Sarah knew she could not leave the house without finding out who was trapped inside.
She waited until the afternoon when Julian left the mansion to handle pre-gala business downtown.
The rest of the staff was busy in the kitchen preparing food for fifty wealthy party guests.
Sarah crept into Julian's private office, hoping to find a layout of the home's structure.
The room smelled of old paper, leather chairs, and expensive tobacco pipe smoke.
She searched through the mahogany desk drawers, finding old bank letters and legal contracts.
One thick envelope contained an old life insurance policy for Julian's missing mother, Clara.
The document stated that Clara had left her entire real estate fortune to Julian upon her passing.
However, no legal death certificate was attached to the official legal inheritance paperwork.
Sarah remembered hearing rumors that Clara had suddenly disappeared from public life two years ago.
Julian had told the local newspaper that his mother moved overseas to rest in retirement.
Sarah opened the bottom drawer of the desk and pulled out a heavy steel ring with one rusty key.
She tucked the key into her uniform pocket just as the front door bell rang downstairs.
The first guests were arriving early for the evening gala in their luxury cars.
Sarah rushed out of the office and walked down to the kitchen to collect her assignment.
The head housekeeper handed her a heavy iron tool from the basement maintenance room.
Housekeeper: Take this back upstairs and fix the wooden door frame near the gallery.
Sarah: I will handle it immediately.
Sarah held the tool tightly as she walked back up the grand staircase toward the portrait.
The music downstairs began to play as rich guests filled the main ballroom below.
She knew this was her only chance to break open the wall before it was too late.