"Sure thing," he says, and leads her up the stairs.

Mrs. Hammond is nowhere in sight; Alice leads Bella past the farthest room they explored on their previous tour—just past it, in fact, to the very next door.

In Alice's room, the remains of the ex-fireplace are visible as an actual brick chimney set in one wall—a peculiarly wide one. The floor is almost invisible beneath a snowdrift of discarded clothing; he looks at the mess, looks at Bella, and then says, "I'll get the book, one sec."