Page 58 of Never Pretend

"I'm not enjoying it either. But we're going to find something. This monster won't be able to get away with what he did."

They headed into the kitchen. Once again, in this dank, stinking, messy room, they searched furiously. May checked every single cupboard, crawling inside, tapping the walls, examining the floor.

Kerry was just as thorough, looking under the sink, checking every cupboard, every drawer.

But a full ten minutes later, May had to admit defeat. "I think we've searched everywhere, Kerry," she said. "The house is giving nothing away."

"I'm not giving up," Kerry said, her voice fierce.

May was getting worried now. She had to do something to convince herself this was going to work. Tired and discouraged, she looked around, trying to work out if there was any place at all they hadn't checked.

What about behind the refrigerator? That enormous, heavy, old refrigerator that had only a few items inside—and which was connected to a nearby electrical socket on the wall?

"There," May said. "Last chance?"

They tugged and pulled, working the old refrigerator aside. It was heavy, and its metal base squealed in protest. May's skin crawled as roaches scuttled out.

And there, behind it, she saw a shape, an outline in the wall, and felt as if her heart stopped.

There was a door!

It was here. They had found the secret hiding place.

With the fridge now moved aside and in the kitchen, May and Kerry stared at each other, breathing hard.

"I guess we open it," Kerry said, her voice surprisingly hesitant. May knew why. The secrets behind this door might not be what they wanted to see. What was there might be terrible and difficult to bear. But they had to do it.

"We open it," she said firmly.

She put her hand on the rusted handle, turned it, and pushed. And the door swung open, revealing a darkened room beyond.