Enzo Accardi: the protective husband with a violent past in The Housemaid Is Watching

Overview

Enzo Accardi is Millie’s devoted husband and the father of Nico and Ada. A former Italian mob enforcer, he fled to America after killing his sister’s abusive husband. In the third novel of Freida McFadden’s series, Enzo’s past resurfaces as a murder investigation threatens to destroy his family. His defining characteristic is a fierce willingness to sacrifice himself—he confesses to a killing he did not commit to shield his daughter Ada from prosecution. This page analyses his motivations, actions, relationships, and thematic significance.

Plot role

Enzo serves as both a red herring and a tragic protector. Early in the story, his secretive behaviour, blood-stained hands, and relationship with neighbour Suzette make him the prime suspect in Jonathan Lowell’s murder. Detective Willard builds a case around Enzo’s pocketknife and his history of violence. Yet the final twist reveals that eleven-year-old Ada is the real killer. Enzo’s false confession intensifies the suspense and underscores his parentally sacrificial nature. Without his willingness to take the blame, Millie might never have discovered the truth about Ada’s actions.

Motivations and traits shown through actions

Enzo’s primary motivation is protecting his family. Several actions illustrate this:

• Violence as a means of justice: He beat his brother-in-law half to death after the man murdered his sister. This is not hotheaded rage; it is calculated revenge for a loved one.
• Domestic gentleness: Despite his past, he carries an IKEA sofa, helps unpack boxes, teases Millie, and supports Nico’s desire for a praying mantis. These everyday acts show he craves normality.
• Secrecy around his past: He never tells Millie he worked for the mobster Dario Fontana for eight years. When Cecelia brings it up, he is visibly shaken, fearing that reveal could destroy his family.
• Helping Martha in secret: He gives the abused cleaning woman money and a gun to escape her husband, but does not tell Millie because he “didn’t want to stress her.” This shows both compassion and a habit of concealment.
• False confession: He admits to killing Jonathan and claims it was for insurance money—a transparent lie designed to end the investigation and protect Ada. Cecelia immediately doubts the motive.
• Loyalty and humour: He deflects Millie’s jealousy with jokes (“I am afraid of you”) and reassures her of his loyalty, even when her suspicions grow.

Interpretation note: The text does not explicitly state Enzo’s internal emotional state when confessing. It only shows his words and Millie’s reaction. The inference that he acts from pure paternal love is supported by Ada’s later confession and Enzo’s known rescue of his sister.

Chronological arc

Enzo’s arc moves from silent protector to accused suspect to freed innocent.

This arc mirrors the book’s themes of surveillance and paranoia—Enzo is watched, suspected, and nearly condemned based on appearance.

Relationships

Millie

Their marriage is built on mutual knowledge of dark pasts. Millie reflects that she “has always known he is a good liar.” They share a history of violence: Millie was wrongfully convicted and fears her own temper. Enzo’s confession devastates her briefly, but she later believes him because of their shared mission to help women in danger (Martha). Their bond is tested but endures.

Ada

Enzo’s relationship with his daughter is the emotional core of his arc. He speaks to her in Italian to comfort her during the police search. When Ada confesses, the reader realizes that Enzo took the blame to protect her. The final chapter hints Ada identifies with her mother’s violence, not Enzo’s, but Enzo’s willingness to sacrifice himself shows his unconditional love.

Nico

Enzo teaches Nico that it “is okay to defend a bullied person,” echoing his own past. This lesson fuels a fight at school and suggests the cycle of protective violence may continue.

Suzette Lowell

Their relationship is purely transactional from Enzo’s side—he helps her friend Martha. But Suzette’s flirting and his secret motel visits (actually with Martha) create the false impression of an affair. Enzo tolerates her because he needs the landscaping job.

Martha

Enzo sees Martha’s abuse and decides to help her escape, giving her money and a gun. This mirrors the help he once gave his sister. It also places him at the crime scene—Martha kills Jonathan, and Enzo’s pocketknife is left behind.

Key decisions and consequences

1. Beating his brother-in-law – Forced him to flee Italy, start anew, but left a record of violence that resurfaces.
2. Helping Martha secretly – Creates an alibi that looks guilty; police find blood on his hands and knife, leading to arrest.
3. Confessing to Jonathan’s murder – Causes his arrest and family trauma, but buys time for Suzette’s real confession.
4. Warning Nico about bullying – Encourages his son’s violent behavior, but aligns with Enzo’s moral code.

Interpretation: The narrative suggests Enzo’s decisions are always defensive. Even his violent past is framed as revenge for his sister’s death. The text does not judge his methods; it presents them as tragic necessities.

Theme and symbol connections

• Deception and secrets: Enzo’s hidden past (working for Dario Fontana) and secret help for Martha drive the plot. He even conceals his sister’s husband’s name.
• Parental sacrifice and protection: His false confession is the ultimate act of a parent shielding a child. He is willing to go to prison for a daughter who is not sorry.
• Surveillance and paranoia: Throughout the novel, Enzo is watched—by Janice, by Suzette, by the police. His every move is scrutinized, and he becomes a victim of the neighborhood’s mistrust.
• Class inequality and social aspiration: Enzo works as a landscaper, trying to provide a dream home. The private beach scene highlights economic tension with the Lowells.
• Violence and its legacy: Ada inherits the capacity for violence; Enzo’s own history normalizes it. The epilogue shows Ada threatening a bully with castration, mirroring Enzo’s muscle-bound justice.

5 book‑specific questions and answers

1. Why does Enzo confess to a murder he did not commit?

Answer: Enzo confesses because he believes Ada killed Jonathan in self‑defense and wants to protect her from prosecution and lifetime trauma. He claims the motive was insurance money, but Cecelia doubts that, and Millie realizes the truth when Ada admits the killing.

2. What was Enzo’s job before coming to America?

Answer: He worked for his brother‑in‑law Dario Fontana, a mobster, for eight years starting at age sixteen. During that time he likely performed violent tasks, though the text leaves those details vague. When Fontana killed Enzo’s sister, Enzo beat him half to death and fled.

3. How does Enzo’s relationship with Martha affect the murder investigation?

Answer: Enzo befriended Martha, gave her a gun and money, and rented a motel room to help her escape an abusive husband. Jonathan caught Martha stealing jewelry and threatened to call police; Martha killed him with a letter opener. Enzo’s knife got blood on it later when he presumably discovered the body or tried to clean up.

4. Is Enzo jealous of Suzette’s flirting?

Answer: No. He teases Millie about being jealous but remains loyal. He tolerates Suzette only to secure a landscaping promotion. Millie repeatedly misinterprets his smiles and phone calls as infidelity, but those are about helping Martha.

5. In what ways do Enzo and Millie mirror each other?

Answer: Both have violent pasts. Millie was wrongfully convicted and committed violence (implied from earlier books). Enzo beat his sister’s killer. Both lie to protect family. Millie reflects that she has “always known he is a good liar” just as she herself lies. Their shared willingness to cross moral lines binds them.

For a deeper analysis of the novel’s endings and themes, explore the ending explained page and the themes of deception and secrets.