House of Glass

Stella wonders why Rose would feel the need to save a shard of glass and wonders if Rose plans to use it as a weapon. She puts the thought aside for the moment, however, as she is on her way to meet Marco. Stella and Marco met while at law school at Georgetown and have been married for 10 years, but they are now amicably divorcing. He is also an attorney and has the requisite divorce paperwork with him when Stella arrives. They quickly sign the papers and leave his office.

Stella and Marco head to a nearby Mexican restaurant and discuss the Barclay case. Rose’s nanny died under mysterious circumstances, and Rose witnessed the fall that killed her. Marco is sure that Rose’s father, Ian, is to blame, but Stella remains unconvinced. Ian had an affair with the nanny, who was two months pregnant when she died. Stella thinks that Rose’s mother, Beth, motivated by jealousy and rage, might be the murderer. Marco notes that both Ian and Beth were in the house at the time of the nanny’s death and asks Stella what she knows about each person’s alibi. Stella reports that Beth claimed to have been writing emails in her office and told investigators that because of the classical music she was playing, she did not hear a thing. Ian also claimed to have heard nothing. Both parents had immediately “lawyered up,” and police investigators failed to find any substantial leads. The status of the case was quickly changed from active to cold, and both parents are now divorcing and suing for sole custody of Rose.

Stella, who is now officially Rose’s best interest attorney, arrives at the palatial Barclay estate, which is situated on 20 Maryland acres. Stella knows that it was financed largely through Beth’s inherited wealth. She notes the austerity of the house, and when Beth answers the door, she is struck by the formal living space. The Barclay house feels like something “time forgot” and bears no evidence of being modernized. Beth is impeccably polite but has a certain tension in her eyes. She was never officially a suspect in the nanny’s murder, but Stella thinks that she would have been physically capable of pushing the nanny, Tina de la Cruz, out the window. Beth introduces Stella to Rose, who is also dressed formally. Beth tries to engage Rose in conversation, but the girl does not speak.

Rose is experiencing traumatic mutism, a condition that can occur in children who witness traumatic events. Stella herself experienced traumatic mutism after finding the body of her mother as a young girl. Charles has sought Stella out as Rose’s attorney because she has experienced childhood trauma and mutism. Now, Stella knows that she must proceed slowly with Rose. She carefully observes both Rose and Beth and notices that Rose has replaced her book’s jacket with another in order to hide the title from her mother. She also notices that all the glass in the house has been removed or replaced with plexiglass.

On her way out, Stella nearly gets into an accident with a young man driving a Nissan Sentra. He is about 25 and has dyed blonde hair and tattoos. Stella stops him and asks if she can talk to him about Rose. He is obviously angry, and she learns that his name is Nate; he was Tina’s boyfriend. Puzzled, Rose asks if Tina was the nanny, and the man, Pete, snaps back at her that “she had a name,” angry that everyone in the Barclay family and the media refers to her as “the nanny” (23). He explains that he has come to collect Tina’s possessions, but he admits that Beth does not know he is there. Stella questions him about Tina, her work, and her relationship with Ian. Pete scoffs at the idea that Tina cheated on him; he suspects that Ian made sexual advances and trapped Tina into submission. He tells Stella that Tina had experienced “weird” things at the house and wanted to quit. Stella gives him her card and leaves but realizes that Pete must know the gate code if he is on the property without Beth’s permission. She wonders how much time he spent at the house while Tina was working there.

When Stella gets home, she is overcome with loneliness. Her split from Marco was amicable, and the two have now been separated for a year, but she still misses his presence. She calls Charles, who has been not-so-happily married for 40 years and is often free on weekends. She asks him out to dinner, and he agrees. Stella has known Charles since she was 17. Her mother died of a drug overdose when Stella was only seven, and afterward, she lived with an aunt who resented her presence. Stella got a job at a sandwich shop, and one night, she found a briefcase containing $10,000. The next morning, a man (Charles) returned to the shop and asked for it. Stella gave it to him, and because he was struck by her honesty, he offered her a job. He was an attorney and needed a secretary for his office.

Stella describes her visit to the Barclay estate to Charles. He was the one to explain traumatic mutism to her when she was young. She recalls his compassion when he heard the story of her father’s early death followed by her mother’s slow unraveling and addiction. Stella found her mother after a fatal overdose, and when the trauma of the event caused her mutism, the adults in her life reacted with anger rather than understanding.

Now, she tells Charles that she is worried about Rose and doesn’t want to send the girl to live with a killer. Charles is more convinced than Stella that the fall was an accident and tells her to use her best judgment.

Stella returns to the Barclay home the next morning to meet with Ian. He is an attractive man who is much less formal than Beth. Stella knows that he is a former landscaper who managed to build his own company, but his origins are much humbler than those of his wife. He tells Stella about Rose’s hobbies and interests. She is a brilliant girl who could read at three and loves classical music. He enjoys spending time with her but does not agree with Beth that her life should be so regimented. He and Tina used to sneak Rose sweet snacks and fast food. He admits to having a brief affair with Tina but alleges that it was only physical. Tina, he explains, wanted more, but he told her that their liaisons could not continue. They had sex only twice, and he did not know that she was pregnant.

Ian’s phone rings. It’s a work call, and he goes outside to address an issue with the pizza oven installation. Stella asks to accompany him, and he seems hesitant. He assents, and the two proceed outside. Stella asks if Rose saw Tina’s body, and Ian responds that they all saw it. He is visibly shaken by the memory, and Stella asks him about the lack of glass in the house. He tells her that after the accident, Beth developed nelophobia, a fear of glass. They head back inside and listen to Rose’s competent piano playing until it is interrupted by a scream; the chef has brought a piece of glassware into the kitchen, and Beth loses her temper.

Stella meets Ian’s mother, Harriet, who has lived in her own wing of the house for four years. She and Rose are close. Harriet assumes that Ian caused the chaos in the kitchen, and a spat ensues between Harriet, Ian, and Beth. Harriet quickly realizes that Rose is watching and stops arguing in front of her. Stella has a traumatic flashback to the night she discovered her mother’s body. Now, she realizes how alone and vulnerable Rose is. She learns that Rose loves animals, particularly the family’s two horses, and realizes that this is a way to connect with her young client.

Stella meets with Dr. Markman, Rose’s therapist. Dr. Markman is initially cold, but her manner softens when Stella explains that she wants to identify what is best for Rose. Dr. Markman shows Stella a series of pictures that Rose has drawn of Tina’s death scene, and Stella begins to have a panic attack. Dr. Markman asks if Stella is a trauma survivor, and Stella nods a silent yes. Their meeting is brief, but as Stella leaves, she reflects on how much glass is in Dr. Markman’s office and wonders how Beth could have endured the area for the space of a session. She also wonders how Rose could have tolerated a vehicle’s glass windows. Stella wonders if Ian and Beth are lying to her.

Stella brings Rose to visit her neighbor, Lucille. Lucille is caring for a pair of young squirrels whose mother has died, and Stella hopes to draw Rose out of her shell. Rose shows interest in the squirrels and even helps Lucille feed them. When asked if she would like to get waffles at a restaurant with Stella some time that week, Rose gives the tiniest nod in assent. When she brings Rose back to the Barclay house, Rose’s shoulders slump in a way that reminds Stella of herself. Stella’s mother loved her, but her aunt did not. She recalls the dread she felt each time she entered her aunt’s home. Later, Lucille calls. She is missing her box cutter. Remembering the shard of glass, Stella is sure that Rose took it.

The case is beginning to get to Stella. She is drawn further into her own memories, recalling the way that her mother was transformed by addiction, even giving away her cherished dog, Bingo. Stella wants to talk to Marco about the Barclays and get his opinion. She receives a text message from Pete, telling her that he has more information about Tina.

Pete sends Stella a cell phone video. In it, Tina tells him that she got “another one” and shows him a card. It is a goodbye card, and the words “GET OUT” are written in large letters. She says that she has no idea who is sending the cards, and she is afraid. She also tells Pete that she thinks someone is upstairs. Suddenly, Rose bursts into the room, alarming Tina. Rose is smiling.

Stella meets with Detective Garcia, the lead investigator into Tina’s death. Detective Garcia shares that any of the family members could be a murderer but admits that she has not been able to gather enough evidence to file charges. She also shares her suspicion that Rose might have been involved. Her vegetable basket was empty on the day in question, so Detective Garcia does not believe the story that Rose had been picking vegetables. It wasn’t until she asked about Rose’s possible involvement in Tina’s death that Ian and Beth refused to take polygraph tests.

Stella is sure that “something evil” is lurking in the Barclay home, and she is also sure that Rose is at the epicenter of it. Stella has returned to the Barclay home to interview Harriet, who blames Ian for the breakup of their family. It is also clear that Harriet does not respect her son. When asked point-blank, Harriet tells Stella that she thinks Beth should be granted custody. Stella wants to search Rose’s room for the shard of glass and the stolen box cutter, so she tells Harriet that she is going to leave a photograph of Rose with the squirrel on her way out. Without waiting for a response, she rushes into the house.