AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The FBI cleared her, too,” Kelly said. “She’s never been arrested. At least not under the name she gave you.”
“What makes you think she has an alias?”
“I don’t know that she does. I’m throwing out theories.”
“I don’t like your theories.”
“You didn’t like your son being kidnapped, either.” Kelly sat cross-legged on the sofa, facing him. “Collins Island is just your winter home, right?”
“Right. Usually we live the rest of the year in Manhattan.”
“Does Maria travel back and forth with you and Jason?”
“No,” Trey said. “Jason has another nanny in New York.”
“So what does Maria do the rest of the year?”
He stared at Kelly. “I don’t know.”
“Does she have another job?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you ever think to ask?”
“No. It’s her business.”
“The day we met, you told me that you and Jason stayed in Florida longer than usual so he could continue therapy with Dr. Carico.”
“Yes. Carico thought her continued treatment would improve Jason’s condition.” Remembering his disgust with Carico, Trey ran a hand through his hair. If he’d gone north, Jason wouldn’t have been abducted. He’d been blind to Carico’s ulterior motives.
Was Kelly onto something? Could he be blind about Maria, too? He had noted a change in her behavior lately—she’d somehow seemed more nervous. He’d attributed that to the horror of the kidnapping and being attacked.
“So Maria just miraculously became available when you remained?” Kelly asked.
Trey hesitated, trying to remember how that conversation had gone. “Well, I told her we were staying and asked her if she could continue on.”
“Is she married?”
“No.”
“Has she ever been married?”
“Not according to the background check.”
“Children?”
“How could she have kids and live in here with us?”
“Relatives. What about a boyfriend?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard her mention one.”
“Do you have a lot of personal conversations with your staff?”
“Are you interrogating me, Kelly?”
“I’m trying to find out how much you really know about Maria. It doesn’t seem like it’s a whole hell of a lot.”
Trey stared at Kelly.
“And yet you trust her with your son.”
His throat tightened at her accusation, and he swallowed to release the tension. But Maria harm Jason? No way. Kelly had to be wrong.
“What evidence have you seen of a drug problem?” he demanded “I’ve never seen her high. Have you?”
“No. Just jittery in the afternoon, but happy in the morning. Once I saw her take a pill.”
“Maybe she’s on medication.”
“For what?”
“How would I know?” But maybe he should.
“Maybe you should,” Kelly said, echoing his own thought.
“Damn you, Kelly.”
She poked an accusing finger at him. “Don’t blame me, Trey. I’m trying to figure this mess out.”
He released a breath. Why was he lashing out at Kelly? She didn’t want anything from him, had refused all his offers of payment, had even turned down the watch. She was perhaps the only person in his life who didn’t tell him what she believed he wanted to hear.
The FBI took her concerns seriously. So should he.
“Sometimes I forget you’re a cop,” he said.
She nodded. “Don’t do that.”
“But I’m convinced Maria loves Jason,” Trey said.
“And I don’t disagree. The thing is, if she has an addiction, she can’t help herself. The capsule she took was out of an orange container, like from a pharmacy, but being hooked on prescription meds is a huge problem in this country.”
“I know all about that,” Trey said. “Darlene was treated by a quack who gave her whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it.”
“I’d like to use the FBI’s resources to dig a little deeper into Maria.”
“God, I hate this,” Trey said.
