“Who else was alone with Noah today… before I got there?”
There was a long silence on the phone.
And when Megan finally answered…
Her voice was barely audible.
“…the nanny.”
“…the nanny.”
The word hung in the air between us.
My heart skipped.
“You hired a nanny?” I asked slowly.
Daniel came back on the phone.
“Just part-time,” he said quickly. “Only for a few hours in the mornings so Megan can rest.”
“When did this start?”
“About two weeks ago.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to steady my breathing.
“And today?” I asked. “Was she with Noah before I arrived?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Yes,” he admitted.
My stomach tightened.
“How long?”
“About an hour. Megan had a doctor’s appointment.”
I felt a chill crawl up my spine.
“Daniel,” I said carefully, “did you notice anything strange about her?”
“No,” he said immediately. “She seemed great. Calm, professional. She had excellent references.”
“What’s her name?”
“Laura.”
Just then the hospital room door opened and Dr. Patel stepped inside.
“We’ve stabilized Noah,” he said gently. “He’s resting now.”
Relief washed over me, but it lasted only a moment.
“There’s something else we found,” he continued.
My chest tightened again.
“What?”
He handed me a printed scan image.
“Take a look here.”
I stared at the ultrasound picture.
At first I didn’t understand.
Then I saw it.
Several faint oval marks around the bruise.
Not just one handprint.
Multiple.
My hands began to shake again.
“Those look like…” I whispered.
“Finger pressure points,” Dr. Patel confirmed.
