Suspense is suspense is suspense...Part 2 of 3

This is part 2 and part 1 is here.  Yes, it has been a while...both since part 1 on suspense and since I've blogged on anything else! Besides the busyness of summer, one reason for the delay between part 1 and 2 has been trying a bit of an experiment with combining a bit of a short story within the blog.  In second person, too, so hopefully that works!   So, with that said...here is a recap of the set-up...

Suppose you are a romance writer who want to learn more about suspense. You're invited into the home (read: spooky mansion) of one of The Big Three suspense writers. (To recap from Part 1: "The Big Three" is defined as Mystery, Horror and Thriller.)  The butler leads you into a dimly lit study where you see a familiar portrait, an infamous silhouette, hanging over the fireplace. You take a seat in a wing back leather chair and the butler leaves you alone to wait for the master of the house.

What happens next?