Chapter 1 - THE WOMAN BENEATH THE WIG
Dirty water dripped from Eleanor Whitmore’s gray uniform and pooled across the Italian marble floor.
Vanessa Cole still held the empty bucket in one hand.
A satisfied smile curved across her face.
“You missed a spot,” Vanessa said.
The elderly housekeeper remained perfectly still.
For the past six days, Vanessa had ordered her to scrub floors twice, carry heavy luggage up three flights of stairs, and eat alone in the laundry room.
That morning, Vanessa had accused her of scratching a designer handbag.
Eleanor knew the scratch had already been there.
She also knew the bucket of filthy water had not slipped.
Vanessa had poured it deliberately.
Footsteps sounded above them.
Daniel Whitmore appeared at the top of the grand staircase.
Vanessa dropped the bucket immediately.
Her expression changed with breathtaking speed.
Tears filled her eyes.
“She threatened me, darling,” Vanessa cried.
Daniel hurried down the stairs.
“What happened?”
“She became aggressive when I asked her to clean the floor properly.”
Eleanor slowly removed her thick glasses.
Then she reached for the edge of her black wig.
Daniel stopped halfway across the hall.
The wig came away, revealing carefully styled silver hair.
Eleanor straightened her shoulders.
The weak posture disappeared.
The trembling hands became steady.
Daniel stared at her.
“Mom?”
Vanessa’s face turned white.
Eleanor unbuttoned the top of the oversized uniform.
Beneath it, she wore a tailored navy blouse and the small diamond brooch Daniel had given her on her sixtieth birthday.
“Yes, son.”
Daniel looked from his mother to the puddle at her feet.
“You said you were in Boston.”
“I said I needed time to consider whether Vanessa was ready to join this family.”
Vanessa recovered quickly.
“This is insane.”
Eleanor turned toward her.
“No, Vanessa.”
“What is insane is believing kindness matters only when the person in front of you has money.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“You poured that water on my mother?”
Vanessa pointed toward Eleanor.
“She deceived me.”
Eleanor reached into the pocket of her uniform.
She removed a small black device.
“I did not come here alone.”
A soft beep came from the security panel near the front door.
Then every television in the mansion turned on at once.
The first image showed Vanessa slapping Eleanor’s hand away from a dinner plate.
The second showed her hiding jewelry inside the maid’s room.
The third showed her speaking to a man Daniel had never seen before.
Vanessa whispered, “Turn that off.”
May you like
Eleanor looked directly at her.
“The recording has only begun.”
