Sylvia drew back on the instant.
With a gesture of his hand, Archie Parminter stopped Barstow on his way to the door.
Sylvia leaned back against the wall of the staircase, holding her breath, and tightly pressing a hand upon her heart.

Had they seen her?
Would they come out into the passage?
What would happen?
Would they kill her?
The questions raced through her mind.

She could not have moved, she thought, had Death stood over her.

But nothing happened.

She could not now see into the room, and she heard no whisper, no footsteps creeping stealthily along the passage toward her, no sound at all.