Chapter 1: The Door He Shouldn't Have Reopened
“Finally, we've got some time alone.””
The plumber whispered those words as soon as Danielle Brooks heard the front door click shut.
She waited three seconds, then turned toward him with a smile that was nothing like the sweet expression she'd worn while kissing her husband goodbye.
“Are you sure he's gone?”” the plumber asked.
Danielle glanced at the kitchen clock.
“Marcus never comes home before seven. We have at least eight hours.””
The plumber pulled off his work gloves and placed them beside his toolbox.
“Eight hours?”” he repeated, grinning.
“That's generous.””
Danielle laughed quietly.
But neither of them noticed the shadow moving past the frosted glass beside the front door.
Outside, Marcus Brooks was standing beside his car, patting his jacket pockets.
His keys were there.
His wallet was there.
His office badge was there.
His phone wasn't.
“Damn it!””
He looked back at the house.
“I left my phone.””
Marcus hurried up the front steps, unlocked the door, and walked inside.
“Danielle? I'm back!””
No answer.
He closed the door gently.
The house smelled faintly of her vanilla perfume and the coffee she'd made that morning. Everything looked normal.
Then he noticed something.
A red toolbox sat on the kitchen counter. A pair of dirty work gloves lay beside it.
The plumber's equipment.
Marcus frowned.
“Hello? Is somebody here?””
Silence.
He walked into the kitchen and noticed that the exhaust hood was still hanging open. A screwdriver rested on the countertop, and a small metal panel leaned against the backsplash.
But the plumber was gone.
Marcus looked toward the hallway.
The bedroom door was closed.
He knew Danielle usually left it open whenever someone was working inside the house.
“Danielle?””
He approached the door.
“Why is the bedroom door closed?””
Inside, Danielle froze.
The plumber, whose name was Ethan, had been standing near the wardrobe. He immediately raised one finger to his lips.
Danielle's eyes widened.
“Don't move,” she whispered.
Ethan's mischievous smile vanished.
Outside, Marcus tried the handle.
Locked.
He knocked twice.
“Baby? Are you in there?””
Danielle looked at Ethan, then at the door.
“Just a second!”” she called.
She hurried toward the mirror, straightened her blouse, and brushed her fingers through her hair.
Ethan quietly slipped behind the bedroom's large walk-in closet door.
Danielle unlocked the bedroom.
Marcus stood in the doorway, holding his car keys.
“Hey,” he said, studying her face.
“I thought you were downstairs.””
“I was changing.””
“Changing?””
“Yeah. I spilled coffee on my shirt.””
Marcus glanced at her blouse.
It was perfectly clean.
He didn't comment.
Instead, he looked past her into the room.
“Where's the plumber?””
Danielle shrugged.
“He finished.””
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“Finished? He was supposed to repair the exhaust hood.””
“He said he needed a part. He went to get it.””
“Then why is his toolbox still in the kitchen?””
Danielle's smile tightened.
“Marcus, I don't know. Maybe he forgot it.””
Marcus looked at her for several seconds.
Then he smiled.
“Okay.””
He stepped inside and kissed her forehead.
Danielle forced herself not to flinch.
“Did you find your phone?”” she asked.
“No. That's why I came back.””
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.
Danielle stared at it.
“Wait. You found it?””
Marcus nodded.
“In the car. It had slipped between the seats.””
“Then why did you come inside?””
“Because I wanted to see my beautiful wife.””
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.
For one uncomfortable second, Danielle couldn't breathe.
“That's sweet,” she managed.
Marcus kissed her cheek.
Then he walked toward the closet.
Danielle's heart slammed against her ribs.
“Marcus?””
“Yeah?””
“Where are you going?””
“To get my watch.””
He opened the closet door.
Ethan stood behind it, holding his breath.
Marcus reached for his watch on the shelf.
His eyes moved briefly toward the second row of hanging clothes.
A man's work boot was visible beneath a long winter coat.
Marcus stared.
Danielle stepped forward.
“Baby, I thought you were already late.””
Marcus slowly turned around.
“I'm not in that much of a hurry.””
He took his watch and slipped it onto his wrist.
Then he looked at her.
“Did you know something?””
Danielle swallowed.
“What?””
“Your bedroom smells like somebody else's cologne.””
Her face went pale.
Marcus leaned closer.
“Strange, isn't it?””
He walked out without another word.
Danielle listened to his footsteps crossing the hallway.
Then the front door opened.
Closed.
A car engine started.
She rushed to the window.
Marcus's car pulled away.
Only when it disappeared around the corner did Ethan emerge from the closet.
“Your husband almost saw me,” he whispered.
Danielle slapped his arm.
“Why didn't you hide properly?””
Ethan frowned.
“Excuse me? I'm not the one who invited him back into the house.””
Danielle grabbed his shirt.
“Keep your voice down!””
Ethan looked at her with an expression that suddenly became serious.
“Danielle, we need to talk about something.””
“What?””
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black envelope.
“I found this behind your kitchen exhaust hood.””
Danielle stared at it.
“What is that?””
Ethan opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Danielle's smile disappeared.
It showed her standing outside a hotel three weeks earlier, kissing a man.
But the man wasn't Ethan.
It was Marcus's older brother.
Daniel.
And written across the back of the photograph were six words:
*SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HER HUSBAND KNOWS.*
Ethan looked at her.
“Danielle, I think someone has been watching you.””
Before she could respond, her phone vibrated.
A message from Marcus appeared.
Baby, I forgot something else.
Then another message arrived.
Check the kitchen exhaust hood.
May you like
Danielle slowly looked toward the kitchen.
And for the first time that morning, she realized that perhaps the plumber hadn't been the only person hiding something.
