Stairway to an Empty Room // Terror Lurks in Darkness — Dolores Hitchens

STAIRWAY TO AN EMPTY ROOMMonica Marshall's sister Biddy has been murdered by her husband. Biddy has a daughter, Winifred, and with the husband on death row, Monica agrees to take charge of her. Winifred is anxious to leave the house where she has been living with Biddy. The house and the woman who runs it seem so unpleasant to Monica. But nothing prepares her for Stevens. He is managing a mountain retreat where Monica takes her new charge for a getaway--she hates him immediately. Strangely enough, Winifred recognizes the couple in another cabin. Soon Monica realizes that there is something very strange going on here. Her brakes fail … later she almost drowns in the lake. And Stevens is becoming very protective of young Winifred. What do all these people have to do with Biddy's death, and what is really going on here?... TERROR LURKS IN DARKNESSKitty has the fright of her life one night when she takes what she is told is a short cut and ends up on a dead end street in the rain. And to make matters worse, there is a savage dog outside her car, causing her to wreck the front end trying to avoid it. Fortunately, the owner of the dog appears and calms the dog, then drives her home. But imagine Kitty's shock when she finds out that Sunny, the woman who told her about the short cut, is found dead later that night on the same road, her throat savaged. Of course, everyone hated Sunny, but that doesn't explain her strange death. And now Kitty's roommate, Ardis, has gone missing … and two of her friends are asking her to lie about what she knows. No wonder inspector Doyle doesn't believe her story -- she has no idea what to believe herself!