Hidden - Laura Griffin Page 0,31
The TV was on in the kitchen, and Jill was eating breakfast. I was annoyed because Dana was late, and I needed to be in early. I’d called several times on Sunday to let Dana know, but she hadn’t returned my calls, and that’s very unlike her. Then I saw the pictures on the news.”
“You recognized the personal items?”
“Yes, but I knew before that. I was pouring my coffee and they were talking about a woman found near the jogging trail, and I just knew. Dana was down there every single morning. She was obsessive about her exercise.” Celeste rolled the stroller back and forth. “I saw the details in the paper this morning.” She glanced at Jillian, and Bailey could tell she didn’t want to elaborate about the murder. “It’s just awful.”
The tears welled again, and Bailey scooted over on the bench. “Do you want to sit down?”
She sat. Jillian squirmed against her straps, and Celeste unbuckled her. She scrambled out, dropping her sippy cup as she climbed onto her mother’s lap and rested her head on her shoulder.
“I know, love. It’s naptime.” Celeste kissed her forehead.
Bailey picked up the cup and put it in the stroller. She felt uneasy talking about Dana in front of Jillian, but Celeste didn’t seem to mind.
“As I mentioned in my email, I’m working on a profile.” Bailey took a notepad from her messenger bag and cast a glance at Jillian. “I was hoping to get some background info? I haven’t been able to find anything on social media.”
“I doubt you will. She’s not a social media person. Actually, that was one reason I hired her. She didn’t even have a cell phone when I met her, if you can believe that. She doesn’t like technology. Didn’t, I should say.”
“Mommy, I want Flopsy.”
“Flopsy’s at home, love. Remember? We forgot her on the sofa.”
“I want to go home.”
“Rosa’s coming, and then you can go snuggle with Flopsy and take a nap, okay?”
Jillian plugged her thumb into her mouth and looked at Bailey.
“Oh, here she is. Thank goodness.” Celeste stood and shifted Jillian to her hip as a young woman strode up the path. She had long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, and she waved excitedly as she neared them.
“Hey, chiquita!” She gave Jillian a kiss on the cheek. “I get to see you today!” Then she looked at Celeste. “Sorry I’m late. I had to park by the library.”
“It’s fine.”
Rosa looked at Jillian. “You want to ride in the stroller, or walk and help me push?”
“Push!”
“She had a PBJ at eleven.” Celeste set Jillian down. “There’re strawberries in the fridge for snack. I should be home by six.”
“I got it.” Rosa held her hand out, and Jillian took it.
Celeste leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of her daughter’s head. “Be good for Rosa, sweetie.”
Bailey watched them walk away and felt a pang of sympathy. She shifted her attention to Celeste, who was weeping openly now that her daughter wasn’t there to see her.
“Sorry.” She pulled a crumpled tissue from her tote bag. “I’m a mess right now.”
“I understand.”
She shook her head. “It’s horrible. Horrible. I still can’t get my mind around it. Stabbed? I can’t even imagine. Makes me never want to leave the house.” She blew her nose and gave Bailey a watery look. “Sorry.”
“Take your time.”
Celeste took a deep breath and blew it out. Then she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
“Okay, so you’re doing a profile.”
“I’d like to know more about what Dana was like. What was her background? What were her interests? Did she have any hobbies?”
“Well, she didn’t go out much. Which was good for me because I could call her up at a moment’s notice. She had a few girlfriends here and there, but I never met them.”
“She mentioned them to you? Do you happen to know their names?”
“No.”
“What about a boyfriend?”
She shook her head. “Not that I ever knew about. And I was glad, to tell you the truth. I told her in the interview, I didn’t want any men around Jillian, and she said that wouldn’t be a problem. Of course, she could have been seeing someone and never said anything.”
“How did you meet her?” Bailey asked.
“I got her name from a bulletin board in the anthropology building. You probably think that’s strange, looking for a nanny that way, but most people who post there are grad students or spouses of people who work here. Anyway, it all worked