"Brent Redmond," he introduces himself from the across the island.
"Cora MacAuliffe," I reply, my voice just above a whisper.
"I hope my mother didn't embarrass you, but please be more careful in the future. I like everything to be neat and in its proper place," he continues in his deep, gravelly voice.
I turn scarlet. Here I was feeling grateful for him for distracting everyone from my misstep, and he'd just been waiting to admonish me in private.
"Of course, Brent—" I catch myself just after his first name slips through my lips. Fuck. I don't have to look up to tell that he's frowning at me.
"You should refer to me as Mr. Redmond," he says quietly, and I bristle at the slight arrogance that works its way into his voice, even though I know I'm at fault.
"Of course, Mr. Redmond," I reply, biting my lip. “I’m sorry sir.” I can't think of a worse way to start off a first meeting with a new boss. His proximity is just so…unnerving. "Do you need anything?"
He pauses for so long that I finally raise my eyes. He's staring at me with an unreadable expression in his pale blue eyes, his thick brows drawn slightly together.
"No," he finally replies. "Goodnight," he adds, turning to leave.
"Goodnight," I breathe, so quietly that he probably doesn't even hear me. I curse myself inwardly. Get it together, Cora, or your first day is going to be your last.
Chapter Four
I lean forward onto the granite-topped island and give myself a minute to shake off our humiliating interaction. I steady myself and take another look around the kitchen, and then stop into the parlor, living room, and dining room to make sure they're all clean, then finally make my way up the back staircase to my room. Just as a guest predicted earlier, I see the first drops of rain hit the glass of my window.
I take off my shoes stiffly, feeling the wear of the day in my bones. That was a doozy. I hope not every day here is that exhausting. I should definitely remember to ask Ms. Mueller how many parties Mr. Redmond actually throws. I grab my toiletry bag and head to the bathroom. Ms. Mueller said I'm the only one who uses it, so I unpack my toiletries, feeling slightly more at home with my things in the medicine cabinet. As I brush my teeth, I think over my short interaction with Mr. Redmond.
He can't be much older than thirty, so his financial success is nothing short of astounding. During the party, from what I observed, he seemed lively, even boisterous, but in the kitchen, he seemed much more tightly wound, and, frankly, full of himself. I can't excuse the fact that I did almost trip and I certainly called him by his first name, but it was his aloofness when taking me to task that bothered me. My mind starts wandering to those broad shoulders, and I shake my head at myself. Even if he didn't seem so arrogant, he's still my boss.
Back in my bedroom, I undress slowly and dig my nightgown out of my suitcase. I wish I'd had a chance to unpack today. Well, I just have tomorrow to get through, and then Sunday is my day off. As I close my eyes, I hope that my long day will help me get to sleep, but my usual insomnia takes hold. I grab my phone from its charger and find myself typing in "Jody Hall disappearance." A few small stories from the Herald pop up, but it doesn't seem to have garnered much attention. I open the first article and my stomach clenches as Jody's photo pops up.
The caption below it identifies her as twenty-nine years old, but she could pass for a decade younger, especially because of the naïve expression in her eyes. That's what's made my hair stand on end—those green eyes, so similar to Grace's, and my own. Her expression is slightly startled, her lips parted, as though she didn't know the photograph was being taken. She's far plainer than my little sister, that's true; it's the innocence of her countenance and her eyes that made me think of Grace. I scroll farther down the page and start reading:
Jody Hall, 29, has disappeared from the town of Norwich. She was last seen by her boyfriend, Andres Moreno, when they met for coffee at Alicia's Diner on the corner of Ludlow and Sixth Streets on the afternoon of Sunday, February 18th.
Police have no leads at this time, though Detective Felix Donohue of the Norwich Police Department stated, "Norwich has one of the lowest crime rates in the state, not to mention the country, and we intend to keep it that way. We have not uncovered any signs of foul play, and we still hold out hope that we will find Ms. Hall unharmed."
At the time of her disappearance, Ms. Hall was in the employ of Brent Redmond, CEO of Redmond Capital Properties, as a domestic servant at his Norwich estate. When contacted for comment, Mr. Redmond replied through his attorney Mark Scanlon, saying, "Jody is a fine employee, and everyone at Redmond Capital Properties hopes for her safe return." Pressed for further comment, Mr. Scanlon would only say that there seems to be no evidence of a connection between Ms. Hall's employment and her disappearance.