to have a nourishing breakfast,” she replied. “You know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
She closed her eyes again, but then they popped back open. “You don’t think I made too much, do you?” she asked, horrified. “You don’t think I’m encouraging childhood obesity?”
Shaking his head, Ian said, “She was happy, she was fed, she was warm…,” he paused, “and any other comfort a child might need on her first day of school. You did fine, Mary. You’re a good mom.”
The reality of the situation finally hit home. “Ian, I’m a mom,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I mean, you know, not really…”
He placed his hand over hers. “Aye, really, you’re a mom,” he repeated. “And you’re doing a fine job of it.”
She couldn’t find her voice for several moments. “Thank you, Ian,” she finally whispered.
“I did naught but tell the truth,” he replied. “So, now, what’s in the plan for today?”
Taking a deep breath, she sat up and turned to him again. “Oh, you mean besides having you watch over me like a hawk?”
He grinned. “Aye, besides that.”
“I think we ought to talk to Hope’s mother,” Mary said. “I got a feeling that Faith and her father weren’t telling us everything they knew about that night.”
“Aye, and if there was a person who knew about the hanging and didn’t do anything, they could be an accessory to murder,” he said. “But how do we find out which home she’s staying in?”
Mary walked over to her computer and did a search on nursing homes in the Freeport area. She looked through the list, noting the ones that were more upscale than the others. “ I think we should start with this one first,” she said, pointing to the facility that was situated next to Krape Park.
“Why?” Ian asked.
“Because I have a contact there,” Mary said, “and because it’s been around the longest.”
She dialed the number. “Hello, may I speak with Jennika Nikole please?” she asked.
“This is Jennika,” the woman on the other end replied.
“Hello, Jennika, I met you a few months ago when I was in visiting Ross Gormley. My name is Mary O’Reilly,” she said.
“Oh, yes, Miss O’Reilly, I remember you,” Jennika replied. “How can I help you?”
“I’m supposed to be interviewing a woman today, regarding a research investigation I’m working on,” she said. “But I’m embarrassed to admit, I didn’t write down which nursing home she lived in. I know that she’s quite well-to-do and her family wanted her to be very well cared for, so I just assumed she was at your facility.”
“Well, thank you, Miss O’Reilly,” Jennika replied, pleasure evident in her voice. “I can check and see if she’s one of our residents. What’s her name?”
“Gloria,” Mary answered. “Gloria Foley.”
“Oh, yes, I don’t even need to look it up,” she said. “Mrs. Foley is one of our residents.”
Mary looked over at Ian and gave him a thumbs-up signal. “That’s wonderful,” Mary replied. “Do you know… is she available this morning? I’d love to be able to speak with her today.”
“Yes,” Jennika said. “She’s already had breakfast and she’s just resting in the sunroom. I’m sure she would love to speak with you, she rarely has visitors.”
Mary smiled at Ian and shook her head. “Well, excellent, I will be there in about twenty minutes,” she replied. “And I’ll be bringing a colleague of mine, a professor from the University of Edinburgh who is conducting the study.”
“I’m sure that will be fine, Miss O’Reilly,” Jennika said. “We’ll see you then.”
Mary hung up the phone and turned to Ian who was still dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt. “Can you get ready and look professorly in fifteen minutes?”
“I can,” he said, jumping up from the couch.
“Oh, can you bring your recording device?” Mary asked.
“I can, yes,” he replied. “But
She closed her eyes again, but then they popped back open. “You don’t think I made too much, do you?” she asked, horrified. “You don’t think I’m encouraging childhood obesity?”
Shaking his head, Ian said, “She was happy, she was fed, she was warm…,” he paused, “and any other comfort a child might need on her first day of school. You did fine, Mary. You’re a good mom.”
The reality of the situation finally hit home. “Ian, I’m a mom,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I mean, you know, not really…”
He placed his hand over hers. “Aye, really, you’re a mom,” he repeated. “And you’re doing a fine job of it.”
She couldn’t find her voice for several moments. “Thank you, Ian,” she finally whispered.
“I did naught but tell the truth,” he replied. “So, now, what’s in the plan for today?”
Taking a deep breath, she sat up and turned to him again. “Oh, you mean besides having you watch over me like a hawk?”
He grinned. “Aye, besides that.”
“I think we ought to talk to Hope’s mother,” Mary said. “I got a feeling that Faith and her father weren’t telling us everything they knew about that night.”
“Aye, and if there was a person who knew about the hanging and didn’t do anything, they could be an accessory to murder,” he said. “But how do we find out which home she’s staying in?”
Mary walked over to her computer and did a search on nursing homes in the Freeport area. She looked through the list, noting the ones that were more upscale than the others. “ I think we should start with this one first,” she said, pointing to the facility that was situated next to Krape Park.
“Why?” Ian asked.
“Because I have a contact there,” Mary said, “and because it’s been around the longest.”
She dialed the number. “Hello, may I speak with Jennika Nikole please?” she asked.
“This is Jennika,” the woman on the other end replied.
“Hello, Jennika, I met you a few months ago when I was in visiting Ross Gormley. My name is Mary O’Reilly,” she said.
“Oh, yes, Miss O’Reilly, I remember you,” Jennika replied. “How can I help you?”
“I’m supposed to be interviewing a woman today, regarding a research investigation I’m working on,” she said. “But I’m embarrassed to admit, I didn’t write down which nursing home she lived in. I know that she’s quite well-to-do and her family wanted her to be very well cared for, so I just assumed she was at your facility.”
“Well, thank you, Miss O’Reilly,” Jennika replied, pleasure evident in her voice. “I can check and see if she’s one of our residents. What’s her name?”
“Gloria,” Mary answered. “Gloria Foley.”
“Oh, yes, I don’t even need to look it up,” she said. “Mrs. Foley is one of our residents.”
Mary looked over at Ian and gave him a thumbs-up signal. “That’s wonderful,” Mary replied. “Do you know… is she available this morning? I’d love to be able to speak with her today.”
“Yes,” Jennika said. “She’s already had breakfast and she’s just resting in the sunroom. I’m sure she would love to speak with you, she rarely has visitors.”
Mary smiled at Ian and shook her head. “Well, excellent, I will be there in about twenty minutes,” she replied. “And I’ll be bringing a colleague of mine, a professor from the University of Edinburgh who is conducting the study.”
“I’m sure that will be fine, Miss O’Reilly,” Jennika said. “We’ll see you then.”
Mary hung up the phone and turned to Ian who was still dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt. “Can you get ready and look professorly in fifteen minutes?”
“I can,” he said, jumping up from the couch.
“Oh, can you bring your recording device?” Mary asked.
“I can, yes,” he replied. “But
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