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Grant did not open the door. Neither did Professor Barnaby. Ivy stood a long while outside on the stoop and waited. After another round of knocking and no answer, she followed the wrap around porch to the kitchen door. She knocked again. The door opened.
“Hello?” Ivy called into the house. No greeting returned to her. She planted one foot inside the kitchen and slowly opened the door wider. She was smarter than to charge inside the house. But she did want to make sure no one was in trouble or hurting.
The kitchen was dark, save for a blue light flickering on the instant kettle. Someone had recently been there. Ivy scooted inside, tugging her phone from her back pocket. She began texting Flora.
Keeping her back to the wall she entered the room only far enough to be out of the door frame. Her thumbs flew across her phone’s face but she wasn’t looking at the letters. Ivy hoped all her experience texting long distances, with Emily, would serve her muscle memory well. Maybe her text would be at least half decipherable. She hit send and waited for whoever was preparing the hot water to return.
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Flora rested on the couch, a baby perched on each shoulder. When her phone rang, she startled. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. It was so quiet at Lydia’s and the snuggly warmth of Enoch and Scout lulled her. She didn’t have a freehand and couldn’t reach the vibrating phone. She listened as it jiggled from the dining room table to the ground. Images of her brand new phone screen once again shattering on the floor made Flora wish for a harsher word to describe her frustration. “Strawberries!”
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The auto shut off activated with a click that made Ivy jump. Suddenly, she had a strong desire to hide. She crouched. At least she wouldn’t be completely obvious if someone walked in. Ivy decided to pretend to be tying her shoe if anyone ever showed up to claim their freshly bubbling water.
Footfalls fell in beat with her pulse. Ivy held her breath. Brooke, Ines’ sporadic housekeeper, dumped the boiling water into a mop bucket. The scent of pine and lemon wafted from the rollaway container.
Brooke sang to the music blasting through her earbuds as she twirled her fresh batch of floor cleaner. There was no way Brooke had heard Ivy knocking earlier if her buds were in.
Ivy watched the maid from her hiding place. There was no use scaring the girl half to death. She stayed put and waited for her to leave. Brooke danced her way out of the kitchen.
Back up, Ivy decided to give the front door another try. She opened up the back door and ran smack into Grant Justice.
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“M kitchen ns? What does that mean?” Flora retrieved her phone after laying each infant in their respective portable cribs. A fresh slash covered her new screen. Reading the text message around it was annoying. Using her finger to send a response was more than a little frustrating.
Flora needed more intel. She needed to know Ivy was safe and not blind texting in a closet, inches away from a homicidal maniac. Flora fretted over what would be worse: giving away Ivy’s hiding place or not knowing if the teen was in trouble.
Flora texted a response and prayed Ivy had been wise enough to turn off her notification sounds.
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“What do you mean not the only reason?”
Ines shivered and wrapped her arms around her torso. She rubbed her palms against her biceps, creating a tiny fraction of heat. Lydia understood one very good reason why Gus suspected Ines. She was looking right at it.
Ines’ bare arms and Della’s naked body were once covered with the same cardigan. Lydia decided not to start a conversation with the obvious evidence. She wanted Ines to get to the root of her worries without segue.
“Grant caught them.” Ines started. “Della and Bill being, let’s say flirtatious.”
“And?”
“I confronted Bill and he went berserk. He wanted Della to live with us.” Again, Ines shivered. Lydia didn’t think it was the air giving her goosebumps but her distaste for Della. “I just don’t trust her. I didn’t trust her. It may seem weird to you, it’s weird to me, but she was after Bill. My Bill.” Ines sniffled but forced her tears aside. “Bill,” Ines repeated. Her look was distant and painful. “Why isn’t he here? Gus called him. But, he didn’t even answer.” Ines’ sadness shifted and morphed into terror. “Lydia!” Ines snagged Lydia’s arm from across the desk and squeezed. “What if something happened to him? Do you think? Oh, Lydia. I’ve got to...”
Ines hyperventilated in front of Lydia. Lydia rocketed from her chair, detaching Ines’ hand from her arm, and opened the office door.
“Gus! Gus!” Lydia called into the office and turned back to Ines, trying to calm the manic woman.