The new maid heard weeping beneath the mansion. Opening the heavy basement door, she found the missing wife, starved and chained. As gasps filled the dark room, the wife grabbed her hand, whispering, “Run before he hears you, or he’ll make you my replacement.” Suddenly, footsteps echoed on the stairs…

wedged tightly behind a thick encyclopedia of European art. I tugged, and a small, heavy object fell, clattering against the rungs of the ladder before hitting the Persian rug below.

I climbed down and picked it up. It was a heavy, ornate golden key. The metal was cold, the teeth intricate and complex. Engraved on the wide bow of the key were three continue reading …