Agent Richard Jenkins followed Director Tretchet into the master bedroom and shouted, “Oh, my God! Did you see that?”

“I think so. Difficult to comprehend, but I just saw Amani walking through that wall,” the director said, rushing to the painting and touching it carefully. “It feels like a normal wall.”

“I didn’t see anything open or close. She just walked right through that painting,” Richard muttered.

“Impossible. If you feel the painting, there’s a solid wall behind it. There has to be a panel or something.”

“Director, you saw it. And if there were a panel, where would she go? That’s an external wall. We’re in the turret. This room is the size of its full circumference.”

“How thick are these walls? There could be three feet behind them, like in ancient castles—where there’s space behind the walls, secret passages.”

Richard shook his head and reiterated, “Sir, I didn’t see anything open or close.”

“Illusion. She’ll surface somewhere in the house. Just wait and see,” the director said. “I would be willing to bet there are secret passages in this place, and that’s where all those people are, too. Mystery solved.”

“Sir, there would have to be a lot of space somewhere for twelve hundred people.”

“True. Maybe the passages lead to an underground cave. Don’t forget, this house is built on the side of a mountain.”

Richard gave the director a look. “And why would twelve hundred people go into hiding?”

“Damnit, I haven’t got a clue. Amani suggested a stunt to draw attention to the town or a Doomsday prediction. Who knows. Let’s go and see if she’s found a way out somewhere else in the house.”

They searched the whole interior, felt for hidden panels, banged on the walls, yelled her name, looked for trick levers that would open a secret passage, and found or heard nothing. No sign of Amani anywhere.

“Let’s go to the kitchen and find something to eat. We’ll wait a while to see if she surfaces,” the director suggested.