Page 55 of The Housemaid Is Watching

“Oh, take your time.” She toys with the diamond bracelet on her wrist, which glints in the sunlight. “Honestly, Jonathan and I have more money than we know what to do with. You can’t even imagine how much we pay in taxes!”

Way to rub it in my face. I don’t want Suzette to think of me as some impoverished charity case, racking up debts all over town. And I especially dislike the idea of owing anything to her. Technically, we never paid for her broken window, but that wasdifferent because Nico agreed to do chores. I’ll pay her back today, if I can.

Except… can I? I thought we had more than enough money in the checking account to cover the plumbing bill. But obviously, we don’t. Where did the money go? Enzo and I always discuss large purchases. He wouldn’t have just taken the money out without telling me.

Would he?

THIRTY-FOUR

After the plumber leaves, I log in to the computer to check my bank account.

A few days ago, we had more than a thousand dollars in the checking account. I watch the screen, waiting to confirm that the money is still there. My heart sinks when the balance of the checking account pops up on the screen:

$213

What the hell is going on? We’re missing about a thousand dollars from our checking account. And we are not extremely wealthy like our neighbors. That’s not an amount that we can just shrug off.

I access the transactions in the history. I do see a $1,000 withdrawal from a few days ago. Presumably, that is the culprit. Except who took that out of our account? It certainly wasn’t me. I can’t imagine Enzo would do that without mentioning it to me.

I’m running late for work, but this is far more important. If somebody stole money from our bank account, I need to do something about it ASAP. So I call the bank and end up on holdwith them for fifteen minutes while I glance at my watch and text one of my coworkers to cover me at a meeting that I am definitely going to miss.

“Hello, this is Serena, your customer service representative,” a perky female voice pipes up.

“Hi.” I clear my throat. “I need your help regarding some money that is missing from my bank account.”

“Oh dear,” Serena says. I vehemently agree with that sentiment. “Let me see what I can find out for you.”

I have to hand over all my bank information, and then I get to wait as I listen to the sound of keys tapping in the background. And thenmorekeys tapping. And then more waiting. “Sorry the system is so slow today,” Serena says cheerfully. “It’s just one of those days, you know?”

I’m not in the mood to make small talk while I’m trying to figure out why money is missing from my bank account. “Uh-huh.”

“Ah, okay!” she says triumphantly. “The withdrawal was made two days ago by Enzo Accardi, who is also on the account. Is that your husband?”

“Yes, but…” I frown. “My husband didn’t…”

Did he?

“Is he saying he didn’t withdraw the money?” she asks me.

“No. I mean, I just… I thought he would’ve told me. But…”

Serena seems like she’s at a loss for words. I suppose family drama isn’t her job. “Oh.”

“Thank you for your help,” I mumble. “I think I… I better have a talk with my husband. He probably… Maybe he forgot.”

“I’m sure he forgot,” she says in a super patronizing voice. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

Yes, you can tell me why my husband took a bunch of money out of our account without saying a damn word to me about it.

I hang up the phone and stare at the screen for a good minute. I am now extremely late for work, but I can’t focus on anything until I call Enzo and ask him what happened with that money. And I’m not sure why the thought of doing that makes me so uneasy. Itrusthim. If he took that money out of the account, he had a good reason.

Finally, I select his name from my favorites. If he’s working, he often doesn’t answer his phone, but ever since the incident with Nico getting suspended, he’s been answering immediately.

“Millie?” he says. “What is wrong?”

I rarely call him during the day, so he recognizes this is not a social call. “There’s money missing from our checking account.”

I had been hoping for a string of angry Italian curses. But the way he becomes dead silent confirms that this is not news to him. Even if Serena hadn’t already confirmed it.