Thud! Thud! Thud!
Outside, several police officers were searching the area around the kitchen.
"Check this wall!" a deep voice ordered. "The sound when you tap it is a little different. It feels a bit hollow."
Thud! Thud!
The knocking repeated, louder, right at the spot where Beatrice was leaning her back. The sensation of the concrete's vibration traveled directly to her spine, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Beatrice felt like a cornered rat in a hole, waiting for the trap to snap.
"Ah, forget it. It's just a solid wall. The building's structure is thick in this section," another officer replied, sounding lazy and impatient. "Let's move to the west wing. We're wasting our time here."
Their footsteps slowly faded away, swallowed up by the silence that had returned with a chilling intensity. Beatrice didn't move right away. She waited for several minutes that felt like centuries, making sure the sound of those footsteps had truly vanished.
