Chapter 10 - The Maid They Tried to Destroy|
Detective Naomi Carter was waiting in the entrance hall when Luca and I came downstairs.
She was a tall woman in her forties with dark hair pulled into a neat bun.
Unlike the uniformed officers standing nearby, she wore a plain navy suit.
Her expression was professional rather than unfriendly.
"Mr. Moretti."
"Detective."
Her gaze moved toward me.
"Claire Bennett?"
"Yes."
"I'd like to ask you some questions about a missing piece of jewelry."
My hands began trembling.
Luca noticed.
"Claire has done nothing wrong."
Detective Carter nodded.
"That may well be true, Mr. Moretti."
She opened a small notebook.
"But a complaint has been made, and we need to establish what happened."
Luca looked at me.
"You don't have to face this alone."
I swallowed.
"Thank you."
Evelyn was already downstairs.
She arranged for an attorney to advise me before I gave my statement.
I had nothing to hide, but I was frightened enough to understand the importance of being careful.
We sat in the small morning room.
Detective Carter placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Vanessa's antique diamond brooch.
"Have you seen this before?"
I stared at it.
"Yes."
"When?"
"Yesterday morning."
The detective raised an eyebrow.
"Sunday morning?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"In Sophia Moretti's bedroom."
She looked up.
"Mrs. Moretti claims the brooch disappeared during Saturday night's wedding reception."
I nodded.
"Then she's lying."
The detective's expression remained neutral.
"Tell me what happened."
I explained how Vanessa had entered Sophia's room, dismissed Madison, and shown me the brooch inside a velvet jewelry box.
I repeated her warning about valuable things disappearing when household staff forgot their place.
Detective Carter wrote everything down.
"Did anyone else witness this exchange?"
"Sophia was there."
The detective paused.
"The child?"
"Yes."
I leaned forward.
"But please don't put her through another interrogation unless it's absolutely necessary."
The detective nodded.
"We'll consider her welfare."
She turned a page.
"Where were you at approximately eleven o'clock yesterday morning?"
"With Sophia."
"Can anyone confirm that?"
"Mr. Moretti came into the room."
Luca nodded.
"That's correct."
"And the household staff?"
"Daniel can verify when I was upstairs."
Detective Carter made another note.
"The brooch was discovered this morning in a laundry bag assigned to you."
I stared at her.
"I didn't put it there."
"Who had access to that bag?"
"Anyone who entered the laundry room."
"Was it locked?"
"No."
The detective looked thoughtful.
"Then finding the brooch there doesn't establish who placed it inside."
I almost collapsed with relief.
Vanessa had clearly expected the accusation to be enough.
But Detective Carter wasn't interested in taking anyone's word without examining the evidence.
She asked about the missing security footage.
Daniel explained that someone had disabled the upstairs cameras.
The detective requested the access records and the remaining recordings.
Then she asked me another question.
"Miss Bennett, has Mrs. Moretti ever instructed you to falsify household records?"
I hesitated.
"Not directly."
"What about school records or documents concerning Sophia?"
"She once asked me to sign a statement saying Sophia had refused to attend a family dinner."
"And had she?"
"No."
"What happened?"
"I refused to sign it."
Detective Carter looked up.
"When was that?"
"About two months ago."
"Do you still have the statement?"
I thought for a moment.
"Yes."
Luca turned toward me.
"You kept it?"
I nodded.
"Something about it felt wrong."
The statement was inside a folder in my small staff apartment.
I had kept it because Vanessa insisted that I sign immediately, without allowing me to review the details.
It claimed Sophia had been offered dinner and had deliberately refused.
But I had been in the kitchen that evening.
I knew the child had never been invited.
Detective Carter asked to see the document.
When I returned with it, she studied the handwriting.
"Did Mrs. Moretti prepare this?"
"Her assistant delivered it."
"And you declined?"
"Yes."
She placed the paper in an evidence folder.
"Thank you."
The interview lasted nearly an hour.
At the end, Detective Carter closed her notebook.
"Miss Bennett, based on what we've established so far, I'm not arresting you."
I released a shaky breath.
"But the investigation is ongoing."
"I understand."
She looked toward Luca.
"We'll also need to review the reports concerning the forged authorizations."
Evelyn nodded.
"I have copies of the relevant bank correspondence and trust documents."
"Good."
The detective stood.
"Those matters may be connected."
As she prepared to leave, Vanessa appeared at the top of the staircase.
She had been staying in the separate guest wing under strict conditions while her belongings were collected.
Her face was composed, almost cheerful.
"Detective?"
Naomi looked up.
"Mrs. Moretti."
Vanessa descended slowly.
"I hope you've taken care of this unfortunate matter."
"We're investigating it."
Vanessa looked at me.
"Then why is Claire still here?"
Luca stepped forward.
"Because this is her workplace, and she's done nothing to justify removing her."
Vanessa laughed.
"You're protecting a thief now?"
Detective Carter interrupted.
"Mrs. Moretti, we have not established that a theft occurred."
Vanessa's smile vanished.
"But the brooch was in her laundry bag!"
"Which was accessible to other people."
Vanessa looked furious.
"You're seriously taking her word over mine?"
"I'm examining the evidence."
Vanessa turned toward Luca.
"You're going to regret humiliating me."
Luca looked at her calmly.
"I regret trusting you with my daughter."
For a second, Vanessa seemed ready to strike him.
Instead, she turned and walked upstairs.
Detective Carter watched her leave.
Then she looked at Daniel.
"I'd like the complete access records for the laundry room and east corridor."
Daniel nodded.
"I'll provide them."
The detective paused.
"And one more thing."
We all looked at her.
"When someone files a theft complaint, the timeline matters."
She held up her notebook.
"Mrs. Moretti told us the brooch disappeared on Saturday."
My heart began pounding.
"Yes."
"But Miss Bennett says she saw it in Mrs. Moretti's possession on Sunday."
The detective closed her notebook.
"If we can independently verify that, it changes the nature of this investigation."
Luca stared at her.
"Meaning?"
Detective Carter answered quietly.
"It means we may not be looking for a thief."
May you like
She looked toward the staircase.
"We may be looking for the person who fabricated the accusation."
