@Tired-but-passionate
The living room also seemed to be devoid of secret libraries. Mina and Jonathan made their way to the laundry room a little half-heartedly. It seemed rather ridiculous that a library would be somewhere in the laundry room. Then again, what wasn't ridiculous about the entire situation that they were in?
Cylindrical machines stood quietly against the wall, almost silently pleading to be used. Sitting on the counter next to them was a safe and a tiny, skinny wooden cupboard looking thing. Mina walked over it with curiosity and pulled on its tiny doorknob. Inside on one shelf was a ring with keys hanging from it. At the bottom of the cupboard were small metal rectangles; what Mina could only assume were computer chips or hard drives, something of that sort.
"Perhaps Mx. Holmes or someone else will find them useful," Jonathan murmured over her shoulder.
She nodded in agreement, taking the metal chips and putting them in her pocket. "At least we won't be empty-handed if we don't find it. Do you want to feel the tiles again?" she grinned at the last part.
"I mean, it's worth a try, right?" he chuckled. He walked around the rest of the floor he hadn't stepped on, tapping his foot occasionally. He came to a spot near the corner on the opposite wall. Tapping it a few times, he pursed his lips. "Well, would you look at that."
Mina came closer, and Jonathan bent down to feel the tile with his hands. After a few experimental pokes and pushes, he slid the tile from its spot, revealing a set of stairs leading into the darkness.
Mina's eyes widened, then she smiled. "My observant husband has done it again," she said, pecking his cheek.
"No need to thank me, darling," he said humbly, blushing a little.
"Technically, I didn't."
"Oh, shut up." He laughed.
She stuck out her tongue at him, then looked back down the underground stairs. "Should we go?"
"I think I heard Victor and the others were about to go into the basement when we left the living room," he replied, rubbing his chin. "They could already be down there by now. I don't know if we should go all that way to disturb them. We don't even know if those stairs lead to a library, or if it's just some storage space."
Nodding, she said, "Right. Then let's find out."
They took each other's hand and descended the stairs.
