No Stranger to Scandal - By Rachel Bailey Page 0,44
he’d implied she’d be helping with the investigation. Unfortunately, he hadn’t thought much past her safety till this morning.
“Hayden?”
“Tell me I’ll be able to trust you in there,” he said gruffly.
Her cheeks flushed pink. “You’re doubting me?”
“I’m acknowledging your split loyalties.”
“I’ve already proved you can trust me several times, including not telling Graham about Nancy Marlin when you asked me not to.” Her gaze was unwavering. “I’m on the side of truth, Hayden.”
His shoulders relaxed a fraction as he accepted her words. “Okay. But just so we’re clear, this interview is confidential.”
“Not a problem. I’m actually looking forward to seeing you interview someone else.”
“I usually run interviews alone, but if you have something to ask, let me know.”
“Which one am I—good cop or bad cop?” Her eyes twinkled with humor and suddenly he had to clench his hands on the wheel to stop himself reaching for her and feeling that curving mouth under his own.
“Barbara Jessup hasn’t done anything wrong, so we can probably dispense with the bad-cop role this time. Though if you’re still in the role-playing mood when we get back to the chalet—”
She laughed as she opened her door and said over her shoulder, “Let’s just deal with this meeting first.”
Barbara Jessup was an older woman with neatly pinned-back white hair and a welcoming smile. Hayden made the introductions when she met them at the door, and explained that Lucy was an ANS employee who was working as a consultant on this case. When she brought them into her living room, there was a plate of homemade cookies and a pot each of coffee and tea. He’d already spoken to her on the phone and she’d been keen to help, so after only a few minutes of small talk, they were able to jump to the heart of the matter.
Hayden placed his small recorder on the table and turned it on, then picked up his notebook and pen. “You spoke to Angelica Pierce, a journalist at ANS?”
“Oh, yes. A couple of times. The first time was back when President Morrow was just a senator. I always knew that boy would go far,” she said, pride filling her features.
“Then you spoke to her again more recently?”
Barbara picked up the plate of cookies and offered them around as she spoke. “About the time he was elected. Ms. Pierce said she had a few more questions.”
Hayden took a raisin-and-nut cookie but put it on his plate, keeping his hands free for taking notes. “Did you tell her about Eleanor Albert and the baby?”
The older woman squirmed a little in her seat. “In the first interview, she was asking about his school days and his friends, wanting to know if there were any left living here she could talk to. I gave her a few names, and when we came to dear Eleanor, I said I didn’t know where she was now and hadn’t seen her since she moved towns after giving up her baby.”
Just as he’d suspected, Angelica had stumbled over the information that had started the story. “Did you mention the baby might be the president’s?”
“Of course not!” Her teacup clattered into its saucer. “I’d never betray the family that way, even if I did know the truth.”
“I’m sure they appreciate that,” he said with a genuine smile. He liked Barbara Jessup. “When Angelica Pierce came the second time, did she ask about the baby again?”
Barbara sniffed. “She certainly did. But I told her I didn’t know anything.”
“And did you know more than you told her?”
“I know a lot of things about a lot of people, including about that baby. That doesn’t mean I’ll tell a journalist.” She looked pointedly at Lucy.
Lucy’s brows drew together and Hayden smothered a smile. “As I said, Lucy is helping with this investigation—you can trust her. Do you have friends or family who know the same things about Eleanor and the baby as you? People you might have talked to on the phone after Angelica left?”
Her face crinkled up in thought for a moment. “I did phone my friend Nancy Marlin and told her how the interview went.”
“Nancy knew about the baby?” He’d been planning to ask about Nancy Marlin since Lucy had overheard Angelica and Marnie discussing her, but it was even better that it had arisen naturally in the conversation.
“She worked for the Morrows for one summer, the one when Eleanor left, so she knew—or suspected—as much as me.”
He caught Lucy’s gaze. There was a faint flicker in her eyes that