midnight
Why she did not simply close her own door she never could explain , but some hidden impulse moved her to look into Judy 's room . A shaded night lamp turned quite low cast a soft luminous shadow right across Judy 's bed , which was empty . Molly started violently . Once before they had come into Judy 's room at midnight and found her bed empty . The startling recollection caused Molly to run to the open window . As she leaned out her hand touched something rough -- a rope . `` A rope ladder ! ''