She Threw His Little Girl From the Balcony—But the Maid Caught Her, and What the Father Discovered Next Destroyed His Marriage

"I was there," Maya said.

Julian did not speak.

Detective Cole closed the interview room door.

Maya folded her hands on the table so no one would see them shake.

"I did not work for you then. I worked for the catering company that delivered meals to home-care patients. Ava was on our route."

Julian's eyes narrowed. "You knew my wife?"

"Barely. I brought food to the house maybe six times. The night before she went to the hospital, I made the delivery myself because our driver was sick."

Maya had remembered Ava immediately when she applied to work at the Mercer mansion two years later. But Julian was grieving less openly by then, and Maya had been afraid that mentioning a brief connection would sound strange.

"What happened that night?" Cole asked.

"Vivian opened the door. She told me Ava was asleep. I heard Ava call from upstairs that she was awake. Vivian looked angry."

Maya swallowed.

"Then Conrad came down the stairs. He had a document folder under his arm. Vivian said, 'By Monday, none of this matters.' I thought they were talking about a business deadline."

Julian stood and paced toward the wall.

"Why didn't you say anything when you started working here?"

"Because I did not know it mattered. And because by then Vivian was your wife."

The truth sounded weak even to Maya.

Julian turned.

"Did you take this job because of Ava?"

"No. I took it because I needed work. I stayed because Lily liked me, and because after a few months I started seeing things that scared me."

"And you never told me."

"I tried. Twice. Vivian intercepted one message. Your assistant canceled the other meeting."

Julian's anger shifted.

"Which assistant?"

"Martin's office handled your home schedule that month."