BBW Babysitter’s Club Brielle

I made it down to breakfast in time to take over feeding Lily. Just as I was about to dig in to my own breakfast of eggs and bacon the phone rang. Brandon answered and walked out of the room.

“We’re needed downtown. No don’t panic it’s me they want to see but I’m not letting you out of my sight until this thing gets cleared up.”

I was still nervous getting dressed to go with him but he seemed so relaxed that by the time the driver was pulling into the parking lot of the municipal building I was no longer so tense.

I was a bit surprised at the way the men who met us at the door greeted him. They were all but bowing down in front of him. And everything was sir this and sir that. I was even more surprised when the room we were ushered into was a conference room in the D.A.’s office.

There was a lot of hand slapping and reminiscence before everyone sat down. I found it funny that my new husband didn’t bat a lash at bringing his young daughter along to a meeting like this.

“So, the reason it took so long for the cops to get back to you, is because they combed through the whole series of surveillance going back a little before the actual date of your wife’s hiring.” I liked that everyone already knew I was his wife. His doing no doubt.

The D.A. tossed a small packet in front of Brandon who opened it and took out something I hadn’t seen in a while, actual photographs. “I had the guys process those stills as well as sending you the digitals.”

I couldn’t see the pictures but I could see Brandon getting pissed the more of them he looked at. I held out my hand. “Can I see?” He shook his head and pulled the packet closer under his hand out of my reach.

Uh-oh, he’s one of those. I love it. He was looking so mean, like he wanted to snatch someone’s head off and it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

He kept going through the images one at a time, staying longer on some than others. I had no idea what the pictures were but I was sure they had something to do with the accusation against me.

“I just wanna know, is my wife cleared?”

“Yes, though we did find….” Brandon held up his hand to stop the other man.

“Not with my wife and kid here. I’ll talk to you in a little bit. Brielle come.” He got up and held out his hand for me to take with Lily on my hip.

Brandon

“This is my fault. I don’t want you to think about it anymore. Your part in it is done.”

“Why can’t I see the pictures?”

“Because they’re not for your eyes.” I heaved a heavy sigh when she pouted and sulked. I married a damn brat.

“Let’s just say that they have enough to know who was poisoning Lily.”

“Poison? You mean…” She looked at my daughter asleep in her car seat.

“It wasn’t exactly poison. She was feeding her strawberries. As you know, Lily’s allergic. She was giving her just enough to make her sick but not enough to do too much damage. But over time…”

“Can they arrest her for that?”

“That’s what the D.A. was getting around to and where this conversation ends.” I don’t need her to know anything more than that she’s okay. After that everything is mine to do.

I took them home and holed up in my home office the rest of the day. The long story short version is that Rachel had been making Lily sick for weeks, even before Brielle showed up in our lives.

The woman I’d felt sorry for and allowed to stay in my home to be near her child had tried to kill that child. And I didn’t see it. The truth is I haven’t really picked my head up and looked around since I got married. Not unless it had to do with work.

It was only here lately, after the divorce became final and especially after meeting Brielle, that I’ve been paying attention. When I finally came out from under the festering cloud that is Rachel.

Is that why I’d reacted so strongly to Brielle? Because I was able to see her, feel her, the moment we met? Maybe! But there’s no excuse for me not paying attention and not knowing that my child was in danger.

I called the D.A. while she was busy with Lily and got all the information and a promise to be kept up to date with their progress. I had my own people looking for her as well since she seem to have disappeared, so wasn’t worried about her getting away.

She looked up expectantly when I walked into the kitchen where she was getting ready to feed Lily. The staff hasn’t been here since we came back and won’t be for a few days so she was stuck making lunch.