The shoulder strap tightener clinked on the flagstone floor. The superdurable fabric matched the dark-gray flagstones.
With my back against the door, I was standing smack in the middle of the A-frame. The steeply pitched roof sloped to meet walls on each side that rose only four feet from the floor.
Raising my arms, I stretched, trying to summon enough energy to carry out two urgent assignments before I crashed.
The round window I’d seen from outside was high in the wall behind me. Moonlight poured through, illuminating a log staircase stained the color of old gold. It led to a railed loft across the back of the house.
At the top of the stairs, I saw
