Dot and Mr Holmes have found the machine that’s been making the ghostly pictures and noises that have been scaring everyone – in a secret room on the attic floor of Dendringham Hall. Their ears are aching from hearing the noise it makes so close to – but now it’s stopped. But it’s not a safe place to be – far from it!
Looking back, what had happened made Dot realize how much things happened by chance in life. Sometimes, anyway.
If she hadn’t stepped forward to look at the machine, Mr Holmes wouldn’t have shouted “Look out!”
If he hadn’t shouted “Look out!” she wouldn’t have jumped and fallen backwards.
If she hadn’t jumped and fallen backwards, she wouldn’t have banged her shoulder on the wall behind her.
And if she hadn’t done that, they’d never have found the secret stairs!
It was lucky Mr Holmes had reacted so quickly though. Because what he’d spotted was that the huge, heavy “phonoscope” projector, having been pulled all the way up to the wall on its sloping rails, was about to be released by the 'The Excelsior Midget Winch’ – so it could slide back down the sloping rails to its first position, ready for its spooky show once again.
And if Dot hadn’t got out of the way, it would have hit her!
Now it was her turn nearly to fall through a door – and backwards! She grabbed at the door frame just in time.
“Good Lord!” said Mr Holmes, catching hold of her by the arm. “Are you all right, Dorothea?”
“Yes… yes, thank you Mr Holmes” said Dot, remembering just in time not to say “I’m OK thanks!”
Dot steadied herself and turned round. Together, the two investigators peered through the door that had opened.
Just like the one into the passage, it had been completely invisible – fitted into the wall without a join in sight. A cold, musty smell rose into the room from the opening that had been revealed. But from where they were standing, there was nothing to see, apart from a single stone step, worn down in the middle – it was pitch black beyond that, and the dim electric bulb above their heads did nothing to light up the darkness.
Mr Holmes pulled out his big old magnifying glass and studied the frame closely. “Excellent!” he muttered, half under his breath. “Superb workmanship! No wonder it was quite invisible to us!”
He turned back to her and smiled. “Well! This is a room of surprises!” he said.
“Shall we?”
Dot didn’t like the idea much, but there was only one thing she could say. “Yes, of course!”
“Right!” said the detective. “Follow me!” He switched on his torch, and stepped without hesitation onto the first step, playing a pool of light from the funny old lantern in front of them.
“Oo-er!”” said Mr Mouse. “This doesn’t smell right!”
And it didn’t! As they started on their way down the stairs, the cold, musty smell got stronger. When Dot put a hand out to steady herself, the wall felt cold and slimy. Ugh! It was obviously made of big, heavy stones – she could feel the rough lines of cement that held them together.
The stairway was very narrow too – and it kept turning.
“Watch your step!” said Mr Holmes. “This is a circular stairway. I’d hazard a guess it runs between two walls inside the house!”
Then suddenly – and Dot’s heart jumped into her mouth - there was a muffled thump from above.
The secret door had shut behind them!
Mr Holmes turned back and shone the torch in his face to show he was talking to her. That looked pretty scary too!
“Don’t worry!” he said. “There was a spring closure on the door – hidden in the side of it! We can’t go back now, so let’s keep going – it’s not much further, I think!”
And it wasn’t! Suddenly the twisting and turning of the stair stopped, and they were on a level floor. Mr Homes shone his torch round them.
They seemed to be in a little space like a prison cell. All round them were the damp, stone walls that had been on either side all the way down the stone steps. There were no windows or doors anywhere.
And in front of them was just another blank, stone wall.
They were trapped!
