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“Oh!” Lenna cries, jumping backward.
Gia sits at a tiny desk. A banker’s lamp illuminates the space. A laptop screen plays against her features, making distinct shadows under her eyes and around her mouth.
“Welcome to my dungeon,” Gia says. “It’s where they keep the dragon all day.”
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“I’m the place’s bookkeeper. Money, money, money. There’s never enough.”
Gia is impeccably dressed. Her hair smooth and sharp, her skin flawless, her silk shirt tucked into crisp black trousers. Everything she wears looks expensive—but also impractical for doing any heavy labor or even venturing into the heat.
She glances toward the kitchen. “I heard Marjorie giving you her magic speech. It’s bonkers, right?”
“Well…” Lenna shifts to one hip.
“Her children totally resented her for bringing them here. Their behavior become worse and worse, and then one of them drugged her and escaped.”
“Drugged her? With what?”
Gia’s smile is crocodilian. “We’ve grown valerian root in the greenhouse since who knows when. People still use it in tea. Guess Marjorie’s boy gave her a little too much. Knocked her out—and he ran into the desert alone. I heard it was a shit show. Nearly got eaten by something out there. She sent him away to live with his father. And the other son—he’s got problems, too.”
Lenna turns back toward the door, a streak of worry coursingthrough her for way too many reasons.Tea.Someone—Melissa?—had madehertea. First when she arrived, and then Rhiannon gave her more before bed.
“You still grow valerian root, you said?” she asks.
“Well, not me. But some people think it’s great for sleep. I use stronger stuff. Pick it up at the nearest pharmacy every month. Marjorie hates it, but she’s always asking for some. For someone who claims this place is serene, she certainly likes to be medicated.” Gia looks at her steadily, one corner of her mouth curved.
“But Marjorie’s okay now, right?” Lenna asks. “I just left my baby with her.”
“Oh sure. She takes care of all the babies here and there, as long as she doesn’t have to get up with them at night. But it’s certainly whyI’mnot having any children at this place. Kids need more than six other people their own age around. By the way.” She reaches for something under her desk. “These belong to you?”
To Lenna’s horror, Gia is holding a package of diapers. Size 2 diapers, Mickey Mouse print.
“Where did you find these?” It comes out of her mouth before Lenna can think straight.
“I just found them.” Gia scoffs. “Figured they were yours. No one else uses disposable around here.”
“Where did you find them?” Lenna whispers.
Gia looks guilty. “I don’t want to make trouble.” But then she drops her hands to the table in a giving-up sort of way. “Okay, fine. Rhiannon had them.”
For a moment, Lenna doesn’t speak. “She…did?”
“They were in this laundry tote she carries around. I went into the laundry room because something of mine was in the wash that I needed to hand-clean, and that’s when I saw them in there.”
“This was…today?” Lenna’s mind spins. “But why?”
“Maybe because they aren’t allowed. Maybe she didn’t wantyou to get in trouble.” Gia shrugs. “Maybe she was trying to be a good friend.”
A shiver dances down Lenna’s spine. Something about Gia’s tone makes her think Gia means the opposite. Not a good friend at all.
Gia flicks an imaginary piece of lint off her pants, then ceremoniously hands Lenna back the package of diapers. They feel so much heavier than Lenna remembers. “Totally don’t blame you for bringing these, by the way,” she says. “Those cloth things seem like a pain in the fucking ass.”
Lenna can’t walk dogs. Not yet. So she goes to her room. Let Ann wait. Or let Ann go without her.
She sits on the edge of her bed, restless. Is it possible Gia accused Rhiannon of something she didn’t do? Gia could have taken those diapers and is just trying to make trouble. Maybe there’s some sort of bad blood between Gia and Rhiannon. After all, Rhiannon told her to leave Gia alone.
But what if Gia is telling the truth? What she said about the tea…and valerian root…rattles Lenna, too. She’d slept like a rock last night. Jacob was positively soporific today, which isn’t like him at all. Did Rhiannon drug her—and Jacob? Only…why? To make Jacob stop crying? To make Lenna too woozy to leave?
