La femme de ménage voit tout

Freida McFadden

Description

Meet Diana Delaney, a nondescript, middle aged, talentless housewife and school office administrator. Diana's got a new job: one she didn't apply for.

Monster Hunter. Now she's got to save New Orleans, one beast at a time.

Pity. I was nearly crushed under the weight of it lately.

At work in the school office, I would overhear conversations as everyone speculated how I was doing, given my marriage was over, my husband had moved on and started a second family with one of my best friends. Every time, even though I knew what to expect, the pain cut as genuinely as any knife. Or my machete. That thing was no joke.

They all thought I looked a mess these days because I was so sad. In truth, I was so tired. I was beyond tired. Long hours were a way of life between my job, building my business, raising Kenna, and fighting monsters. I didn't really have time to be depressed.

What gave me a twinge of fear and sadness and spurred me to fight harder was the thought that I was sending Kenna out into this dangerous world. So, I tried to not only change the world, but my mind.

Perspective. That's what I needed.

Instead of thinking about Kenna leaving for school, I should be thinking about the positives, like...soon I would be going to my last PTA meeting. Oh, but not soon enough.

See, monsters were everywhere, even in the school library, after hours, while parents tried to plan the end of year ceremonies. Even I believed I was imagining things, and I've seen some things. A book moved. A chair slid sideways. A gust of wind came out of nowhere.

Well, that did it. I knew what I was up against. Not pity. Not perspective.

Poltergeists.

And as far as I knew, there was not a single soul around who was more prepared to battle the poltergeist than me. Not only was I not getting out of PTA meetings, I'd be working overtime...time I didn't have...to save the end of year ceremonies, the school, and every parent, teacher, and student who entered the building.

Past-times.

After this, I'd deserve a break, a vacation, and time to choose a new hobby. Monster hunting wasn't it.