Chapter Five
Gretel had never been to Zander’s house before. From the outside, it had the look of a gingerbread house with its steep roof and the smoke curling from the smokestack vent. On the front porch, a lamp hung from an ironwork bracket in the shape of a raven. That wasn’t the only artistic touch; the whole house had a handcrafted feel to it. A jumble of skis was stored under the overhang, along with snowboards, snow shovels, snowshoes, skateboards, bicycles and even an old plastic tricycle.
Inside, it had the same unfinished feel as the Noonans’, with pine board walls and open rafters, though it was much tidier. A wrought-iron spiral staircase led to an upper loft, which was closed off by a hatch. The kitchen and living room were all one big open space. A sturdy worktable occupied
