Baby Love (Baby #2)(39)
"Certainly not detective! I resent your accusation. For one thing, I am still employed as a nurse unlike what this resume presents. I imagine this Maggie Preston would have to have had a background check done in order to even sign with the agency so that is likely where she found my identity to work to her advantage."
"But how would Maggie Preston have known the Sinclair's were looking for a babysitter?"
"I don't know the answer to that detective, but by the same token, how would I have known that piece of information either? I would speculate that Maggie Preston knew someone closer to the Sinclair family than I did. I actually had never even met them."
The detective seemed puzzled at this point. She was conferring with the other detective in the room. They decided that they had no further questions of Sheila Bradley at this point and she was free to leave.
I turned to look at Tristan trying to gauge his reaction. I couldn't read him as easily as I did Trey.
"Well, what do you think?" I asked.
"I think that Sheila Bradley had nothing whatsoever to do with this and I am totally sure you have been right all along that your mother - I mean Maggie did."
Trey must have shared the recent information I had received from Daniel about Maggie with Tristan.
We thanked Detective Hook and he promised to keep us updated on the progress of the investigation. Tristan and I left the building and headed towards the parking lot in silence. Once settled in the car I finally shared my thoughts with him.
"The thing that bothers me, Tristan, is that someone close to us, either at Trey's firm or at the apartment building has supplied information that helped my mother register at the agency and then get the interview appointment that day. That scares me."
"I know," he agreed, "I've been thinking about that angle as well. Trey shared with me the incident with your housekeeper getting run down. I would have to bet it's someone at the apartment building. Someone that knows your comings and goings --"
"One of the doormen," we both said in unison.
"Okay," Tristan said, taking charge, "I am going to get background checks done on all of the maintenance and security personnel at the building. Trey gave me the name of a local investigative agency that gets things done very quickly."
"Sounds good," I replied. "What should I do?"
"How about you go and visit Jean?"
"I haven't seen her since before Preston was taken. I'm not sure what I would say when she asks about Preston and I know she will."
"Tylar, she may know things that she doesn't realize are in any way connected to what happened to her much less to Preston's abduction. You can find a way to break it to her. It may motivate her to really think deep and hard about what she observed on the days she worked for you and Trey."
"Okay Tristan; take me back to get my car and I'll go see her."
Jean had just finished with physical therapy for the day when I arrived at her room. As soon as I saw her face, I knew that she knew.
“Oh Tylar,” she wailed, “Please tell me that you have good news about the baby. I’ve been watching the television and when I saw her precious little face on the screen, I couldn’t believe that someone would steal her. Is it true that your own mother is the prime suspect?”
“More or less,” I replied. I didn’t want to get into all of the sordid details surrounding my bloodline at the moment.
“Jean I need your help.”
“I will help in any way I can Tylar.”
“Jean we’ve come to believe that the hit and run accident you fell victim to was done purposely and is connected with Preston’s abduction. Can you think back over the past several months – or even as far back as when I had the baby? Have you noticed anyone lurking around the apartment building; coming to the door while you were there, phoning and asking questions about Trey or me – anything no matter how trivial that involved us?”
“I don’t understand. Why would someone want to run me down in order to take Preston?”
“My suspicion is that someone hoped to gain access to our apartment by perhaps applying for the cleaning job that you currently hold. When Trey’s mother came to stay with us that thwarted any plans someone may have had in an effort to gain access to the baby through a temporary position.”
“There was something I recall Tylar. It was during the time that you were in the hospital having the baby. I was on my way out one evening and the doorman that was fairly new chatted with me outside the building while I waited for my bus. He was kind of nosey come to think of it.”
“Do you recall the specifics of the conversation?”
“Well he asked me if I lived in the building or just came to visit a lot. He said he was trying to recognize the faces of the tenants or their family. I told him I came in three days a week to clean the Sinclair apartment. He was very personable and likeable. He said he and his mama had just moved to Atlanta and he was glad to have found a job here. He mentioned that his mama might be interested in cleaning and wondered what agency had placed me. I gave him the name of the agency that Mr. Sinclair had used when he found me.”
“Did he say anything further or ask any more questions?”
“He acted as if he knew you and Mr. Sinclair. When I mentioned that I cleaned for you he said something like, ‘oh yes, the couple that just had a baby girl.’ I found that kind of odd.”