Married to my suspect

I surveyed the current position of the presents I'd brought back from my visit; the file and safe, and nodded in satisfaction. Taking them up was out of the question and I couldn't exactly showcase them out in the open so they would have to make a home for now beneath the back seats, at least until I could figure something out.

I closed the door and headed towards the elevator. As much as I'd tried leaving Ethan's place early, I'd had to go back after losing my phone. When I'd found it hidden in one of Ethan's cabinets in the guest room, the day had broken completely and I'd practically rushed home so I would not keep Danielle waiting as I knew how much she valued punctuality.

The elevator dinged and unexplained unease filled me as I took the final steps to the door to our home. I pressed the code and the reason for my unease was known.

I rushed to the kitchen amidst the loud blaring and stopped short at the kitchen entrance, seeing Eleni seemingly completely unbothered in the midst of smoke as she turned something in a frying pan on the gas. I could hear her muttering expletives before she realized she was no longer alone. She glanced at me and screamed, backing away.

I remained where I was and the scream died in her throat when she realized it was me.

"Jonathan. You scared me." She exclaimed with her hands on her chest. "Why are you here so early?"

I frowned and moved closer to see what was in the frying pan. "What is this?" I asked her, raising my voice to be heard over the shriek of the alarm.

She turned it and turned to me, her hands on her hips. "Loukaniko. This is just a taste because it's been long since I made it and I wanted to make it for you and Danielle when you come back."

I raised a brow, still looking at the pan. With the name, I could tell it was a Greek food but to my American eye, it looked like a pretty normal looking sausage, minus the smoke that had filled the kitchen. I silenced the smoke alarm and blessed peace flitted into the kitchen. "Is this normal or is this part of your test?" I asked, gesturing to the seriously polluted air.

She removed the sausage, or what she had called it and placed them inside a dish. "It is normal to burn like this. That is what will make it taste good."

I nodded like I understood how that amount of smoke could do good to the food as opposed to doing bad to the lung but I didn't say anything. Neither the smoke nor the noise had seemed to bother her as well.

I surveyed the kitchen. I just realized I'd not seen Danielle since I'd come in. Not that it was strange, it was just normal for both of them to cook together in the mornings, no idea why they did that. I chuckled silently, perhaps the smoke and noise had driven her away. Since I knew she would have been interested in watching how it was made as an unfamiliar meal to her. I hid a tired smile at my scattered thoughts. Unfortunately, I needed sleep.

"Where's Danielle?" I asked, picking one of the sausages and immediately dropping it. Ouch, that was hot.

Eleni shook her head and turned on the fan. "She has gone. She left early." She replied and I turned sharply to her from where I was heading towards the chair.

"Gone to where?" I asked, confused. I'd definitely suggested we go together before I left yesterday, to which she had responded positively. I glanced at my wristwatch, it was a little after seven am, plenty of time for me to wash up, drive to work, and still get there early enough.

Eleni glanced at me, her brows furrowed. "To work. She said she has to resume today even though I told her to rest well." She replied and I nodded, my frown growing when Eleni didn't stop staring at me. When she realized I had caught her staring, she turned away. I picked up one of the sausages and took a bite, nodding at the taste. It tasted similar to a normal sausage but with a little something that was different.

"What's going on? Did Danielle say something?" I asked her and she shook her head, flushing.

"No. Not Danielle. I'll discuss it with both of you when you come back."

I looked at her for a second before nodding. "Alright. I'll wash up and soon be on my way."

"Wait." She called when I left the kitchen.

I turned to her, curious, only to find her hands together, fidgeting with her fingers.

"I know how busy you are… with your work and so I was thinking… if maybe you liked the food when you come back. I can be cooking for you. You will not have to do it after you come back from work and you and Danielle can rest well." She rushed out.

I frowned, not following her train of thought. "I'm sure I'll like the food but what does that have to do with you cooking when we come back." I couldn't honestly tell what she was trying to say even though I knew I probably wouldn't like it. Her expression was giving her away.

"I'm so thankful that you and Danielle took me in and you are spending much money to protect me and even though you just got married, you took a married woman to your home…"

I raised my hand to stop her but she shook her head.

"... And Danielle, she has always been so good to me. Your housekeeper told me the other day that she will soon stop working here and she is worried about you." She took a deep breath and continued. "I want to become your housekeeper. I can't cook well or clean well like her but I can try."

I narrowed my eyes. "Where is this coming from? You're my friend and that's why I'm helping you. You've also helped me before. Don't worry about my housekeeper, I'll get another one." I said, walking away.

"Jonathan." She called desperately behind me and I took a deep breath, keeping my back to her. "Don't mention any of this to Danielle. You're not going to be my housekeeper. If you think cooking will make you feel better, you can cook whatever you want but not as a housekeeper. How do you think Danielle will feel when she hears what you've just said?" With that, I left the kitchen.

I got upstairs and slumped into the bed, exhausted. I'd worked through lots of nights before but this one had completely exhausted me, probably because rather than it being because of business, it had nothing to do with business. I closed my eyes for a few minutes before forcing myself to get up. I needed to call Danielle, to find out where she was and why she had completely blindsided my suggestion. Nothing of what Eleni had mentioned in the kitchen, I was going to pretend like I'd never heard that. Even though I could understand where she was coming from; no one liked to feel like a charity case, yet, it would do her good to realize neither of us were interested in putting her out before she got on her feet again, however long it may take. In that moment, I also pretended our contract didn't exist and Danielle hadn't brought up breaking the contract just mere days before.

I picked up my phone to dial her number only to find it switched off. I rubbed my face, it must have died while I'd been battling with the safe. I plugged it in and went to get ready.