Page 97 of The Housemaid
I snort. “Out of the question.”
“Out of the question?” I’ve heard Enzo angry before, but never directed at me. This is a first. “Nina, she is in trouble. You put her in that situation.”
“Right, because she slept with my husband. Am I supposed to feelsorryfor her?”
“You pushed her into it!”
“She didn’t have to take the bait. Nobody twisted her arm. Anyway, she’ll be fine. Andy never did anything to me for months. Not until after we got married.” I sniff. “I’ll write her a letter after the divorce, okay? I’ll warn her about him. Before she marries him.”
He’s quiet for a few beats on the other line. “Millie hasn’t left the house in three days.”
My eyes dart up to Cecelia’s cabin. She’s still inside packing and probably gabbing with her new friends. I look around at the other parents arriving for pick-up. I scurry off to the side, lowering my voice further. “What do you mean?”
“I was worried about her. So I put a red mark on the tire of her car. It’s been three days and the mark is still in the exact same spot. She hasn’t gone anywhere in three days.”
I let out a huff. “Look, Enzo. That could mean anything. Maybe the two of them went on a trip together.”
“No. I’ve seen his car move.”
I roll my eyes. “So maybe they’re carpooling. Maybe she just doesn’t feel like driving anywhere.”
“The light is on in the attic.”
“The…” I clear my throat, taking another step away from the other parents. “How do you know that?”
“I went in the backyard.”
“After Andy fired you?”
“I had to check, okay? There is somebody up there.”
I squeeze the phone so tightly my fingers start to tingle. “So what? The attic was her bedroom. Is it really such a big deal that she’s up there?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
A dizzy sensation comes over me. When I planned this whole thing out, back when I wanted Millie to be my replacement and then later when I wanted her to kill that bastard, I never really thought it out. I left her the pepper spray and I gave her the key to the room, and I thought she would be fine. But now I realize I may have made a huge mistake. I think of her trapped in the room in the attic, having to endure whatever torture Andy has come up with. The thought of it makes me sick.
“What about you?” I say. “Can’t you go in and check on her?”
“I rang the bell. No answer.”
“What about the key under the flowerpot?”
“It wasn’t there.”
“What about—”
“Nina,” Enzo growls, “are you saying you want me to break into that house? Do you know what would happen to me if I got caught?Youhave a key. You have every right to go in there. I’ll go with you, but I can’t go alone.”
“But—”
“This is all just excuses!” he bursts out. “I can’t believe you would let her suffer the way you suffered.”
I take one last look up at Cecelia’s cabin. She’s just coming out now, lugging her bags behind her.
“Fine,” I say. “I’ll come back. But only on one condition.”
FIFTY-SEVEN
