telling the truth, then he and Julia were not having an affair. But that didn’t release Marcus and Stacey from Sydney’s suspicion.
“I think Marcus must have taken her somewhere nice yesterday to keep her mind off of her pain,” he continued.
Sydney had nearly forgotten that she was still talking to Ryan. “I didn’t think anything of your visit,” she tried to lie, but knew it was futile.
“Well, I just wanted you to know the true nature of my visit. I better get back to Stacey.”
Back in the kitchen, Sydney told Grace about her conversation with Ryan.
“So if he and Julia weren’t having an affair, but Marcus and Stacey are, that gives even more motive for either of them to get rid of her,” Grace said, slicing another loaf of bread.
“But why not get a divorce?”
“Maybe he just doesn’t believe in divorce. Some people don’t.”
“But murder? How is that better?” Sydney asked.
“You’re asking the wrong person. Here, take this bread out there.” Grace handed her the finished loaf and Sydney walked back into the main room just in time to see Maria coming back down the stairs.
Just as Sydney placed the bread on the empty tray she was sent to refill, Maria screamed and fell down the last few steps, sending Cocoa and Mocha scattering in opposite directions as she tumbled toward them. They’d chosen Maria as their new person to tail. Everyone stopped their conversations immediately and turned to see what the commotion had been. Sydney took this chance to get closer to Maria, under cover of looking like she was going to help her.
But she wasn’t the first person to reach her. A man Sydney hadn’t noticed before made it to Maria’s side and helped her to a sitting position at the bottom of the stairs. She had only fallen a few steps, but she looked like she was completely out of it.
“Maria, Maria,” the man started saying. He gently tapped her face to try to get her attention. “Can you hear me?”
She slowly opened her eyes and took control of her own movements again. Recognition flashed across her face as she said, “Eduardo? What happened?”
“You fell down the stairs. Are you okay?” he asked.
“No. Que pasó?” she asked more emphatically, switching to Spanish.
Fear flashed across Maria’s face and Eduardo made a move to pick her up to her feet. “Let’s get you into a chair.”
Many of the guests returned to their conversations now that someone was helping Maria and they were off the hook of feeling any obligation to come to her rescue.
As Eduardo slowly led Maria to a chair, Sydney turned toward the back of the house and confidently walked like she was on a mission. She skipped going through the kitchen because she knew her time was limited, but she had to get back upstairs to Marcus’ office. She took the back stairs two at a time and nearly ran down the long hallway.
She checked for anyone upstairs, but seeing no one, opened the same door she’d gone in before. Again, she didn’t turn the lights on, but took her cell phone out of her apron pocket and turned on its flashlight.
The office looked just like it had before, save for one major difference. The red lingerie was no longer threatening to fall off the filing cabinet. It was already on the floor.
Sydney grabbed a pen off the desk, knowing she’d have to take it so she wouldn’t leave her fingerprints anywhere in the room. She was already worried about them on the doorknob. She’d have to remember to take the time to wipe them off on her way out.
Using the pen, she lifted the lingerie off the floor to examine it. She had no idea whose it could be, but the fact that it had moved since the first time she was in here led her to believe that Maria was closer to the killer than she should be.
Sydney rolled the desk chair to the front of the filing cabinet, hoping to see anything else that might be hidden on top.
“I think Marcus must have taken her somewhere nice yesterday to keep her mind off of her pain,” he continued.
Sydney had nearly forgotten that she was still talking to Ryan. “I didn’t think anything of your visit,” she tried to lie, but knew it was futile.
“Well, I just wanted you to know the true nature of my visit. I better get back to Stacey.”
Back in the kitchen, Sydney told Grace about her conversation with Ryan.
“So if he and Julia weren’t having an affair, but Marcus and Stacey are, that gives even more motive for either of them to get rid of her,” Grace said, slicing another loaf of bread.
“But why not get a divorce?”
“Maybe he just doesn’t believe in divorce. Some people don’t.”
“But murder? How is that better?” Sydney asked.
“You’re asking the wrong person. Here, take this bread out there.” Grace handed her the finished loaf and Sydney walked back into the main room just in time to see Maria coming back down the stairs.
Just as Sydney placed the bread on the empty tray she was sent to refill, Maria screamed and fell down the last few steps, sending Cocoa and Mocha scattering in opposite directions as she tumbled toward them. They’d chosen Maria as their new person to tail. Everyone stopped their conversations immediately and turned to see what the commotion had been. Sydney took this chance to get closer to Maria, under cover of looking like she was going to help her.
But she wasn’t the first person to reach her. A man Sydney hadn’t noticed before made it to Maria’s side and helped her to a sitting position at the bottom of the stairs. She had only fallen a few steps, but she looked like she was completely out of it.
“Maria, Maria,” the man started saying. He gently tapped her face to try to get her attention. “Can you hear me?”
She slowly opened her eyes and took control of her own movements again. Recognition flashed across her face as she said, “Eduardo? What happened?”
“You fell down the stairs. Are you okay?” he asked.
“No. Que pasó?” she asked more emphatically, switching to Spanish.
Fear flashed across Maria’s face and Eduardo made a move to pick her up to her feet. “Let’s get you into a chair.”
Many of the guests returned to their conversations now that someone was helping Maria and they were off the hook of feeling any obligation to come to her rescue.
As Eduardo slowly led Maria to a chair, Sydney turned toward the back of the house and confidently walked like she was on a mission. She skipped going through the kitchen because she knew her time was limited, but she had to get back upstairs to Marcus’ office. She took the back stairs two at a time and nearly ran down the long hallway.
She checked for anyone upstairs, but seeing no one, opened the same door she’d gone in before. Again, she didn’t turn the lights on, but took her cell phone out of her apron pocket and turned on its flashlight.
The office looked just like it had before, save for one major difference. The red lingerie was no longer threatening to fall off the filing cabinet. It was already on the floor.
Sydney grabbed a pen off the desk, knowing she’d have to take it so she wouldn’t leave her fingerprints anywhere in the room. She was already worried about them on the doorknob. She’d have to remember to take the time to wipe them off on her way out.
Using the pen, she lifted the lingerie off the floor to examine it. She had no idea whose it could be, but the fact that it had moved since the first time she was in here led her to believe that Maria was closer to the killer than she should be.
Sydney rolled the desk chair to the front of the filing cabinet, hoping to see anything else that might be hidden on top.
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