Daisy winces and stops pacing as her back spasms again. Her mind spirals to the documents and flash drive she keeps in her safe. If Jon ever repeats what happened in Silver Aspens, he’s so done.
If Jon hadn’t made trouble with a stripper, Daisy would not be vulnerable to the kinds of threats and paranoia and harassment she is experiencing now. She would not be frightened of damn Chucky dolls and trolls on her Instagram account. She would not see shadows dressed in black behind trees or think someone is following her.
Another little voice deep inside Daisy rises to the surface.
It was you who chose to protect him. You who cleaned up behind him. You who learned from your mother that in order to keep your own reputation and family intact, sometimes a woman needs to take radical action and look the other way. It’s you who chose to believe boys will be boys, especially in groups, and you who put your head in the sand. You whostillchoose to believe there are slutty females out to lure and entice men expressly to gain favors, and that the men are powerless in the face of free sex and those women are to blame.
Daisy hears a car in the driveway. She hurries back to the window and peers down into her front yard. A Holly’s Help car pulls up outside her front door. Daisy steps back slightly behind the drape. She watches discreetly as the maid gets out and starts unpacking a vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies. From a distance she looks attractive. Blonde with a trim figure. She moves with energy. Daisy feels a stab of resentment. The maid starts lugging her vacuum toward the entrance.
Daisy hastens downstairs. Her coat and purse are already waiting near the front door. She will leave as soon as she has spoken to this maid. She has no intention of remaining home to watch this person cleaning her house.
Through the frosted glass panel that runs the length of the door, Daisy sees the shadow of the maid approaching. She opens the door.
The woman jumps back and gasps in surprise. She was busy at the lockbox.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the maid says. “I thought—” She points to the lockbox that Daisy and Jon installed specifically for the cleaning service. “I was told there was usually no one home and that I should use the key. My apologies. I should have knocked to be sure.”
“No worries. I’m about to leave. I just wanted to meet you.” She smiles. “My name is Daisy.”
The woman looks tense, leery.
Aha! The maid is up to something.Daisy can see it, feel it. Her pulse quickens.
The maid’s gaze drops to Daisy’s belly. Daisy defensively puts her hands over her baby tummy.
“Congratulations,” the maid says.
Daisy nods. “And your name is?”
“Oh, sorry. I’m Sofia. Sofia Ramos. Nice to meet you.” The maid offers her hand.
Disappointment stabs through Daisy. Her name is not Kit.
As Daisy leans forward to shake her cleaner’s hand, she says, “I wanted to ask if you’ve seen my necklace. It’s a diamond pendant. The diamond is set in a gold teardrop shape. I usually leave it on—”
“Oh, I’m not your usual maid. I’m the replacement—the new one.”
“What?”
“Your usual maid, Kit, has a conflict in her schedule. Holly assigned me. I’ll be servicing Rose Cottage going forward.”
Daisy’s heart skips a beat.“Kit?”
“Yes.”
“Kitwho?”
“I’m not sure what Kit’s surname is. I’m pretty new with Holly’s Help. I haven’t met all the employees yet.”
“Oh.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No—no, I...Kit has done such a great job here at Rose Cottage, I—I might like to send her some flowers. With a personalized note. Do you perhaps have an address or phone number for her?”
Sofia frowns. “I don’t. I’m sorry. You could try calling the Holly’s Help office?”
“Yes, yes, I will definitely do that.”
