Two months in, and Kooki isn't any better. He stopped coming out of his pineapple house, and you put a tiny dish of special food inside with another tiny dish of water just outside, hoping he would come out.

You had gone out on the balcony to water Namjoon's plants and ran out of water. You came in to refill the watering can when something kept nagging you to check on the crabs. You leave the full watering can on the kitchen counter and walk into the habitat room.

The housekeeper has her arm inside the habitat where Kooki's little pineapple house is with a small cotton swab in her hand dabbing at his shell.

You gasp and rush forward, grabbing her arm, "What are you doing!? Get away from them!"

"I was just making sure little Kooki's house was clean since he isn't feeling well."

You knew she was lying; she wasn't cleaning his house, she was touching him with the swab.

"It is not your place to care for the crabs or their habitat. You know Namjoon left specific orders. No one, but I am to take care of them!"

She pulls her arm free from your tight grasp, "I'm sorry. I was only trying to help." Her eyes shimmer with false tears.

You let go of her arm, "I'm sorry I got upset. I'm just so worried about him." I know I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Maybe she was only trying to clean his house.

She turns away from you and slyly grins, "I only wanted to help him. I'm sorry, I won't clean anything in the habitats again."

She drops the cotton swab into the trash can as she leaves the room but pauses at the doorway.

"Do you want me to clean in here at all?" she wipes away a non-existent tear.

"No, I will take care of this whole room. You have enough to do in this big apartment. But thank you for trying to help." You try to placate her with a smile, but you know it's not sincere. Something is off about this woman, and you don't know what it is but her fake crying doesn't fool you.

You swear you saw her lips tilt up in a smile before she turned her back on you and headed to the clean library.

You start for the door and tell her, "Mrs. Chung, please don't clean any of the habitats in the apartment. That is what Mr. Namjoon hired me for." You smile pleasantly at her, making her think you have no suspicious thoughts about what she was doing at Kooki's little house.

"Of course, Miss Poole, you housekeep for them, and I will housekeep for Mr. Namjoon." The smile she gives is more fake than yours.

She enters the library, her mask of friendly acquiescence gone and replaced by anger. 'I hate these uppity celebrities and their keeping pets in cages and habitats. If they truly loved them so much, they wouldn't have captured them but let them live their life in nature where they belong. They need to be free, and death is the only way I can see they are set free!'

One book on the shelf is about studies on the history of crabs in the wild and those cared for as pets. The lifetime of a crab was increased from 5 years in the wild to as long as forty in a loving environment because they didn't have to fight the elements of nature or predators or people stepping on them on the beach or killing them for sport.

With her anger rushing through her, she swipes at the books and shelves furiously, making what little dust there is flying suspended in the air before settling back down again.

While Emily is in the large habitat room, the doorbell chimes. The housekeeper calls out, "I've got it, Miss Poole."

You call back, "Thank you."

Mrs. Chung opens the front door, and Yuna has Em's crabs in their portable habitat in her arms.

"Yes, may I help you?" Oh my God, not more of them!

"Hi, Miss Poole wanted me to bring her Hermit crabs over to stay while she is here. I'm dropping them off for her. Is she here?" Yuna is wondering why this woman isn't letting her in.

The housekeeper takes the habitat from her arms. "She isn't here right now..." she glances back towards the habitat room. "I will make sure she knows they are here when she returns."

Yuna wonders why Em isn't here; she knows she is coming. But the lady wouldn't let her enter the apartment. Yuna shrugs her shoulders and figures the woman isn't allowed to let anyone in for security reasons, and she doesn't know her.

"Okay, all their things are in the bag." She sets the bag down by the door because the lady doesn't have a free hand. "Thank you. Have a great day." 

Yuna smiles, but as she turns, her smile drops from her face. That was weird. Why didn't Em tell me she wouldn't be here today?

Having heard the door chime, you're glad that Yuna is here. You wash your hands in the small sink in the habitat room, take another look at Kooki, and then walk out of the room. You go to drop the paper towel in the wastebasket on your way out when you see the cotton swab the housekeeper was touching Kooki with.

You decide to put it in a zip lock bag and save it. On your way to the kitchen to get a plastic zip bag, you see the housekeeper going about her work.

"Was someone at the door? I was expecting my friend."

"Yes. She brought your pets. I'll get them." She hurries to the balcony, and you frown; why is she going—you don't get to finish that thought as you hear a crash and glass breaking, followed by Mrs. Chung's exclamations of distress.

You run out onto the balcony and there shattered at her feet is Nam, Joon, and little Kim's habitat. Nam and Kim's little shells are broken, and Joon is squashed.

You begin screaming as you reach between the broken pieces and tenderly lift each one and hold them in your hand. They are dead.

"Be careful, don't cut your hands! I'm so sorry it slipped from my hands. I'm so, so sorry." You are focused on your hermit crabs as you remove their little bodies from the debris. Behind your back, she is grinning yet trying to sound sympathetic.

"At least now they are free, never to be caged again." She tells you as if their death was a good thing.

You carry your little pets inside, tears running down your face. You are oblivious to Mrs. Chung's whining about how sorry she is.

"I'll clean this up. You take care of them." She goes to pat your shoulder, and you twist away, carrying them into the kitchen.

Pulling off a couple of paper towels, you gently lay them down

Hours later, you're still in shock. The housekeeper has finally left, and you couldn't be more relieved.

You lay on Namjoon's bed quietly sobbing. Everyone is gone, and you are having to face this alone. Your calls to Lanne, Yoongi, or the others aren't going through at this time. Yuna doesn't answer, but you understand she is in court with her dad by this time.

You go over the whole day and recall the cotton swab. You jump up, get a plastic zip bag from the kitchen, and hurry to the habitat room. The trashcan was not emptied, and you are thankful you told her not to clean in here. You put the swab in the bag and then in your pocket. Kooki, I need to check on Kooki.

You go to the habitat and start to smile you see Kooki has come out of his pineapple house. As you lean close, happy to see him out, you realize he isn't moving, he looks dry. 

You reach in and lift Kooki out. It only took seconds for you to know he is dead.

"NO! NO! NO!"