“Good night,” Cassie said.
She walked back to her room and closed the door.
Cassie felt as if her world had been turned upside down.
The powerful woman who had intimidated and impressed her was nothing more than an abusive mother who tormented her children for any minor infraction.
Cassie suspected it; in fact, she was sure of it. But without concrete proof or a confession from the children, she would be as powerless to stop this as the two of them were.
*
The next morning, Cassie was up at six. She dressed quickly, keeping her light off but opening her curtains so that she could see the children’s rooms on the opposite side of the courtyard.
She resolved that from this moment, she was going to keep an eagle eye on them until she had answers, or else proof.
It was Sunday today, so they wouldn’t be going to school, and might sleep in later. Perhaps Ms. Rossi would be around for more of the time, and if so, that would give her a chance to see how they interacted as a family.
She felt tense and keyed up, as if she was preparing for a fight, and wondered if that was what it would end up being. She didn’t want to go up against somebody as powerful as Ms. Rossi, but there was no way she could keep turning a blind eye to what was going on.
The children’s lights went on just after seven, but to Cassie’s frustration, their curtains remained closed. She would have to go into their rooms, wish them good morning, and open the curtains herself.
At that moment, Cassie was alerted by movement from outside. Peering into the gloom, she saw that it was Maurice, the personal assistant, arriving as usual. If he was working today, that meant Ms. Rossi might be out and about, also.
Cassie suddenly realized that this was a golden opportunity.
Maurice Smithers must know what was going on. He was probably the most frequent visitor to the house, and had a closer working relationship with Ms. Rossi than the household staff.
Cassie ran out of her room and arrived at the back door just as Maurice was opening it.
He gave her a sour look.
“Good morning,” he said, and stood, coffee in hand, waiting for Cassie to move out of the way.
“I need to ask you something,” Cassie said.
Maurice glanced down at his shiny shoes and then back up at her and she wondered if he suspected what she wanted from him.
“What is it?” he replied in a low voice. “I really don’t have time for this. Signora is attending a model call this morning and we have to leave in half an hour.”
Cassie stood her ground and watched Maurice shift his feet. He didn’t look impatient, she thought. He looked uneasy. She suspected he might already have guessed what she was going to say.
She decided to ease into the subject and try to introduce it in a nonconfrontational way.
“Do you spend a lot of time in the house? I mean, in Signora’s home office?”
He sighed impatiently.
“Look, it depends on the day. Every day is different. Usually we spend an hour or two here in the mornings, quite often an hour or two in the evenings, and very occasionally we’ll work here the whole day, if Signora has no commitments in the office, or functions to attend.”
“Do you get a chance to interact with the family at all?”
Maurice shrugged.
“I can’t say I have done. You’ve seen what it’s like here. We’re on the go from early till late, as Signora has a very full calendar, and I will say, between you and me, I handle the workload of two people.”
He was evading her line of questioning, Cassie was certain. He was anticipating where it was leading, and was trying to deflect it.
“I’m sure it must be hectic. The reason I’m asking is that I’ve only been here two days, but I’ve been noticing some rather unusual things happening here,” she said. “I wonder if you might have noticed them, too?”
She watched Maurice’s face closely while she spoke, and from the way his eyes widened and he blinked several times before staring determinedly past her, she was sure he understood.
“I can’t say I have,” he insisted.
“I’ve noticed, in particular, that the girls seem to act strangely sometimes. Have you picked up on that at all?”
Maurice shook his head. His chin jutted determinedly.
“I’m afraid I haven’t seen anything. I just do my work and go. If you’re asking me for any input, I’ll be of no use to you.”
Cassie felt exasperated.
“Maurice, I understand you’re way too busy and don’t want this on your plate. But I’m sure you must know how the household works, and which staff are around at what times. Could you point me in the right direction, and tell me if there’s anyone willing to share some more information?”
Maurice shut down. Cassie could see it in his body language. His mouth tightened, his eyes narrowed, and he made as if he was going to shoulder his way right past her.
Then, at the last moment, he leaned toward her.
“Let me give you some advice. You do what Signora says, nothing less and nothing more. Don’t ask questions. Do not interfere. If you try, she will ruin you. I’ve seen it happen before.”
Then he brushed past her and headed through the kitchen and out of sight.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Watching Maurice march away, Cassie felt uneasy inside, as if she’d overstepped a boundary. Maurice had never been her friend, but now that she’d forced him to choose sides, it was clear where his loyalties lay. His warning was disturbing. Cassie didn’t doubt that Signora Rossi wielded enough power to damage anyone who tried to go against her.
On the other hand, what did Cassie care? She was unimportant in Ms. Rossi’s life. She hadn’t even given references. Maurice, on
