Short Stories Magazine Cover

"The House of the Seven Heads," translated from the Dutch of A. Schade Van Westrum, follows an elderly housekeeper named Anne who discovers a criminal plot while cleaning an Amsterdam townhouse. Alone and preparing the seven-headed house on the Keizersgracht for her master's return, Anne overhears two men discussing a robbery scheme beneath a cellar window. The men reveal plans to break in with seven accomplices, steal treasures including gold and silver plate, and murder anyone who resists—specifically Anne herself. They establish signals (dog howls, cuckoo calls) and intend to enter through an unshuttered cellar window. Paralyzed by terror, Anne realizes her solitary predicament and begins contemplating escape through back windows before the gang returns under cover of darkness.