Chapter 4 - Three nights
Anouk did not sleep under the stairs continuously for seventy-two hours.
That mattered.
According to her account:
The first night, Seraphina sent her there after she came downstairs during a dinner.
Anouk slept there until early morning.
Second day, she attended school.
After school:
Back under the staircase for several hours.
She was allowed out for bathroom and to eat.
Second night:
Her bedroom.
Third night:
Storage space again.
Fourth afternoon:
Several more hours.
Why did nobody notice?
Because my household schedule had changed.
My longtime nanny, Beth Alvarez, was on leave caring for her mother.
Anouk’s after-school caregiver worked only until 5:30.
Two housekeepers assumed Anouk was spending extra time upstairs because Seraphina told them:
“She’s grounded and wants privacy.”
Security did not monitor interior family discipline.
That was not their job.
And I was in Montreal negotiating a shipping-company restructuring.
I called Anouk every night.
Seraphina told me:
“She’s already asleep.”
Twice.
The third night:
“She’s mad at you because you missed her school art presentation.”
That part was true.
May you like
I had missed it.
So I believed the rest.
