Chapter 6 - The Woman Before Helen
Victoria refused to answer.
Instead, she asked for her attorney.
Richard told Daniel to keep her out of the residential wing until the police arrived.
That was when Victoria stopped pretending to be hurt.
“You’re choosing a servant’s secret recording over your wife?”
“I’m choosing my daughter.”
Victoria laughed once. Cold. Quiet.
“You should have done that months ago.”
The words struck him harder than shouting would have.
Police arrived discreetly through the service entrance. Richard did not want the gala guests involved, but gossip moved faster than security. Within twenty minutes, donors were leaving through the front doors while black cars lined the driveway.
Richard stayed upstairs with Maya.
Daniel searched employment records.
There had been another nursery aide before Mrs. Gable.
Her name was Nicole Ramsey.
She had worked at the estate for only nineteen days.
Richard barely remembered her.
The file said she had resigned unexpectedly.
Her resignation letter was signed.
But the phone number on her application still worked.
Richard called.
A woman answered on the fourth ring.
“Nicole?”
Silence.
“This is Richard Sterling.”
The line went dead.
He called again.
Blocked.
Daniel found a current address in Queens.
“I’ll send someone,” he said.
“No. I’m going.”
“You should stay with Maya.”
Richard looked at his daughter asleep against the couch pillow, one hand still gripping his sleeve.
He hated leaving her.
But he hated not knowing more.
Before dawn, Nicole finally called back.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“If you’re really Richard Sterling, answer one question.”
“What?”
“Does your daughter still have the night-light shaped like a moon?”
“Yes.”
Nicole exhaled shakily.
“Then listen carefully. I didn’t quit.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“What happened?”
“Your wife made sure I could never come back.”
“How?”
May you like
Nicole’s next sentence changed the entire case.
“She had me arrested.”
