She hears small feet scurrying and wonders whether she has disturbed a nest of mice or rats. She no longer hears the cat mewing or the baby crying that caused her to foolishly open the door, and she is about to turn around and go back outside to wait on Marcus, when she hears a creak directly overhead. If she didn't know better, she would swear it was a foot stepping on a loose board or coming down the stairs.