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welcome in this dungeon of a basement.
    Feeling her way with her toes and keeping her hand on the wall beside
    her, Cassie started back down the steps. She stayed close to the walled side
    because the other was open. There was a sheer drop from the far edge of
    the steps to the basement floor below and Cassie was not in a mood for
    diving into unknown waters.
    Nothing materialized beneath her hand. Just one more step or two, she
    promised herself firmly. Maybe the electrician who had wired the place
    had put the switch in the middle of the staircase.
    She was trying to convince herself of that possibility when the step she
    had just reached gave way beneath her.
    There was no warning, no creaking of wood, no feeling of instability
    prior to that instant. She simply found herself stepping down onto a
    surface that immediately collapsed beneath her weight.
    With a scream she wasn't even aware of making, Cassie lost her balance
    and pitched sideways over the unrailed staircase.
    Four
    « ^ »
    Cassie's next sensation was that of being suspended in midair. The strain
    in her hands was incredible. It took her a dazed moment or two to realize
    she had actually managed to catch hold of a stair tread as she'd fallen
    sideways. Now she hung there, clinging desperately to the edge of the
    stairs. Her legs dangled in black emptiness and she was vividly aware of a
    burning pain in one of them.
    She was too stunned to even summon up a good scream, she realized
    vaguely. What was below her feet? Was it only a short drop to the floor of
    the basement or was it much farther? If she let herself go, would she fall
    on a barren surface or into a heap of nail-studded boards, garbage or rats?
    Atmosphere. The damn place sure had atmosphere!
    When would Justin return from his walk on the beach? If she'd had the
    sense to go with him she would not now be hanging by her fingernails over
    an abyss! Pain was building in her fingers, reaching to the muscles of her
    wrists and forearms. Cassie knew she wasn't going to be able to hang on
    for long. She had to find the strength to pull herself back up onto the
    stairs. If she could just get her leg up on a lower tread…
    Why did her left leg hurt so much? She must have scraped it on the
    splintered edge of the staircase. Too bad she'd never mastered the art of
    chinning herself. But back in high school it was tough to figure out which
    skills you were going to need later on in life. In high school the only truly
    important abilities had appeared to be those that got you onto the
    cheerleading squad. Cassie remembered she hadn't mastered those, either.
    What was she doing reminiscing about four of the worst years of her
    life? Grimly Cassie tried to swing her aching left leg up onto a lower tread.
    Her breath left her lungs in a near silent cry of agony as a new wave of
    pain shot through it. God, she must have really done some damage earlier.
    Gasping for breath and willing herself to force back the pain so that she
    could think, Cassie hung by her hands another moment while she tried to
    analyze her situation. There was still no sound of anyone else in the house.
    When would Justin return?
    What if he already had returned?
    What if he had been the one who had closed the door at the top of the
    stairs?
    No, that was ridiculous. What possible motive could he have to trap her
    in a basement? And how could he have known that the stairs were in such
    poor condition? The heavy door could easily have swung shut on its own.
    Even as the questions raced through her brain, unpleasant answers
    suggested themselves. There in the total darkness it was easy to let her
    imagination take hold. It occurred to Cassie that Justin might have more
    than seduction in mind. It would be very convenient if she were out of the
    way. Not only would he then be free to go back to the plans he had made
    with Alison, but Alison herself would abruptly be a much richer prize. She
    would inherit all of Cassie's money.
    It was crazy,