Page 10 of The Perfect Revenge
Before the ambulance took him away, Gray Sterling managed to do one last thing.
Strapped to a gurney and with the sedative he'd been given already kicking in, he texted Emma's nanny, Jolie, asking her to come over right away.Apparently, she had the day off, but she replied that she could be at the house within the hour.Susannah insisted that he not reveal the reason for the schedule change.They wanted to get Jolie's reaction to the news of Veronica's death first-hand.
By the time she arrived just after 9:30, most of the vehicles had gone.In fact, only two squad cars and Susannah's vehicle remained.Two officers were positioned outside the house to prevent curious onlookers from getting too close.
Inside, the young female officer who'd been sitting with Emma on the bed remained with her.Impressively, she managed to get the girl to reveal that her mommy had come into her room last night to sing her a lullaby after she got scared because of the "thunder booms."Her partner stayed in the kitchen, taping it off.
Jessie and Susannah were in a dining room with a view of the front yard when the nanny pulled up.They wanted to observe her reaction to the situation before talking to her directly.It didn’t take long.
Jolie Maines got out of her beat up Honda Accord and slowly walked up the path.Jessie guessed that the woman was in her mid-twenties.She had short brown hair, glasses with magenta frames, and wore a floral sundress and hiking boots.She was pale-skinned and a little plump.Jessie thought she had the look of a student.Even behind the glasses, her eyes were narrowed in apprehension as she took note of the police tape and the officer on the front step.They went out to meet her.
“Ms.Maines?”Susannah asked when they stepped outside.
“Yes.What’s going on?Where are the Sterlings?”
Susannah ignored the question.“I’m detective Susannah Valentine.This is Jessie Hunt.We work for the Los Angeles Police Department.Mr.Sterling requested that you come over today because of some unfortunate developments.He was hoping you could watch Emma for the day.”
“Can you please tell me what this is all about first?”She was getting edgy about being kept in the dark.
“Of course, Jolie,” Jessie said, trying to set her at ease a little by using her first name.Come inside and we’ll explain what’s going on.”
They led her down the same hallway that Sergeant Carson had guided them along only an hour earlier and emerged in the enormous family room.Jolie settled into a loveseat, and the others took spots on the couch across from her.
“We’ve got some bad news, Jolie,” Jessie said.“Mrs.Sterling passed away overnight.”
She watched the young woman closely.Her eyes welled up with tears even as she exhaled heavily.She seemed to have already sensed the truth.Between the police presence, the text from Gray Sterling, and the request to watch Emma, she had to know something terrible had happened, but not to either of them.That left only Veronica.
“What happened?”she asked after she was able to collect herself.
“We’re still trying to figure that out,” Susannah said.“We’re hoping you might be able to help with that.”
“How couldIhelp?”
Susannah started to reply when Jolie interrupted.“And what about Emma?Who’s with her?I’m assuming not Mr.Sterling or he wouldn’t need me.”
"Right now she's with one of our officers," Jessie explained."Mr.Sterling had a medical emergency.He'll be okay, but he had to be taken to the hospital.Emma doesn't know anything about this yet.We wanted to let her father explain things in the way he thought best.But in the interim, he thought you would be the best person to keep her company."
“I’m fine with that.Can you take me to her?”
“Absolutely,” Susannah assured her.“But we have a few quick questions first.”
“Okay.”
“When did you last see Veronica?”
"Yesterday.She had a morning meeting in Westwood, preparing for some big fundraiser next week.It only took a couple of hours, though.She was back by lunchtime, and I left."
“Where did you go after that?”Jessie noted that Susannah tried not to sound overly aggressive in her questioning.She only half-succeeded.But Jolie was too focused on remembering her activities to note that she was being interrogated.
“I went to my afternoon class.”
“For what?”Jessie asked, trying to be conversational.
“I’m getting my masters in early childhood education.”
“Is that why you took the nanny job here?”
“Partly, yes.I love kids and value putting my studies into practice.But the Sterlings also pay really well, so the job helps a lot with my expenses.”
