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Her eyes widened. “Okay.”
“Everything is okay. But I have to have a grown-up talk with that man out there, so I need you to stay in your room and not come out until I tell you to.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know yet, sweetie pie. But I need you to play with your toys in here until I tell you to come out.”
A look of fear crossed her face. “Is he a bad man?”
Shit. What have I done? I don’t want to scare her. Squeezing her shoulders, I said, “No, not at all, honey. Not at all. He’s a nice man. But there’s just some grown-up stuff he and I need to talk about. You don’t have anything to worry about, though. Okay?”
She blinked several times. “Okay, Billie.”
I hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much, pumpkin. I’ll come back in as soon as I can.”
I realized telling her to stay in her room was not ideal. But all I needed was for the investigator to start questioning her. Or Saylor to innocently offer him information. Then what? It would all be over.
I have to warn Colby.
Before I left the room, I shot out a text. My hands shook as I typed.
Billie: There’s an investigator here.
The dots moved as he responded.
Colby: OMG. What?
Billie: I told him I was babysitting.
Colby: Fuck! I thought they didn’t do drop-ins until after the hearing!
Billie: Apparently, they do.
Colby: He’s not talking to Saylor, is he?
Billie: I made up a story that she wasn’t feeling well and asked her to do me a big favor and stay in her room. I explained that I needed to talk to the man about grown-up stuff. I’m texting you from her room. I feel sick right now.
Colby: You did the right thing.
Billie: He asked if he could hang out here until you got back. I was afraid to send him away because this might be a good opportunity to deal with it head on, since I’m able to warn you. One less visit where you’re unprepared. If you can get back here with Maya…it might work out.
In what universe was I actually asking him to bring that bitch back here?
Colby: Good thinking. I’m gonna try to track her down.
Billie: If not, don’t come back here at all because he thinks you’re out together. You’d better get your stories straight about where you went, too. I need to go back out there. Just get here if you can.
I put the phone in my pocket and headed back out to where the man was still standing by the door.
“Sorry… She wanted me to read her a story,” I said.
He crossed his arms. “So, how long have you worked here?”
“I don’t recall exactly when I started, but it’s been a while now.”
“Years or…”
“Months,” I answered.
His eyes wandered down to my chest and back up. Lovely. A perv in disguise.
He cleared his throat. “Do you mind if I ask you some questions about the household?”
If I refused, would that only add suspicion to the whole situation? “Sure…” I forced a smile.
“What’s it like to work here?”
“Oh, I love it. Saylor is the sweetest. And Colby and Maya are great parents. They mainly call me over when they need a break. I’m not the main nanny or anything. Just an occasional babysitter.”
“What do you know about their relationship?”
“They’re very loving toward each other. But given that I’m mainly here with Saylor, I can’t say I spend a lot of time with them.”
Richard scratched his chin. “I suppose that’s a good point.”
“Their lives aren’t really any of my business,” I added.
He wrote something down. “Where did they go today?”
“I don’t typically ask them where they’re going. But it was a day-date…for leisure.”
He arched a brow. “You said it’s okay if I wait for them to return?”
“Sure. I don’t mind,” I said, feigning a lax attitude. “Can I get you anything to drink? A juice box? Some Goldfish?”
He laughed. “I’m good, thanks. Although if my ten-year-old were here, he’d be champing at the bit for some Goldfish.”
Richard began wandering the space. There weren’t any photos out. Nothing incriminating one way or the other that I could see. I prayed he didn’t ask to go into Colby’s bedroom. When he finally stopped walking around and took a seat on the couch, I used the opportunity to go check on Saylor.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to check on her again—make sure she’s okay and doesn’t need anything.”
“Go right on ahead.” He smiled.
I slowly opened her bedroom door and closed it behind me. “How’s it going, Saylor?”
She waved her little hand. “Hi.”
She was being so good, with her dolls seated at the little table. I wanted to cry. Such an innocent scene in the midst of this horrid drama.
She looked so proud. “We’re having a tea party.”
“Wow. I can see that. What a nice spread you have set up.”
