Page 65 of The Billionaire’s Nanny

"Yes, that Saturday."

Melinda wrote that down, too, and then she put the statement back in the folder and turned to a printed sheet behind it.

"The household list is the part I sign off on. Ms. Cole, the paper you returned says there are two people living in the main house and Ms. Harper is in the cottage as a live-in nanny. Is that current?"

"It is."

"Is your relationship with Ms. Harper personal in any way?"

"No," Carrington said.

Lucy was wringing the towel out over the sink. She stopped.

"Ms. Harper." Melinda turned her head to look at her. Her voice did not change at all. "Is your relationship with Ms. Cole personal in any way?"

Lucy flicked her eyes across the kitchen. Carrington didn’t move and was perfectly statuesque, but Lucy had learned to read Carrington’s tells by now. She was looking at the folder on the counter and didn’t look up, but Lucy knew she was listening to every word.

"Yes, it is," Lucy said.

Carrington pulled the stool out from under the counter and sat down on it. The legs dragged over the tile. She didn’t say anything or look over.

Alvarez's pen didn't move for about two seconds.

"I'm going to note that the two answers don't match," Melinda said. "That's all it is at this stage. It doesn't change anything I do today."

She wrote one line and found her place on the page again.

"Does she talk about her mother?" Melinda continued.

"Not often. There's a book of her mother's that came here in a box a couple of weeks ago." Lucy folded the towel over once. "She read it out loud to herself every night for about a week. Then she put it back in the box under her bed."

"Did she say why?"

"No. She put it away herself, so I left it."

"Does she see friends outside of school?"

"One. Kayla. Grace was over at her house a few weeks ago, and they're sitting together on the bus to the aquarium in June."

Melinda wrote that down, too, and underlined Kayla’s name. She asked who else was going on the trip.

Lucy had been waiting all morning for her voice to shake. It still hadn't. The towel was cold and wet in her fists. She put it down, took the pot off the warmer, and refilled Melinda's coffee cup.

23

CARRINGTON

Melinda Alvarez took her keys out of her bag before they reached the car.

"Thank you for coming out," Carrington said. "Diane Bell keeps my calendar if your office needs anything further."

"You'll have the summary within ten days." Melinda set the canvas bag on the passenger seat, straightened, and clasped Carrington’s hand.

"Thank you."

Melinda got in and drove off, turning left at the road. Carrington watched her until the gate swung shut against the post. She walked back into the house. She could hear Bettina's radio softly playing at the back of the house.

In the study, she set the folder down on the desk. The courtyard was white through the north window. She turned from it and called Diane.