The Short Con Week 43 - When the Women Come Out To Dance

People tend to ignore the maid, especially in fiction.  On television, they are usually reduced to background characters, identified only by their uniform or prop.  Even when they are a prominent character, possibly the main, their status as a maid is underplayed or overshadowed by their attitude.

Where is their day in the sun?  If "the butler did it!" can become commonplace, why can't the maid?  Surely maids can be malicious?  They can't all be meek and subservient as fiction often makes them out to be

Elmore Leonard knows how to take advantage of our preconceived notions and misconceptions.

Lourdes seems a rather quiet, dutiful woman.  She came to South Florida as a mail order bride from Columbia.  Her marriage lasted for two years, until Mr. Zimmer met and untimely, cement related death.   She recently became employed as the personal maid to Mrs. Mahmood, formerly Ginger the stripper.  Ginger hit the jackpot when she married a Pakistani plastic surgeon who decided it would be better for her to shop and lounge about his house instead of work the pole.

But for Ginger, the easy life isn't enough.  She knows Mr. Mahmood has another girlfriend, and she's afraid she's going to be burned with acid or something equally horrible.  According to her, these things happen where he came from.  It certainly doesn't help that his former wife died in a fire.  So instead of taking a chance at becoming kindling, she's going to bump him off first.

And if the rumors are true, Lourdes might just be the person to help her.  For $30000, will she get what she wants?  Remember what they say about getting your wish.  You will never look at a woman in a maids outfit the same way again, and I'd bet you will leave a better tip next time you stay at a hotel.