Chapter 5 - Two Maids
That was why Anna’s reaction to Ethan’s accusation had been devastation rather than surprise.
She expected him to remember her.
But she knew he might remember another woman too.
During charity reception, six temporary housemaids were hired through staffing agency.
Uniforms identical.
Black dress.
White apron.
White cap.
But only permanent Cole staff wore hand-sewn Eleanor ribbons.
Someone stole a uniform from laundry room that evening.
Security footage showed woman entering.
Face hidden.
Height approximately Anna’s.
She emerged dressed as maid.
Then cameras failed.
Who was she?
Investigators found discarded gray coat inside service closet the next morning.
Same type Anna remembered on Rachel’s impersonator.
So one woman may have played two roles.
Rachel to gain Ethan’s trust.
Anna to frame Anna afterward.
Sophisticated.
Planned.
Then why did real Anna participate at all?
At 9:42 p.m., she received coded call telling her Ethan faced danger and needed relocation.
She went to nursery.
Ethan already gone.
She followed White Ribbon protocol to backup point near garden gate.
There she found Ethan crying beside woman dressed as maid.
Anna believed woman was another authorized protector.
The woman handed Ethan over.
Then vanished.
Anna drove Ethan away.
That was the part Ethan remembered.
So technically, yes—Anna “took” him from estate.
But she believed she was rescuing him.
Who told her to take him to caretaker cottage?
A male voice over phone.
The same voice Ethan may have heard behind door.
“Take him before midnight.”
Could be David.
Could be Marcus.
Could be someone using recording.
Then David admitted something.
His voice had been recorded extensively for home-security system.
Voice authorization commands.
Someone with access could reproduce phrases.
Marcus had access.
Suspicion shifted.
Marcus was subpoenaed.
He denied ordering extraction.
But security logs showed his terminal generated White Ribbon authorization.
There.
Then Marcus produced his defense.
“At 9:17 that night, David personally told me to activate emergency protocol.”
Everyone looked at David.
David stood.
“That’s a lie.”
Marcus had evidence.
An audio file.
David’s voice:
“Activate White Ribbon. Get Ethan out.”
Ethan began trembling.
That was voice.
His father’s voice.
Anna whispered:
“This is what I heard.”
David listened.
Then said:
“That recording is real.”
Silence.
He looked at Ethan.
“I said those words.”
Ethan’s eyes filled.
“Why?”
May you like
David swallowed.
“Because somebody told me your mother’s killer was coming for you.”
