“Take the girls to the breakfast room,” I said.
Lily shook her head so fast her ponytail slapped her cheek.
“No. She lies when we leave.”
“I’ll only be gone for a few days,” he told them with a calm smile. “Be good.” – mynraa
That landed harder than the recording.
I looked at Cal. “Lock the front and side doors. No one comes in, and she doesn’t leave until we’re done.”
Vanessa gave a short laugh. “You’re joking.”
Cal didn’t answer. He just lifted his radio and started issuing orders.
Vanessa’s face changed again. The polished version of her dropped away, and the colder one came back.
“I was disciplining them,” she said. “That’s called structure. You let these girls do whatever they want, and your staff encourages it.”
June pressed her face into Mara’s apron. Lily kept staring at me, waiting to see which story I would choose.
I asked the only question that mattered.
“How long?”
Vanessa opened her mouth first, but Mara answered.
