by Vakey, Jenn
She walked out the north wing door and headed straight for the tree line like Lisa had instructed. As soon as she stepped into the woods, she found the trail. Because she had never been on the path, she carried herself more cautiously than she normally would. The last thing she needed to do was to fall and injure herself on her third day. If she did, she was positive that neither the household staff nor her fellow homicide detectives would let it go without significant ridicule.
The plants that brushed against her bare arms were wet with morning dew. As the cool breeze blew against her damp skin, it sent a chill through her that shook off the last of her drowsiness. She took in a deep breath and let her mind drift away as she listened to her feet slapping against the dirt path. She was so relaxed that she didn’t see the large man on the path in front of her until she was nearly on top of him.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked abruptly. Though he still maintained his intimidating demeanor, he was visibly shaken by her presence.
Rilynne’s heart was racing as he stared down at her. “I wanted to get a run in before I started working,” she said calmly. She fought off the urge to return the question when she noticed he was still in his security uniform. She tried to glance casually around to see what he could be up to, but he took a step toward her and drew her attention back to him.
“Mrs. Lewis will expect all evidence of the party last night gone before lunch,” Olsen stated. “If I were you, I would get started on it instead of playing around in the woods.”
Rilynne nodded quickly as she stepped around him and continued down the path. As soon as she was out of sight, she turned around to try and get a look at what he was up to. When she did, though, she found that he was gone. Not wanting to risk her cover, she turned back around and continued her run. With any luck, she would be able to sneak away later and go back for a better look.
She walked back into her room twenty minutes before she was due to start working. Luckily, the female staff bathroom was empty, so she was able to quickly rinse off before getting dressed.
When she looked down at her schedule for the day, she found that instead of joining Nancy in the ballroom, she was spending the entire morning in the trophy room. She didn’t have time to read over the room instructions, so she grabbed the binder and made her way to the north wing.
The trophy room she had pictured was nothing like the one she walked into. In lieu of ribbons or trophies, the room was filled with what looked like nothing more than knick-knacks. There were small figurines, decorative plates, and countless other small items covering the walls from floor to ceiling.
After taking a few moments to get over the bewilderment she was feeling, she opened the binder and looked over the instructions for each item. Cyndi Lewis seemed to favor this room above the rest, because details for each item were nearly three times as long as those in any other room. She understood as she looked around why she was given a full morning to dust the one room.
While easy work, it was still tedious. Upon examining each item as she cleaned it, she discovered that the majority of them were quite valuable. The plates appeared to all be collectables, and the figurines were crystal instead glass like she had originally assumed. Cyndi Lewis was a collector and these items were her pride and joy.
She handled each piece carefully, admiring them as she polished away every piece of dust that had settled since their last cleaning. She was so lost in thought as she worked her way around the room, that she hadn’t realized she was done until she made it back around to the first items she had cleaned.
Rilynne stepped down off of the ladder and admired the spotless shelves. The collection really was quite impressive.
“Looks like you finished with your morning work,” Danny said as he walked up next to her. “Not bad, either. Nancy has always had trouble with this room. I’m sure Mrs. Lewis will be pleased to have someone who can clean it without breaking anything.”
With a shocked look, she turned toward him and asked, “She broke something?”
He chuckled and nodded. “Two different occasions, actually. That’s part of the reason it was as dusty as it was in here. Mrs. Lewis refused to allow her to clean it after Brittney disappeared. I thought she was going to have a conniption after Mrs. Lewis told her. She was so furious; she didn’t talk to any of us for the rest of the day.”
“Yeah, I got the impression she didn’t like Brittney very much,” Rilynne casually mentioned. He shrugged, but his expression said it was true. “She did mention that Mrs. Lewis was even more high strung than normal right after Brittney disappeared. I honestly don’t think I could even picture her being worse than she is now.”
Rilynne hoped he would take the bait, and was pleased when he quickly did. “I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen if for myself,” he stated with a shocked sort of grin. “Even Mr. Lewis didn’t try to push her buttons during those first few days. Brittney was the first maid in a while that she actually trusted to get things done to her standards.”
“I heard on the news that it took them a few days to find her,” Rilynne stated. “I wouldn’t blame her for being angry at first. It must have looked like she just took off.”
“That’s exactly what it looked like. When she didn’t come to breakfast, Cole and I went looking for her. We checked the areas she was scheduled to clean that day, but nothing had been touched. Then we went to her room, thinking she might have overslept. Everything was gone. At first we thought she might have been let go, but Mrs. Lewis came looking for her a few hours later,” he explained.
Rilynne grabbed the supplies and walked out into the hall, Danny closely following her. “If she did such a great job, why would Mrs. Lewis have fired her?” she asked when they reached the supply closet. Danny shrugged again as he helped her put everything back in before they started down the west wing hall.
“I have a few hours before I’m needed,” he said as they approached the back entrance. “Care to take a walk? I can give you the official tour of the property.”
She glanced down at her watch before answering. Rilynne knew she was due to check in with Matthews, but she was finally getting someone to openly talk about Brittney. She also wasn’t entirely comfortable being alone with him. She hadn’t ruled him out as a suspect and she was unarmed. “Sure,” she responded a few moments later. She forced a smile on her face, though her insides were being unpleasantly twisted.
The warm sun struck her face as they stepped out onto the gravel driveway. Although it hadn’t rained in several months, the grass stretching out in front of them was bright green. She was just about to ask how they were able to maintain it so well, when they stepped out onto it. She knew immediately something was off. It felt strange under her feet, almost as if it was being pushed down to the ground by her weight, instead of growing out of it.
Rilynne stopped and looked down. “Is this fake?” she asked, though it appeared very real.
“Good eye,” he said as he took a few more steps forward. Rilynne quickly followed. “Mrs. Lewis had it installed two years ago. You have to look very closely to actually be able to tell.”
“It feels different,” she stated. “Not the texture of the grass, but the way it sits on the land.”
He looked impressed. “This is one of my favorite places to go,” he said as they came up to the tree line. Rilynne hesitated, but followed him in. To her relief, they didn’t go far before entering a small clearing. “It’s as close as you can get to leaving the manor without actually leaving.”
“What’s with that?” she asked as she walked around the clearing. “I’ve been doing this for years, and I’ve never actually worked somewhere that insisted all of the staff live on the property.”
He chuckled. “It’s a little strange, but it’s not a bad set up. We can come and go when we need to, and it’s not like I have a manor of my own to live in. I like to think of it as living with a bunch of roommates and no morning commute.”
“Why do you suppose they wa
nt the staff to live here instead of just coming in everyday?”
“We have several theories-most pretty fantastic-but if I had to guess, I would say Mr. Lewis is just a little nuts, and Mrs. Lewis is paranoid,” he stated as he walked back to the tree line. “We should probably get back, though. Lunch should be ready soon, and you won’t want to miss Lisa’s macaroni salad. Besides, you didn’t eat much this morning, so we better get something in you before that little uniform starts falling off.” He gave her a mischievous grin before turning and walking out of the clearing.
Rilynne paused as her cheeks began burning. She shook it off and started after him, but only made it a few feet before something stopped her: a rustling sound coming from over her shoulder. She turned slowly-wishing she had her gun-but let out a quick laugh at what she found.
“What is it?” Danny said as he rushed back toward her.
“A purple dog,” she chuckled.
Chapter Eight
“I won’t lie,” she said as she crouched down. “I thought Mr. Lewis was completely nuts when he said he lost his purple dog. It looks like someone got into that paint from yesterday.” She held out her hand and the little dachshund came timidly toward her.
“That’s Outlandish,” he stated as he bent down next to her.
She scratched the top of the dog’s head before picking her up. “At least it’s waterproof paint. It hasn’t hurt her at all.”
“No,” he chuckled. “Her name’s Outlandish. You can call her Landi, everyone does. She must have hidden out here during the party last night. She isn’t fond of large crowds. I should probably take her back to Mr. Lewis. I imagine he’s getting pretty worried.”
“I’ll do it,” Rilynne said as rubbed Landi’s chin.
Her attention remained on the purple dog until they stepped back into the manor. “I’ll find Mr. Lewis, then meet you in the kitchen for lunch,” she told Danny. He looked for a moment as if he wanted to argue, but just smiled as he gave the little dog a quick pat on the head.
She didn’t have to search long before finding Mr. Lewis in his study. When she knocked on the open doors to announce her presence, he responded by jumping from his chair and standing tall. He reminded her almost of a soldier.
“That’s Outlandish!” he yelled as he began making his way toward her. “I knew if anyone would find her, it would be you.” He smiled warmly at her before reaching for the dog. Despite having been nearly completely covered in paint the day before, Landi was excited to see him. He held her close and chuckled as he let her lick his face.
“How’d you know it would be me?” she asked inquisitively, having just registered his statement.
He gave her an impish grin before turning back toward his desk. “You’re a smart girl,” he stated simply.
Rilynne watched him curiously as he placed the dog gently on his desk and sat back down. She didn’t know how to respond, so she waited quietly for him to continue.
She didn’t have to wait long. “You know, you actually remind me a bit of Brittney,” he stated, his wild eyes looking her over carefully. “She was also quite smart. I always thought she could be so much more than a maid. She was a very pleasant person.”
“I was very sorry to hear what happened to her,” she said.
“Yes, quite dreadful. It was a very curious event. I saw her not long before they’re saying it happened. She had quite a bit of work still to do for the day. Cyndi wasn’t thrilled the banister on the east wing stairs was only partially dusted the next morning.”
For the first time in her life, she was glad that someone was crazy. From everything she had learned about Brittney so far, she wouldn’t have left a job half finished unless she were interrupted.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Lewis?” she said, trying to contain her excitement.
He flashed her another large smile and shook his head. “I’ll take care of this Outlandish situation. You scamper off. I’m sure you have much more pressing things to tend to.”
She nodded and smiled as she turned to leave.
“I hope you find your maidly duties quite pleasurable while you’re on our staff,” he stated before she reached the door. Rilynne turned back toward him only to find a pleasant smile waiting for her. She didn’t know if he was mocking her or being sincere. She studied his face, but he was too difficult to read.
Again she just nodded and turned.
She checked her watch as she left the study. She was torn. If she missed lunch, someone would surely come looking for her. She decided to go to the kitchen first, then make her way to the east wing when she knew everyone would be busy with their own work.
The kitchen was already buzzing when she walked in. Other than the security officers-who she had decided ate elsewhere-she was the last to arrive.
“Tell me that poor dog wasn’t actually painted purple,” Sydney said, sliding over to make room.
“I wish I could,” she replied as she began making herself a plate. In addition to the macaroni salad Danny had mentioned, there were also small sandwiches and a pudding dessert. “She didn’t seem to mind it, though.” She finished loading up her plate, and sat down between Sydney and Danny.
“Don’t worry about her,” Casey told Sydney. “That’s one of the happiest animals I’ve ever seen. She may end up painted or covered in food from time to time, but she’s used to it. I’m sure she’ll have a bubble bath and a pedicure waiting for her this evening.”
“Lucky dog,” Nancy laughed sarcastically. “Maybe that’s what I’ll do on my next day off. I know the perfect place in town to get pedicures.”
“I thought you were going to go feed the ducks with your boyfriend,” Lisa stated.
Nancy shook her head. “I decided to call things off with him last week,” she replied. “He was just too… boring. I need a real man.” Rilynne caught her eyes shift quickly to Danny, then away again before anyone else noticed.
She looked around the table and found a similar look sitting on nearly all of their faces: exasperation. Rilynne had the distinct feeling that the infatuation Nancy seemed to have for Danny wasn’t a secret.
“So are you regretting coming here yet?” Cole asked in an obvious attempt to shift the conversation away from Nancy.
Rilynne grinned. “Not at all. While it definitely is the most structured place I’ve ever worked, it’s not lacking entertainment.”
“Just wait,” Casey laughed. “Mrs. Lewis’ birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. That means she’ll be throwing herself a big party, and Mr. Lewis will be finding inventive ways to sabotage her plans. Last year he took everything sharp out of her bathroom and covered the doorway with a dozen rolls of saran wrap while she was taking her bath. It was so thick she couldn’t get through it. She was stuck in there for several hours before Nancy finally found her. By that time, the guests had already started to arrive.”
“You should have seen it,” Nancy said, wide eyed with amusement. “The wrap was so thick, it was hard to see through. I could definitely make her out, though, even if she hadn’t been yelling at the top of her lungs. Her face was so red when I finally cut it open that I thought she would explode. Of course by that time Mr. Lewis was nicely dressed downstairs, conversing with the guests.”
As she said it, the picture formed in front of her.
Cyndi Lewis had just stepped out of the tub and into an awaiting towel. She walked over to the large vanity and studied herself in the mirror as she pulled the clip from her hair, letting it fall down over her shoulders.
After running her fingers through it, she started toward her bedroom. When she tried to step through the door, a thick wall of plastic stopped her.
Fury consumed her face as she slammed her hands against it. As hard as she struggled, it just wouldn’t budge. She let out an angry roar as she stormed back over to the vanity. She threw open every drawer and cabinet in the room, but found nothing of use. As a wave of frustration and anger swept over her, she resigned to screaming an
d slamming her fists against the new wall.
Rilynne struggled not to laugh loudly as the kitchen came back into focus. She couldn’t help but wonder to herself how Cyndi Lewis had been so oblivious that she had not only failed to hear her husband in what must have been a long, loud process, but she didn’t see the wall before walking into it.
“I don’t imagine that went over well after the guests left,” Rilynne said.
Casey shrugged. “Mrs. Lewis seems to have given up on talking to him about his behavior. After the guests left, she just locked herself in her room. Mr. Lewis definitely seemed even more amused by her reaction, or lack thereof.”
Lisa stood up as she finished her plate and stated, “I honestly can’t wait to see what he pulls this year. You’ll come to discover that one of the best parts of this job is watching the stunts that he pulls, even if they do require a lengthy clean up afterwards.”
After she finished her lunch, Rilynne headed back to her room. She still had an hour before she was supposed to start on her afternoon duties, but she wanted to get a jump on them so she would have enough time to look at the east stairs before dinner.
“Let’s see,” she said as she flipped through the binder. Because she had the following day off, her afternoon list was fuller than any of the other days she had looked at. When she glanced down to the bottom, though, she discovered a lucky break. The very last think on her list for the evening was to dust and polish the banisters on the east stairs.
Not wanting to waste any time, Rilynne found the closest supply closet and began working on the rest of her daily duties.
Before she could start on the stairs, she first had two other rooms to take care of. First on the list was the formal dining room.
The table, which was almost as long as her entire house, had thirty chairs on either side. The one sitting at the head of the table was larger than the rest, looking more like a throne than an actual dining chair.