Baby Love (Baby #2)(124)

Trey had taken the phone from me before we hung up wanting to talk to his mom one last time. He went into the kitchen away from the rest of us apparently not wanting anyone else to hear what he said to her. I started clearing the table curious as to what he might be telling her.

As I carried the dirty plates to the kitchen he was telling her good-bye.

"What was that about?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

Trey gave me his crooked grin and looked a bit sheepish.

"I asked Mom to put Nigel and Tess in the room next to ours and put Tristan and Gina in the other wing."

"Trey," I said, trying to stifle a grin, "You are too much."

It was back to work as usual the day after Christmas for everyone but me. I had gotten up with Trey to start the packing for our move in two weeks. We had driven out to the house Christmas evening and it was pretty much finished with the exception of some minor finish work and the overall cleaning of it. That was scheduled to take place January 5th. Our move-in date was January 7th.

Gina was going to get her furniture out of storage the day we moved. She was anxious to move into the master suite with that 'bad ass' bathroom as she called it.

My father had called me on the 27th to tell me that the Grand Jury had met and would re-convene once the forensic testing had been concluded on my mother's autopsy. He said he was using his connections to expedite the testing as much as he could.

The results of Maggie's autopsy had been released but it apparently showed an "inconclusive" toxicology report. That was disappointing. Her cause of death had simply been listed as "natural causes" with a notation as to being related to an untreated bacterial infection that had caused her to go 'septic.'

Matthew was being held without bond on his current charges. He apparently had hired a fairly competent attorney from Jackson. Trey and I had identified the clothing that was collected at Matthew's home. The pink bib overalls and white cotton turtleneck that Susan had dressed her in the day she was abducted had been found underneath a sofa bed in his living room.

We figured that Maggie had probably been sleeping there with Preston for however long they had stayed there. They had found some strands of what proved to be Preston's baby hair on the inside of the white turtleneck and it matched the DNA samples taken from Preston when she had seen the pediatrician after the feds had taken her into protective custody in West Virginia.

The phone records that Daniel had provided Trey showed that Maggie had been in touch with Matthew while living in Indiana with Daniel; and that she had also been in touch with Charlie in Bristol. That most likely had been during her efforts to arrange for my untimely "accident." The records also showed that she had accepted a couple of collect calls from an inmate at the state prison where Charlie had been incarcerated. The prison authorities were to question Charlie. My father wasn't certain if all outgoing calls were taped from the prison, and if so, how long the tapes were kept on file.

There were two phone calls made to another party in Atlanta. The number tied back to a track phone which essentially was a dead end.

My guess was that it was the person that had worked as a doorman at our apartment building that had been supplied by the questionable temp agency. He somehow was connected to Maggie or Matthew. At this point, we were no longer certain whose plan it was. I still suspected it was Maggie's plan that somehow went awry and Matthew got involved for his own personal gain.

My father inquired as to how Preston liked the gift he had sent. It was a beautiful antique porcelain doll that resembled her.

"I'm sure she will love it Dad, but for now it is placed carefully away until she understands she can't drag it around like the rest of her toys."

"I suppose it is a bit old for her. That just shows you how clueless I am with children I guess."

"I don't know about that," I replied, "You do pretty well with me and I'm your child."

"Thanks daughter," he said softly.

He asked me what was new with us. I told him that we would be in Bristol for the New Year holiday; and then moving to our new home. I asked him when he thought he might be able to pay us a visit since we would have ample room.

"My court schedule is fairly full for the next few weeks and then I am also interviewing for the staff position at my estate."

"What staff position?"

"Didn't I tell you? Ms. Deeny left my employ right before Christmas."

"Really?"

(How strange was that?)

"Yes she handed me a typed up letter of resignation on December 21st stating that it was effective immediately and left."

"Don’t you find that odd, Dad?"

"To be honest Tylar, everything about her was odd. I'm not sure why I even kept her on after Olivia passed away. I suppose I didn't feel like having to interview for a replacement which is what I have to do now anyway. I never took to her very well. It was Olivia that was so fond of her."

"Well anyway, Dad, please find some time to come visit when your schedule allows. Trey will have the horses moved in by the end of January."

"I will Tylar. Take care honey."

I told Trey about the conversation that I had with my father earlier in the day.

"Do you find it strange that Ms. Deeny left his employ so suddenly after I showed up in the picture?"