Tricia immediately regrets leaving the car because her fashionable boots and coat are useless in the deep snow and brutal cold. Seeing how badly she is struggling, Ethan carries Tricia on his back to the front door, which deepens her affection for him and briefly softens her resentment about the trip. At the house, however, no one answers the bell, the first floor is completely dark, and both Tricia and Ethan discover they have no cell service, which confirms that realtor Judy Teitelbaum is not in contact with them.

Because the storm is worsening and they need shelter, Ethan searches for a spare key and finds one hidden near the entrance. The key unlocks the door, but the swollen wooden door only opens after Ethan forces it. Once inside, they get the lights working and see an enormous, lavishly furnished living room, yet the furniture, floor, and shelves are covered in heavy dust and cobwebs. The contrast between the expensive belongings and the obvious neglect makes Tricia feel that something terrible happened there and that Judy could not possibly have prepared or shown the house recently.

Ethan becomes distracted by a huge portrait over the fireplace of a striking red-haired woman, and Tricia soon identifies her by finding copies of The Anatomy of Fear on a nearby shelf. The woman is Dr. Adrienne Hale, the famous psychiatrist whose disappearance became a national story. Tricia remembers reading Adrienne Hale's bestselling book and clarifies that Adrienne Hale vanished rather than being definitively found dead, while Ethan assumes her boyfriend likely killed her. Their discussion turns the house from merely eerie into a place tied to an unresolved, notorious case.

As Tricia continues to take in the room, she notices a large footprint in the dust near the bookcase, suggesting that someone else has been in the house despite its abandonment. Ethan returns from checking the garage and reports that it is empty, confirming Judy is still absent. Looking out at the increasingly severe snowfall, the couple realize they may be stranded in the house for the night. Ethan stays practical and proposes finding food, but Tricia follows him into the kitchen with a growing sense that the house, and Adrienne Hale's portrait, are watching her.