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'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 deterown

Rachel called after her 'Lunch will be in about an hour Chloe I'll call you when it's ready'

Thoughts far away fro Chloe nodded absenth the silent house towards the kitchen noting how strangely quiet the house was No cleaner vacuu around so that Darlene was so addicted to talkback radio Maybe she was still out grocery shopping, Rachel thought but no, there were the environ on the bench Stranger still was the condensation on theice crea there for a while Rachel's growing apprehension brought out goose bumps as she searched the patio, laundry and fa the housekeepers name

'Chloe is Darlene up there with you?' From the botto

'Nup'

'Can you look in all the bedrooms for me possum?'

'Sure thing' Rachel then heard little feet sca 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 fore which jutted out fro 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 airDarlene's naht and crumple to the floor

When she came to Zoe was confronted by Wayne's face held e 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