Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Maude had Robbie’s website open on her laptop, the homepage updates underway.
The new photos she needed to add sat in a folder on her desktop.
They were nice shots of the oak farm table he’d just finished.
It was beautiful and classic, something that ought to do really well for him.
It was the kind of piece that probably looked easy to make until you tried to do it yourself.
She dragged one image into place, adjusted the crop by a fraction, then stopped. It didn’t need more fixing. Neither did the headline she’d rewritten three times already.
She was really just passing the time.
Pixel’s tank hummed softly from the counter, the fish floating along in his little world, the light from his tank casting a glow on the wall. Outside, the afternoon was loud with lawn equipment. At least she liked the smell of freshly mown grass.
Maude glanced at the clock. Paige would be here any minute.
Maude had gotten her text, but Paige hadn’t explained anything in it. Just said she was stopping by and needed to talk. Paige wouldn’t say that unless she meant it, and she wouldn’t drop by without a reason.
Maude finished up, saved the page and published it, then closed the laptop just as the knock came.
Paige stood on the porch in one of her cute pickleball dresses that Maude could never pull off. Paige’s expression was calm, but there was a solemness to her that made Maude step back and wave her in without comment.
“Everything all right?” Maude said, even though she knew Paige wouldn’t be here unless something was up.
“I don’t really know,” Paige said. “But I need your help.”
“That’s what I’m here for. You want some water? Or a diet soda?” Maude led her into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing a Diet Coke for herself.
“A soda would be great, thanks.” Paige set her sunglasses on the counter and stood there like she didn’t know where to start.
“All right,” Maude said, handing her the can. “Let’s sit in the living room and you can tell me what’s going on.”
Paige took a seat on the couch and popped the top of her soda but didn’t drink. “I ran into a woman named Darcy Lane at the fitness center this morning. Or rather, she ran into me.” She shook her head. “Maybe accosted is a better word.”
Maude lifted her brows, but stayed quiet and let Paige talk, just nodding so Paige knew she was listening.
“She was friendly at first, or at least seemed that way, but then things got weird. And weirder.”
Maude shifted in her recliner. “Weird how?”
“She hinted that she knows why my marriage ended,” Paige said. “Not the public version that was all about Peter and I going in different directions.”
Maude’s fingers stilled against the side of the soda can. Even she didn’t know the real reason Paige and her ex had split. “I take it that’s fairly private information?”
“It is,” Paige confirmed. “And she didn’t say it outright. But she acted like she knew.”
“How?”
“By talking about it like she understood. It was all hints and inuendo, but it sounded real.”
Maude nodded. “So she wasn’t fishing.”
“She might have been fishing,” Paige said. “But it also felt like she was threatening me.”
“What?” Maude frowned. “Why would she do that?”
“I have no idea. Jealousy? I don’t know.”
Maude stayed on the edge of her recliner seat, feet flat on the floor. Paige looked composed, but there was visible tension in her body language, like she was a wire being pulled too tight.
“Did she actually threaten you?” Maude asked. “Or did it just feel threatening?”
Paige sipped her drink. “It definitely felt threatening.”
“Then let’s assume it was real,” Maude said.
Paige gave a small, humorless smile. “That was my thought.”
They sat. The tank bubbled away.
“So, how can I help?” Maude asked.
“I don’t want to turn this into a thing,” Paige said. “But I don’t like this sense of not knowing what this woman is up to. Or who she is. Or what she’s trying to accomplish.”
“I agree,” Maude said, instantly understanding. “You want me to dig into her.”
Paige nodded. “Can you? Please? I was hoping you could find out whatever you can. Quickly and quietly.”
Maude took a long drink of her soda before leaning back. “Oh, she won’t know a thing, trust me. I’ll be in total stealth mode. I’ll just see if I can find some background on her.”
“That would be really good.”
This was Maude’s lane. She knew how to move through digital spaces without leaving fingerprints. “All right,” she said. “I need whatever info you have. Full name?”
“Darcy Lane. At least that’s what she told me.”
“Age range?”
“Late fifties, early sixties, I’d guess. She may have had a little work done.”
“So she’s got some disposable income then. How long has she lived here?”
“I think she’s recent.” Paige’s eyes narrowed slightly. “She was not forthcoming with any real details.”
“That’s fine, I can work with recent.” Maude chewed her lip, thinking. “Anything else you can think of?”
“She’s slim, with the kind of build that comes from exercise. Dark hair in a short bob.” Paige shook her head. “That’s not a lot to go on, is it?”
“It’s all right,” Maude said. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Thank you.” Paige’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think this is personal? Because it certainly felt that way.”
“I think it could be,” Maude said. “But it might also be some kind of social climbing thing. I won’t know until I look and see what I can find out. Which I will obviously share with you as soon as I have something concrete.”
“Thank you.”
Maude thought for a second. “Did she mention your TikToks?”
“Yes! Sorry, I don’t know how I forgot to mention that. Too flustered, I guess,” Paige said. “She told me straight out that she’d watched them. A lot of them. I think she’s even left a few comments. Including at least one today.”
“Watching all those videos could give her a false sense of intimacy,” Maude said. “People get that way with influencers. They overstep boundaries all the time.”
“I’ve seen it. I’m seeing it now,” Paige said. “That’s what unsettled me. How she acted like she knew me. And like I owed her something. I’ll find that comment and send you a screenshot.”
“That would help.” Maude took one more drink, then set her soda on the side table.
“I’ll start tonight. I’ll look for property records, social profiles, business ties, past addresses—those sorts of things.
And if it’s all right with you, I’d like to loop Cece in.
She’s pretty connected, since she writes for The Buzz.
She may have already been asked to do a new-neighbor interview on this woman. That could give me some more info.”
“I’m fine with that. Whatever you need to do.” Paige stood, soda can in hand. “I really appreciate this.”
“I’d be doing the same thing in your situation,” Maude said. “Someone comes at you that way, makes you feel threatened, you want to know what’s going on.”
Paige smiled faintly. “I was hoping you’d say that.” She lifted the can. “Thanks for the drink. And your help.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
Paige took the soda with her. As soon as she left, Maude reopened her laptop and clicked away from Robbie’s website. She opened a new blank document.
She typed a name at the top of the page. Darcy Lane
Maude would drop links here, make notes, anything that she wanted to save. Anything that might help her figure out who this woman was. Information didn’t necessarily create power, but it sure helped reveal where the power was.
She got to work. Unsurprisingly, Facebook was the first real hit.
The profile photo revealed a woman in her early sixties, maybe. Dark hair. Light makeup. Smiling, but not broadly. The kind of smile that looked like it was something she practiced for pictures rather than one that was spontaneous.
Maude studied the photo for a full ten seconds before doing anything else.
She right-clicked, copied the image to her document, then picked up her phone and texted Paige.
Found a Darcy Lane on Facebook. Sending pic—confirm if this is her. She attached the photo and waited.
Maude used the time to scan the rest of the visible profile but didn’t click through on anything yet.
There were minimal public posts. No political rants.
A few bland inspirational quotes. No grandkids featured front and center.
A few likes on local pages, including the Colony and a yoga studio in Beechwood.
Then Maude found a charity luncheon from two years ago. The location was tagged in Atlanta. Hmm. That was interesting.
Her phone buzzed.
Paige had answered. That’s her. Same woman.
Maude exhaled, slow and quiet. A sense of satisfaction filled her, along with the irrepressible urge to find out what this woman was up to.
Okay, she texted back. Digging deeper.
She set the phone down and went back to the laptop. This time, she clicked on a few things. Groups Darcy was in, a link she’d posted, her friends list. Anything that might lead Maude to this woman’s motivation.
Darcy Lane’s timeline was sparse, but that didn’t matter, Maude could work with it.
She scrolled back. The move to Florida was definitely recent, but the digital trail didn’t start there.
Atlanta showed up repeatedly—event photos, tagged friends, another yoga studio, a women’s professional networking group that no longer existed.
The group’s page was dead, but the member list wasn’t.
Maude opened a new tab and started a new search.
Darcy’s profile listed no spouse. And her relationship status was blank, so either she didn’t have a boyfriend or didn’t want to mention him.
That felt like a deliberate choice. There were photos with other women—luncheons, fundraisers, wine tastings—but almost never the same group twice.
No core circle. No long-term friendships on display.
Another choice? If so, it was an interesting one.
Maude clicked through tagged photos instead. People were less careful there.
Darcy appeared in the background of a charity event from five years ago. Different hair. Same practiced smile. The event banner behind her named a foundation Maude didn’t recognize. She copied it into her notes to research later.
Maude moved methodically. Public records next. Property search. There it was: Darcy had sold a townhouse outside Atlanta eighteen months ago. Bought nothing immediately after. Rented, maybe. She could have also lived with a friend, except it didn’t seem like she had that many.
Maude leaned back slightly, fingers resting on the keyboard.
As best she could tell, this wasn’t someone entering retirement. This was someone looking to start over.
Maude opened Paige’s TikTok channel in another tab and scrolled past the recent videos. She wasn’t there to watch them. She was there to read the comments. It took some doing but she found someone who could have been Darcy Lane under the name LaneyD.
Maude dove into that a little further. LaneyD was from Atlanta and had reposted some instructional yoga videos. That felt like confirmation.
LaneyD had liked several of Paige’s older posts. She’d also commented several times, including one months back, on a video about reinvention.
It’s never too late to start over, Darcy had written.
Maude’s mouth tightened. She checked the timestamp. That comment had been posted right before Darcy moved to Florida.
Then she opened one more tab and searched the defunct networking group from Atlanta. The archived page still existed. Darcy Lane had been an admin when the group had disbanded. Maude copied down the names of a few other members. They’d be worth looking into as well.
That felt like a pretty good start.
Maude picked up her phone and texted Paige.
So far what I can tell you is she’s been following your TikTok longer than it looks—before the move. She’s got Atlanta connections. Her online presence is limited, but she’s there. I’ll keep looking.
The response from Paige came quickly. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Maude texted back. More when I have it but probably won’t be until tomorrow.
That’s fine, Paige answered.
Maude got up to make half a pot of coffee, ready to work as late as required. Robbie would probably be home soon, so if she had to, she’d take her laptop into the bedroom after dinner. She didn’t want to keep him up.
Darcy Lane, what is your deal?
Maude wasn’t going to draw conclusions yet. She never did this early. But one thing felt fairly certain.
Darcy Lane hadn’t stumbled into Paige Wheeler’s orbit by accident.
And people who chose their targets that carefully never acted without a plan.