'Hello we're home!' chorused Rachel and Chloe.
'Wait until you see what I've got for you Isabelle.' added the child as she skipped towards the stairs determined to show her favourite Barbie doll her new gown.
Rachel called after her. 'Lunch will be in about an hour Chloe. I'll call you when it's ready.'
Thoughts far away from lunch the rapidly disappearing Chloe nodded absentmindedly that she had heard.
Rachel made her way through the silent house towards the kitchen noting how strangely quiet the house was. No cleaner vacuuming, gardener mowing or Darlene pottering around somewhere. There wasn't even a radio on, strange considering that Darlene was so addicted to talkback radio. Maybe she was still out grocery shopping, Rachel thought but no, there were the environmentally friendly green shopping bags sitting on the bench. Stranger still was the condensation on the milk bottles and the leaking ice cream container. They had been sitting there for a while. Rachel's growing apprehension brought out goose bumps as she searched the patio, laundry and family room all the while calling the housekeepers name.
'Chloe is Darlene up there with you?' From the bottom of the stairs Rachel looked up to the second floor landing.
'Nup'
'Can you look in all the bedrooms for me possum?'
'Sure thing.' Rachel then heard little feet scampering between rooms with a repeated 'Not here.' Chloe then came to the top of the stairs.
'Can I look at Sarah's?'
'Don't be silly, Darlene wouldn't be next-'A ghostly chill raced up Rachel's spine and a sense of foreboding led her to change what she was going to say to '-that would be a good idea. How about if you ask Mrs. Jacobs if you can stay there for the afternoon?' Rachel thought that if Darlene was lying injured somewhere it would be too traumatic for Chloe to see her.
'Can I take Isabelle and her new clothes?'
'Of course you can. Now off you scoot.'
Seeing Chloe to the door safely Rachel realised she hadn't checked the formal lounge which jutted out from the side of the house with windows facing the front and a private deck out the back.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she approached the door way. Inexplicably her feet felt heavier the closer she got, the air menacingly thicker. Slowly entering while calling Darlene's name, Rachel pushed the door open wide only to look her nightmare in the eye, remember everything and crumple to the floor.
When she came to Zoe was confronted by Wayne's face held mere inches away from hers. She was lying on the lounge her head on a cushion. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the distraught housekeeper bound and gagged with duct tape sitting on the other lounge.