Secret Nanny Club

by Mackle, Marisa

  “I just wanted to say goodnight to John,” I said in a low voice as I patted his forehead gently. “He looks even more adorable when he sleeps.”

  “I agree,” said Tanya. “John is especially gorgeous.”

  “Well, of course I would think that. But I’m his mum and all mums think their children are gorgeous.”

  “I love children. I love their innocence. It’s best that they keep it as long as possible. Real life is hard enough.”

  I turned to look at Tanya. I couldn’t really see her face properly in the doorway but her voice had a trace of disappointment in it.

  “Would you like children someday, Tanya?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. I think I probably enjoy my freedom too much to want to give it up.”

  The sound of a horn outside had her making for the front door. “See you in the morning,” she called out as she left.

  I sat for a while on my bed in the darkness listening to my son’s rhythmical breathing. The apartment seemed abnormally quiet apart from the sound of my stomach rumbling. I had a feeling deep down that all was not what it seemed with Tanya. She was almost too perfect. What other nanny looked like a film star, acted like Mary Poppins and had a wardrobe to rival a wealthy Dublin socialite? It didn’t add up. Tanya never had friends around. I had asked her if she wanted to meet up with Sheelagh’s nanny, Claudine and she said that she didn’t want to particularly. Then when I asked her if Claudine could join the Secret Nanny Club she had cryptically told me that it was full now and not taking on any further members for the time being.

  She never invited anybody back to the apartment for a coffee. But then again, was I simply nit-picking? Was I looking for faults where there were none to be found? Surely I should be delighted with what I had? Would I want my tiny kitchen crowded out with her friends all talking a different language to me anyway? Certainly not.

  Feeling a little more positive I wandered back into the kitchen to make some tea and toast. As I did so I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Who would be calling at this time of the evening? I fished out the phone. It was Mum.

  “Hi, Mum.”

  “Hello, darling. How are you? I haven’t seen you in a long time.”

  Oh no! A mini guilt trip! “I’m fine, Mum. I’ve been busy though. Going back to work has turned my life upside down.”

  “I called over this afternoon. Didn’t Tanya tell you?”

  “No, no she didn’t, she must have forgotten. That’s odd. It’s unlike her to forget.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What’s wrong, Mum? Is everything okay?”

  “I’m just a little uneasy. About that girl.”

  “Tanya?”

  “Yes, when I called around she was watching TV in the sitting room with a gentleman friend. She said you were in work and that John was asleep in his cot and it was best not to disturb him. She made me feel very unwelcome on the steps of my own daughter’s home!”

  Mum was clearly upset. I was shocked by her phone call. And what’s more I was confused. Why hadn’t Tanya told me she’d had a visitor? I didn’t like to think of complete strangers wandering around the place while I wasn’t there.

  “I’m so sorry, Mum. I didn’t know. Listen, have you eaten? Tanya has gone out but she cooked a lasagne today and left it in the fridge. Would you like to call around and we can eat together?”

  Mum gave a little sigh. You’d swear I lived across the city rather than just down the road. “Well, okay, then. I suppose I’d better.”

  I put down the phone. I had a hollow pit in my stomach. My mum was onto something. She had just made my niggling doubts feel not so unfounded any more.

  “I’ll say it again. I’m uneasy about that girl. I mean, who was that man anyway? He was much older than her.”

  “They could have been just friends, you know,” I said, finding myself defending my au pair.

  My mother dug her fork into the lasagne. “Hmmm. A bit unlikely, don’t you think? I’m a lot older than you are and I have hunches about these things.”

  “Okay, whatever you say, but I’m still not searching her room. That would be a gross breach of privacy. You cannot just rummage through people’s stuff because you have a hunch that they’re up to something.”

  Mum sniffed her disapproval. “I just think that I would want to know exactly who was living under my roof and sharing a home with my child.”

  I said nothing. I wasn’t budging on that one. I was not searching Tanya’s room.

  By the time she left my apartment I felt drained. The woman had managed to suck the life out of me, trying to convince me that Tanya was the wrong sort of girl. And even though I tried to dismiss her fanciful imagination I couldn’t help wondering that maybe my mother was right.

  My mind was buzzing and I knew there was no chance of me going to sleep early so I sat in front of the telly, my eyes glazed over and not really seeing anything. As I propped up the cushions behind my back my hand hit something sharp. Investigating what it was, I discovered a silver necklace. It was truly exquisite with a small diamond locket. That must have cost absolute fortune, I thought. I had never seen Tanya wear it but it must have been hers. It certainly wasn’t mine.

  Well, here was a god-given reason for me to go into Tanya’s room with a clear conscience. I got up and made for her room, glad my mother couldn’t see me now. I opened her door slightly and turned on the light. The bed was neatly made and the room was immaculate.

  Under the window she had two rows of shoes and boots, most of them spanking new. Even from the doorway I could recognise the labels: Jimmy Choo, Louboutin, Gucci, Manolo. I could literally count the cost of thousands of euro among the fancy footwear. It was none of my business, however, I thought. Who was I to say that my au pair couldn’t wear any kind of shoes she liked? There was a pretty shell-encrusted jewellery box sitting on the bedside locker next to the bed. I opened the box and was intrigued by what I saw. There were at least ten silver and gold necklaces, charm bracelets and brooches. I spotted a Cartier watch and a string of very expensive pearls. I was about to set the necklace down among the other trinkets but then figured it best to leave it on the locker where she would see it when she came in – and where she wouldn’t realise I had been poking into her jewellery box. I quickly snapped the box shut. I didn’t want to snoop any more. No matter how much I was tempted to open Tanya’s wardrobe I knew that I couldn’t. I would just never be able to forgive myself for snooping.

  I closed Tanya’s bedroom door, went into the bathroom and started slowly removing my make-up with cleanser and cotton wool. I then ran the bath generously, adding in the bath oil. My head was frazzled and my mind was racing. I just wanted to get into that bath and let it soak away all my concerns.

  Just as I was about to immerse myself into the inviting bubbles I heard my phone beep. It was Dave.

  Hey. Is l8 next week ok 4 u? Leaving DUB Fri afternoon, arrive home Mon morn.Weather Cyprus 28 C. Dx.

  Immediately I felt myself getting excited. Dave had given me the link to the Paphos boutique hotel we would be staying in. It was stunning with views overlooking the ocean. I wanted to go so badly and doing the shoot over the weekend wouldn’t interfere with my work in the magazine. But there was one major problem. I no longer trusted Tanya to look after my pride and joy.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The woman at the end of the phone hung up. It was what I had been expecting her to do to be honest. I phoned again and after two rings I was cut off once more. So much for the Secret Nanny Club. I sat at my kitchen table staring, with my head in my hands. What

  was I going to do now?

  My head was reeling and I was shaking like a leaf. Tanya had brought John down to the strand earlier, leaving her wallet open on the kitchen table. I couldn’t help taking a quick peek. In it was a thousand euro in notes and a small bundle of simple black cards withThe

  Secret Nanny Clubin white lettering followed by a mobile number underneath. I just had to phone the
number straight away. I knew it was dodgy. Jesus, even an idiot could have worked that out! My phone rang, making me nearly jump out of my skin. It was Dave.

  “Hey, how are you?”

  “Oh, Dave, I’m fine. Well, as fine as I could be really considering . . .” I trailed off.

  “What’s wrong? You sound off. Have you just seen a ghost?”

  I took a deep breath. “No, but I think I’ve just spoken to one.”

  Then I had a brainwave. I asked Dave to phone the Secret Nanny Club on his mobile phone.

  “Tell them you want a non-Irish nanny who is slim and blonde. Make an appointment and then phone me back immediately and tell me what type of response you get, okay? I know it seems like a crazy thing for me to ask you to do but it’s so unbelievably important. Please – please!”

  Dave, being the dote that he is, phoned the number for me and then phoned back. My hands were practically trembling as I answered.

  “Dave?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. I rang that number, right?”

  “Yes?” I could barely breathe.

  “And I made an appointment to see a nanny tomorrow. The woman said there were no blondes available, only brunettes. Is this . . .? Kaylah, is this . . . what I think it is? What the hell’s up?”

  “Dave, I will explain it all to you later, I promise. But please, I need you to do one more thing for me. Phone back again and this time you must insist that you really want a blonde. Tell the woman that a friend of yours recommended a girl called Tanya and ask when she’s free.”

  “This is all mad. You do know that?”

  “I know, but this really is terribly important.”

  “Okay, but you’ve got some explaining to do.”

  He rang back about five minutes later. “Tanya only works after nine in the evenings. She’s more expensive than the others and she insists on choosing both the restaurant and the hotel apparently. The woman on the phone wanted to be sure I could afford her before she confirmed the booking.”

  “And what did you say?”

  “I said she’d better be worth it.”

  “And?”

  “Well, the woman said that no client of Tanya’s had ever complained before.”

  “Thanks, Dave. I really do owe you one.”

  Then I put down the phone and then, after taking a few more deep breaths, I made my next call. Joanne answered pretty much immediately.

  “Hi, Joanne, it’s Kaylah from the book club here. I wonder would you be free this afternoon. I really need to talk to you.”

  There was a slight pause and then she said, “Sure. Call around at two thirty if that suits you?”

  “Thanks, Joanne. See you then.”

  Joanne showed me into the drawing room. I sat down opposite her with Baby John on my knee I was so nervous but I desperately needed to get to the bottom of this. I refused Joanne’s offer of tea and biscuits as I didn’t intend staying long.

  “I’m having a pretty stressful day so far,” I admitted.

  “Baby John’s father has just sent a second solicitor’s letter about access to him, I’m supposed to be going to Cyprus in a few days’ time to do a shoot, and now I’ve just found out that Tanya isn’t what she pretends to be . . .”

  “Tanya?” Joanne looked astonished.

  I felt dreadful. “Yes, Tanya came to work for me after she left you. I’m sorry. I wish I had told you.”

  Joanne’s hand was covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide open. “Oh, my God!” she finally gasped.

  “She’s an escort, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, she is.” Joanne exhaled loudly. “And a highly paid one by all accounts.”

  “Oh Lord, this is so hard to come to terms with. How did you find out? I mean, how did you know that she was . . .is. . .”

  “My husband found her photo on a website called Secretnanny.ie after a tip-off from somebody. It has since been taken down. When he confronted her about it she said

  that a friend of hers had put it up as a practical joke, but we had been suspicious anyway . . . all the late nights . . .”

  “The clothes, the shoes, the jewellery . . .”

  “Yes, and the boots. I once saw her wearing a brand-new pair of this season’s Fendi boots and asked her where she’d got them. She told me she’d got them from a friend. Well, as both you and I know, friends aren’t usually that generous. I’m so sorry. If I’d known that she was working for you I would have warned you. I had absolutely no idea.”

  “It’s my fault for not letting you know,” I said awkwardly. “But . . . why didn’t you fire her?”

  “We didn’t want a big scene at the time in case the kids got upset, and anyway we didn’t have any concrete proof that shewasa working girl. We were just hoping she’d leave of her own accord.”

  “And she did.” I gave a hollow laugh. “She came to live with me.” I felt like an absolute fool.

  “I wish that you had said something that time we met outside the shop . . . you never said a word.”

  I was looking at the ground now, mortified.

  “She’s very clever, you know,” Joanne said. “I’m sure she said lots of untrue things to you about myself and my husband. ‘Always be careful of people who gossip to you,’ my mother once told me, ‘because soon they’ll be gossiping about you to somebody else.’”

  I tried to speak but couldn’t. I had been a gullible twit as far as Tanya had been concerned. And now I was deeply ashamed of myself.

  She continued. “Before us she had worked for another family called the McKays. She had led us to believe that Mr McKay was making moves on her and that was why she’d had to leave. I met his wife out at a function one night and she assured me it wasn’t true. It was actually she who tipped us off about the escort agency and then my husband looked it up online.”

  “Oh God,” I said, wringing my hands in frustration, “what am I going to do? I won’t be able to go to Greece now. My son is the most important person in the world and I don’t trust Tanya.”

  “You need to be careful what you say to her. She’s very convincing. She’ll swear blind that it’s nonsense.”

  “I know that now,” I said with resignation. “When something seems too good to be true it usually is.”

  Back at the apartment Tanya was watching TV. The place was gleaming as usual and she gave me a pleasant smile. “Hello.”

  “Oh hiya, Tanya,” I said. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine, thank you.”

  I put John down on his play mat. “Did you have a good night last night?”

  She seemed surprised by the question. “No, actually, I didn’t. My date didn’t turn up. I was stood up.”

  I looked away. I didn’t want her to be able to read me.

  “That must have been annoying.”

  “Yes, it’s annoying when somebody deliberately wastes your time. Oh well, you can’t win them all.”

  She spoke so casually, as though she were talking about a bingo game or something. I remained calm too but inside I was panicking. I had a real-life hooker under my roof, albeit a very friendly, charming, kind and tidy one. I was very fond of Tanya but I could no longer have her living under my roof and in charge of my precious son. I knew I would have to confront her and not pussyfoot around anymore.

  So I took a deep breath. It was now or never. “Tanya, tell me more about this Secret Nanny Club,” I said, looking her straight in the eye. “What exactly is it all about?”

  “It’s just a group of girls, mostly foreign,” Tanya shrugged.

  “And do men pay to take the girls from the Secret Nanny Club out on dates?”

  I don’t know what kind of reaction I had been expecting, but Tanya’s eyes never even flickered. “Yes, sometimes they do,” she admitted in an indifferent tone of voice.

  “Times are tough at the moment as you know, and child minding doesn’t pay well.”

  “Do your dates pay for more than just your company?”

  I was practically shaking i
nside. I could hardly believe I was even having this conversation.

  She didn’t flinch. “Sometimes.”

  “I see.”

  I couldn’t get an ounce of emotion out of her. I didn’t know whether I wanted to cry or get mad at her. My brain was turning on its axis.

  “I think I’ll go and give John a bath,” I said in the end.

  “Do you want me to do it?” She jumped up.

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll do it. Actually, I think I might stay with my mum tonight. I’ll take John with me.”

  “Right.”

  “I’m a bit stressed.”

  “You look stressed,” she said.

  John was innocently playing with his bunnies and teddies, oblivious to the bizarre conversation going on around him. I picked him up and quietly took him out of

  the room. It was the last time we would ever see Tanya.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  I hadn’t met Sally properly for ages. She was always in a hurry these days, rushing in and out of the office. She was working on the Christmas gifts spread at the moment. It was no less than twelve pages long, almost taking up half the magazine. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when I told her I was going to Cyprus.

  “Dave set it all up,” I told her. “I didn’t even have to do a thing.”

  “You jammy bitch,” said Sally. “And Dave is quite a hottie too so expect temperatures to soar in Paphos! God, I’m so jealous.”

  “Well, I’m so glad I’m going away,” I admitted. “I’ve been under enormous stress. Clive keeps sending me solicitor’s letters about John, the nanny disappeared leaving just a note and –”

  “Tanya’s gone?” Sally sounded amazed. “Where did she go to?”

  “I don’t know. We had, er, words. I took John away to stay the night with my mum and when we came back the next morning she and all her belongings were gone. There was no argument or falling out or anything like that. She left the place spick and span and she even left me a card and a bouquet of fresh flowers to thank me for being so kind to her. She said she would miss myself and John. That’s the really sad part because I knew she was telling the truth. And do you know what’s even weirder? I really miss her too.”