Quiet Servitude Pt. 06a1

We turned back down the streets and I was happy that we were able to ride in silence without tipping off Hal that anything was wrong. I assumed that we would be home free literally until we turned down the street and Hal pulled into the drive, parking behind was clearly an unmarked police car. He seemed oblivious to this fact, popped the rear hatch and walked towards the garage. Clearly I would be taking the groceries inside. I walked around to the rear of the vehicle and was tempted to snatch the paper from the bag but the front door opened and Debbie stepped out with two serious looking men in two. I watched them through the tinted windows as they climbed back in their vehicle and pulled away. Debbie waved and smiled until they were out of side and then turned, starting right at me even though she couldn't see me through the darkened glass. Once the car was away she turned and walked towards me.

I snatched up several bags and pretended that I didn't know she was approaching. Faking the unexpected encounter I tried to look started and smiled, unable to think of a single thing to say. Debbie, however, wasn't at a loss for words.

"Hello Stacy. Everything go alright at the market?"

I stuttered, confused that she didn't let on that anything out of the ordinary was happening despite clearly being questioned about me. Finally snapping out of it I replied.

"No ma'am. Nothing wrong. Everything went fine."

She nodded and stepped passed me.

"Let me give you a hand." She said, taking up the rest of the sacks, the one in her left hand holding the paper I wanted desperately to read.

"Thank you ma'am." I said, following her into the house where we navigated the path to the kitchen. She set down the bags on the counter and I did my best to nonchalantly load mine in front of hers. I only hoped she wasn't so cooperative to suddenly decide to help unpack them or the paper, which hadn't been on the shopping list, would tip her off that I knew something extraordinary was happening and that I must suspect her. This might have started out as a game, but it had suddenly taken a very serious turn. Hopefully Christa and I could straighten it all out. I needed to get home.

I started to unload the items from the bags nearest me, hoping Debbie would lose interest and go back to her own work, leaving me free to liberate the newspaper and at least get it someplace safe where I could finish the story.

"Don't bother with that Stacy. Albert," who had just re-entered the kitchen, "will take of all that. I need you to finish up on the beds."

The sheets were still piled in my room.

"Yes ma'am." I said, walking upstairs, not knowing if Mrs. Hennessey had gone about her business or was standing in the kitchen examining the results of her handy work. Fortunately, the kitchen was on the way to the basement laundry so I raced upstairs in record time to retrieve the bed sheets and to back track downstairs where I hoped to retrieve the paper. I tried to act casual as I stepped onto the tile but I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest and my eyes darting around the room, trying desperately to see who was around. Only the cook was in the kitchen but all of the bags had been unloaded and the ware setting out on the counter. He was busy with other chores so whether he unloaded the items or Debbie had I didn't know. She wasn't around and with the cooks back turned I wiggled myself up close to the counter, laundry in hand, and grabbed the paper with my fingertip. I tucked tightly up under the bed sheets and tried to hold it there just as Tommie turned from the sink.

"Need something Stacy?" he asked, the permanent scowl on his face.

I simply shook my head. "Nothing thanks. Anything to go in the laundry?" I motioned with the laundry and he looked around for a moment before tossing a handful of kitchen towels on my pile and returned to his work. I took it as a sign to run and in moments I was down in the basement, washer running and my body tucked behind the furnace with paper in hand. I had been Stacy for seemingly forever now and the picture of me in a business suit looked almost alien to me. But I shook it off and turned to the story, keeping a wary eye on the stairs, the only access to the basement, while I wildly scanned the pages. The story read like pure fiction, a wild tale of company greed. It seems that I alone had cooked the books and had made off with some cash. Not a terribly huge amount, but just enough to qualify for ten to fifteen up the river. Just great. I was so screwed and the window of opportunity to gain my freedom was growing smaller with each passing hour. There were a few friends I could count on even with the police looking for me so we had room to move if I could just get a hold of Christa. That meant getting home.

"Is there something I can do for you Mrs. Hennessey?" Tommie asked her as she stepped back into the kitchen.

"No thanks Tommie. Just wondering if Stacy picked up everything you needed."

He scanned the counter, unsure exactly what it was she needed.

"Yes ma'am. Looks like everything that was on the list."

Debbie was starting down at the counter, a devilish grin on her face.

"Excellent. Glad to hear she's working out." She said, handing him the receipt from the morning shopping trip and returning to the living room.

I wanted to scream from the very bottom of my lungs but managed to stifle the nearly overwhelming urge. The remainder of the afternoon would be a nightmare. Trying desperately to maintain a sense of normality in the house, while completing my required chores was going to take all of self control. I only hoped that by burying myself in the assigned duties that I would be able to push away thoughts of my escape and make the afternoon go that much faster. The dryer buzzed and my thoughts were back to the task at hand as I was powerless to do anything right now. I folded up the paper and wedged it in the rafters, hoping it would go undiscovered, and began folding the load of laundry that had tumbled to a stop.

Chapter 12– Thursday, June 12^th – 7:00 p.m.

Dinner was scheduled late to correspond to Mr. Hennessey's schedule. Of all nights, it had to be tonight. As if that hadn't been bad enough, it seemed to me that Debbie could not have eaten slower. If I didn't know better I would say that she was intentionally dragging out the meal. The last couple of meals shared together passed without barely a word between them. Tonight, however, Debbie droned on about everything and anything, hardly taking a bite when she came up for air.

I moved between the dining room and the kitchen, fulfilling each request and trying to usher on the meal but volunteering to clear away as many dishes as I could get away with. I had been hopping from chore to chore all day and my heels were killing me. I was convinced that it would be after dark before I could make my escape, so maybe it was better this way. The meal had to be coming to an end and Mr. Hennessey, who could never sit still for more than five minutes was getting antsy to return to his office to escape, I can only imagine, his wife who began to get on my nerves as the hours of servitude passed.

Unexpectedly, Debbie abandoned the remainder of her dessert and promptly rose to her feet.

"That will be all for tonight Stacy. Clean up the dishes and call it a night."

She turned and strolled after her husband.

"Yes ma'am." I replied, trying not to sound overly excited.

The dishes made the trip back to the kitchen in record time and were deftly passed off to Tommie who didn't look overly enthused to receive them. With my chores done for the night I hurried my way back to my room and quickly slid out my uniform, putting on my jeans, a thin sweater and my tennis shoes for the long walk home. I had managed to make it this long but couldn't wait any longer. The Hennessey's were night owls and I knew that trying to sneak out and back in through the security was impossible so I went the other route and announced that I was going for a walk.

As luck would have it, I had run into Glenn and he barely acknowledged my departure with a slight wave as he continued to scan the fax he held in his hand. I was moving quickly out the front door when a voice caught up with me.

"Going out Stacy?" Debbie asked, stepping up the front steps as I was ready to pull the door closed.

"Ah, yes ma'am. I thought I would get some fresh air."

I swallowed hard, wanting to run for my life but I knew I had to remain calm. I kept my eyes on her although I desperately wanted to push them up passed her as though I would be able to see my home from the front porch.

"Do you need to go somewhere? I could have Hal drive you."

I shook my head. "Just going for a walk ma'am."

Debbie and I changed places, her frame sliding into the house as I stepped onto the porch.

"Don't be gone too long" she said. "Or I'll have to send out Hal to find you."

She tried to laugh as I walked away, but it sounded more like a cackle. I couldn't let her know that I was trying to make my way back to my own home so as I hit the bottom of the driveway I turned right, away from the closest path that would have gotten me to my destination. I had a handful of cash on me but the odds of having a taxi swing down the street seemed long so I made the most of it and picked up speed once I felt the weight of her stare off of my back.

I couldn't contain myself any longer and had broken from a jog to a near sprint, as the yards went by. I could feel the strain of sweat breaking through the makeup I was wearing and the stubble starting to come out as I crossed several yards and returned to my own street, trying to slow to a walk to keep from arousing any suspicion. I had worked my way closer, and had come up on a side street. From that spot, I could see from the back of the house that the lights were off and the entire house was still dark. The light of the day was failing and I decided to approach through the backyard and slip into the house unseen. The neighbors weren't out and I didn't see any inquiring faces looking out so I slipped up to the back door and tried the handle. My anal attentive nature knew it would be locked but I tried it just the same. I didn't have a key to the doorwall. Taking one last look around I made my way around the house and came to a heart stopping halt in my tracks, frozen just as I stepped onto the driveway. My brain failed to comprehend what my eyes seemed to be telling me!

Chapter 13– Thursday, June 12^th – 7:38 p.m.

I couldn't believe it! If it wasn't so quiet there standing on my driveway I probably wouldn't have noticed the heavy breathing. Maybe the heaving of my breasts would have given away the first signs of a panic attack quickly coming on but my eyes were locked on the bright yellow sign in front of me. 'SOLD' was blazoned across the tiny placard setting straight in a groove along the top of the wooden support announcing to the world that the house in which I called home had changed hands. It couldn't have happened officially of course but with all the things going on it looked like my goose had been cooked. It was clear that Christa had sold me out and had no intention of returning.

My head was spinning at the ramifications and I felt dizzy so I considered dropping to ground right there but staggered towards the front porch where I sat down to catch my breath. Another set of boxes waited me on the porch, three small boxes to be exact. There was no way they held all of my belongings. A note, similar to the last, was taped to the side but I couldn't open it. Instead, I hoped for the best and stood, fishing my keys from my front pocket.

But it was no use. The locks had been changed. I stepped to the side and took a peek through the narrow gap in the closed front curtains. My heart sank as it could clearly see nothing that should have been clearly visible. The beige carpet and neutral walls were the only thing in view. The couch and Terry Redlin paintings were gone. I presumed everything else was long gone as well.

I was too tired to cry, but the start of tears were beginning to form. It wasn't something I needed to do but I needed to read the note for answers. It was getting late so I'd have to abandon the boxes, which could only hold the last of my feminine attire, and get back before Debbie got suspicious. Time was running short as the last of the daylight was fading. The front lights flipped on, casting the driveway in a ghostly glow. At least the porch upon which I had previously owned only a few days ago was cast in shadow. I snatched the note from the box and used the last of my strength to pull it open. This time, it was written on a fax, in familiar handwriting of Christa's. Which meant that I was on the run from society as I knew it and would be faced to either turn myself in or live in a den of traitors, hell-bent on keeping me under control and under their thumb.

I had caught a couple of words on the sheets my didn't comprehend anything. Instead, I crumpled up the fax in my hands adorned with painted nails and stuffed it in the nearest box just as an SUV approached down the street and pulled into the driveway. When the headlights shut off I could make out the forms of two individuals in the car. The driver's door opened and Hal stepped out. From the dome light, I could tell that Debbie was seated in the passenger seat, her face hidden in shadow.

The rear hatch on the truck popped open as Hal stepped up.

"Let me get those for you Stacy." He said, the true sound of regret in his voice. Maybe he had been through the same ordeal.

"Thank you Hal." I muttered. I rose to my feel and followed him to the car where I silently climbed into the backseat where we rode 'home' without another word. It didn't seem real to me as we got out and I walked to my room to get cleaned up. Hal deposited the boxes and withdrew.

I climbed from the shower and huddled on the bed, wrapped in a robe. The house had grown quiet and it was clear that my day at least had come to and end. There would be no more answers.

Chapter 14– Friday, June 13^th – 8:04 a.m.

The sense of dread hit me first when I awoke the next morning. I could tell from the burning that I must have cried at some point during the night but didn't remember it. The other sensation I was experiencing was a headache, the likes of which I had never felt. Instead of a sharp pain, it was a dull thud as though my brain had been bouncing around inside my skull. The bed in which I lay felt like my only refuge now but it was morning and time to get ready once again for another day. Shower, shave, makeup, wig adjustment and clothes. The routine that had once elicited a quickening of the pulse was now a chore that I had come to dread. As my mind wandered, trying to find an angle out of the mess in which I now resided, it came up empty. My hands were on autopilot now so before I knew it, I was dressed and ready to go again with my chores. At the appointed time of 9 o'clock I made my way downstairs to begin the day.

Instead of the normal, hurried state of the household, it was relatively quiet. Hal and Tommie were nowhere to be found and Mr. Hennessey apparently had had an early morning appointment. Debbie was sitting at the dining room table when I walked in.

"Good morning ma'am." I said, taking up my dutiful place near her side.

"Have a seat Stacy. I have something for you."

I did as I was commanded and took the seat immediately to her right. I had no idea what she had in mind but there were several bulky envelopes next to her. It had gotten to the point where my subconscious mind couldn't find any hope now in anything an envelope might contain. Without another word, she slid the first item my way and I opened it with trembling hands, placing the contents out in front of me.

It was a collection of various documents from credit card receipts to bank statement to phone records and emails. It was clear that the various bank accounts, from far flung establishments all over the globe in my name were the tool used to illegally gather and wash the funds I had supposedly stolen. The emails and phone records, associated from my office phone after hours were another damning bit of evidence. It was clear that Debbie had planned everything out carefully since she could easily have constructed it all from her own desk just outside my office. When I was done I gathered up the slips of paper, returned them to their envelope and set it aside, eyeing Debbie without a hint of emotion. She was smiling when the next item was slid in front of me.

I opened it and slid out the contents. The first item I picked up and flipped over was a drivers license with the name Stacy Johnson on it. My heart sank as I stared at the official document and the permanency it represented. The picture looked enough like me to pass too and it didn't dawn on me for a few moments that the face staring back from me was that of the makeup artist I had first met only a week earlier.

"It wasn't cheap, my it was worth it. She took the cash, dropped out of her classes and went home. If it's any consolation, she had regrets after she left the secretary of state."

I nodded as I examined the other items, a fabricated birth certificate, social security card and two credit cards rounded out the inventory.

"You're quite thorough." I said, gathering up what little I could cling to in the way of an identity.

"Don't be so hard on us. You have an excellent credit rating and several thousand dollars of credit on those card." She said, chuckling.

The largest envelope came last and was holding a video tape devoid of any markings.

"That's a little memento you can watch tonight but I thought I'd give it to you now to pique your interest!"

This delicious game was far too entertaining to this bitch, I thought to myself as I sat there, my head still throbbing.

"Thank you." I managed to meekly respond.

"Don't mention it. Now then. You look like you're sitting there with the entire weight of the world on your shoulders but that doesn't do me any good. I need a housekeeper who is totally committed to her duties here and to find her inside you, I will need to drive out the last vestiges of your old self. My previous housekeeper didn't go on vacation, she has changed employers. You, my dear, will be her replacement for the foreseeable future. And before you get any ideas about Christa coming to your rescue, I will tell you that everything that is happening to you was thought up by her. She came to me with a plan that I found quite delicious, and after hearing it all I signed on happily since I would be in the market for a new housekeeper and found the challenge in transforming you into an obedient, prissy little woman simply irresistible. You must admit though that the idea isn't totally unacceptable to you. In a way, maybe you'll eventually thank us for helping you become the woman you really wished you had the courage to become on your own."

I pondered the idea for a moment but knew that even though it was true, she wasn't going to get any thanks from me.

"Granted, I didn't really want to resort to blackmail, but Christa thought might be the only way to get us over the hump and set us all on a new journey. If you play along and be a good little girl and do as I say, everything will be alright. If not, that pretty little ass of yours will make someone a nice little bitch in prison. If you sweated during your time in the mall security office just wait until you find yourself in a real facility with some prospective boyfriends."

She paused for a moment to catch her breath and relish the moment.

"Now it's clear that you will require some additional obedience training and some other skills to help you through life and those will begin later today. For now, I need to know that we're on the same page and that you are ready to take up your role as the subservient maid in this household." She took the glass of clear liquid, which had been sitting in front of her since I sat down and slid it across the table in front of me.