Chapter 2 - The Maid Who Knew Too Much
Arthur reached the library door in three strides.
He opened it.
The corridor was empty.
Norah remained beside the desk, unable to move.
“Someone was there.”
“I know.”
Arthur looked both directions before shutting the door.
“Who?”
“If I knew that, they wouldn't still be walking around my house.”
That answer did nothing to calm her.
“I want to leave.”
“No.”
Norah stared at him.
“You don't get to say no.”
Arthur's expression changed.
Apparently very few employees reminded him of that.
“I mean you can't leave safely.”
“I was safe until you came to my room.”
The accusation landed.
Arthur did not defend himself.
Norah continued.
“You brought whatever happened last night downstairs with you.”
“Yes.”
“And now someone thinks I know something.”
“Yes.”
“Something I specifically told you I didn't want to know.”
“Yes.”
She stared at him.
“You're unbelievably irritating.”
For the first time that morning, Arthur almost smiled.
It vanished quickly.
“Pack a bag.”
“Why?”
“You're moving upstairs.”
“No.”
“Norah.”
“Mr. Costello.”
“You're in danger.”
“And moving closer to you improves that?”
Arthur had no immediate answer.
That frightened her.
An hour later, two guards carried Norah's belongings from the basement.
Arthur placed her in a guest room on the third floor, three doors from his private suite.
It was larger than the apartment where she had grown up.
Norah hated it immediately.
She wanted her humming boiler.
Her cheap rug.
Her lock.
Instead she had silk curtains, marble counters, and a guard outside her door.
At noon, Maria brought lunch.
The older woman closed the door behind herself.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“I'm not.”
Maria looked frightened.
“Mr. Costello has never moved staff into the family wing.”
“I didn't ask him to.”
Maria lowered her voice.
“Then be careful.”
“With Arthur?”
“With everyone.”
That afternoon, Norah noticed something else.
People looked at her differently.
The guards.
The cooks.
Vincent.
Especially Vincent.
He was Arthur's oldest lieutenant, a polished man in his early forties who had been with the Costello family since Arthur was a teenager.
Vincent smiled easily.
Norah trusted him less because of it.
At dinner, Arthur sat at the head of the enormous table while six senior men discussed shipping contracts.
Norah served wine.
Nobody mentioned the previous night.
Then Vincent said casually, “Security found something interesting.”
Arthur continued cutting his steak.
“What?”
“The basement access wasn't electronic.”
Arthur looked up.
“Explain.”
“Someone physically opened the control cabinet.”
Norah nearly spilled the wine.
Vincent noticed.
“So whoever did it,” he continued, “needed a master key.”
Arthur's fork stopped.
Only five people possessed master keys.
Arthur.
Vincent.
The head of security.
The estate manager.
And Maria.
Norah thought about Maria's warning.
Be careful with everyone.
After dinner, Arthur found Norah in the pantry.
“You're thinking about Maria.”
Norah looked around.
“Do you have cameras inside my head too?”
“She has a master key.”
“She also brought me soup every time I was sick.”
“Kind people can betray you.”
“That sounds like experience talking.”
“It is.”
Norah folded a towel.
“Do you suspect her?”
“I suspect everyone.”
“Including me?”
Arthur did not answer quickly enough.
Norah laughed bitterly.
“There it is.”
“I don't think you're involved.”
“But?”
“I've survived because I verify what I believe.”
“And I've survived by staying away from men who talk like that.”
Arthur stepped closer.
“Norah.”
She turned.
His voice softened.
“I am trying to keep you alive.”
“Then let me leave.”
“I can't.”
“Won't.”
Arthur's jaw tightened.
“Yes. Won't.”
“Why?”
Silence.
For one moment she saw the man from the basement again.
Then he disappeared.
“Because you matter now.”
Norah's heart gave an unwanted jump.
Before she could answer, Vincent entered.
He looked between them.
“Am I interrupting?”
“Yes,” Norah said.
“No,” Arthur said simultaneously.
Vincent smiled.
“We found the car.”
Arthur's expression hardened.
“What car?”
“The one that followed you last night.”
“Where?”
“Abandoned near the river.”
Arthur followed Vincent out.
Norah watched them disappear.
Something about Vincent's timing bothered her.
At midnight, she couldn't sleep.
She left her room and walked toward the kitchen.
Passing Arthur's office, she heard voices.
Vincent.
“You're making mistakes.”
Arthur answered quietly.
“Careful.”
“Moving the maid upstairs? Assigning guards? People notice.”
“Let them.”
“She saw you last night.”
Norah froze.
“How do you know that?” Arthur asked.
Silence.
Then Vincent laughed.
“Everyone knows.”
“No. They know I went downstairs. You said she saw me.”
Norah held her breath.
Vincent answered smoothly.
“A reasonable assumption.”
Arthur said nothing.
Norah backed away.
A floorboard creaked.
The office door opened.
She hurried around the corner.
Footsteps followed.
Norah reached her bedroom and shut the door.
Three seconds later someone knocked.
She did not answer.
Another knock.
“Norah.”
Arthur.
She opened the door.
“Were you outside my office?”
“No.”
Arthur looked at her.
She sighed.
“Yes.”
“What did you hear?”
“Enough.”
Arthur entered and closed the door.
“Vincent knew.”
“Yes.”
“You noticed.”
“Yes.”
Arthur rubbed his jaw.
Norah studied him.
“You don't trust him.”
“He practically raised me.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Arthur walked to the window.
“I trusted him yesterday.”
“And today?”
“Today I don't trust anyone.”
Norah folded her arms.
“That's not true.”
Arthur turned.
“You trusted me last night.”
Something vulnerable crossed his face.
“I was drunk.”
“You knew exactly where you were going.”
Arthur went silent.
Norah realized the truth before he said it.
“You came looking for me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He stared through the window.
“Three months ago, I saw you in the dining room after one of my men screamed at you.”
Norah remembered.
“He broke a glass.”
“You cleaned it.”
“That's my job.”
“You weren't afraid.”
“I was terrified.”
“You didn't show it.”
Arthur turned.
“And afterward, you gave your dinner to the stray dog outside the kitchen.”
Norah blinked.
“You remember that?”
“I remember everything.”
The confession sat strangely between them.
Arthur continued.
“Everyone in this house performs for me. Fear. Loyalty. Respect. You never did.”
“I was trying to be invisible.”
“Exactly.”
He looked almost embarrassed.
“When everything went wrong last night, I thought about the only person in this house who had never asked me for anything.”
Norah's anger softened despite herself.
Then someone screamed downstairs.
Arthur instantly reached for the door.
Norah followed.
They found Maria in the kitchen.
She stood beside the open back entrance, shaking.
On the floor lay an envelope.
Arthur picked it up.
Inside was a photograph.
Norah recognized it immediately.
It showed Arthur entering her basement room the previous night.
On the back, someone had written four words:
SHE KNOWS. REMOVE HER.
Arthur's face became terrifyingly still.
Norah whispered, “Who took that?”
Nobody answered.
Then Maria made a small sound.
Arthur looked at her.
“What?”
Maria's face had gone white.
“I've seen that handwriting before.”
“Whose?”
Maria looked at Vincent.
Then at Arthur.
“Your father's.”
Arthur stared at her.
“My father has been dead for eleven years.”
Maria shook her head.
“No.”
The room became silent.
“What do you mean, no?”
Maria swallowed.
May you like
“I mean the man buried in the Costello family cemetery isn't your father.”
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