A sign on the wall indicated the Diamond and Platinum Suites were to the left. The Presidential Suite to the right.
The smell of cinnamon and chocolate filtered down the hall, as Dottie, still barreling ahead of them, pulled out her keycard once more. Just outside the suite doors was a small alcove with a sink, refrigerator, and coffee maker. The coffee pot was full, the scent of cinnamon and chocolate stronger here. A plate of fancy cookies sat next to the pot.
Dottie unlocked the suite, then beamed and held a hand out toward the tray. “Cookies are delivered fresh daily to the family. Can I get you a cup of coffee? It’s my favorite flavor from Fresh Market. All organic and fair-trade, of course. We only want the best for our patients.” She started pouring cups of coffee without waiting for an answer. “There’s juice and flavored waters too, if you’d rather have something non-caffeinated.”
Matt accepted a cup of the flavored coffee and eyed the cookies. “This really is the Taj Mahal for having a baby, isn’t it?”
Dottie was still smiling, but managed to give him a serious look at the same time. “We arethetop-rated birthing center on the East Coast, Mr. Dillinger, and our twenty-one awards attest to that fact.” She handed Taylor a cup of coffee. “It’s rare that the Presidential Suite is open, but you picked a good day for your tour. Cookie?”
Taylor hadn’t finished her bagel that morning so she grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from the selection. “Felicity told me you were the best.”
Dottie’s brows drew down as Matt helped himself to three cookies and gave her a questioning look. My God, the man could put the food away.
“Felicity?” Dottie looked confused.
The cookie was still warm, a chunk of dark chocolate melting on Taylor’s tongue. “Felicity Jarvis. She recommended this place to all of her friends, you know, before…”
She let the rest hang. Dottie set the plate of cookies on the counter, her face going pale. She genuflected and rubbed a thumb across the gold cross at her neck. “God rest her soul. I heard the news last night. So you were friends with Felicity?”
Taylor stared at the cookie in her hand, acting sad. God would strike her down one of these days. “She was so young and beautiful. Just an amazing ballerina. I know she was glad you were here for her, to make the delivery easier. Such a shame she didn’t get to use the suite.”
None of it was a lie.
Dottie looked away. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
The art of undercover work was to know when not to raise suspicions. “So this is the suite,” Taylor said, taking her cookie and coffee across the threshold. She needed to get Dottie back to her happy place, put her back at ease before she said anything else about a dead woman.
Dottie hustled past Taylor, lifting her arms. “This is it!”
The Hilton had nothing on the Presidential. Soothing earth tones and designer furniture met her eyes. The room they entered was set up like a living room/kitchen combo. There was even a fireplace with a large window on each side that showed a lovely view to the east. Two doors led off to what Taylor assumed were a bathroom and birthing room.
“Dang,” Matt said, coming up next to her. “How much does all this cost?”
“The birth of a child is a blessed event,” Dottie said with an admonishing tone. Taylor wondered how many soon-to-be fathers had signed on the dotted line, regardless of the cost, because of this woman’s sales pitch. “We cater to our VIPs so they can enjoy it to the fullest.”
She walked them through the three separate living areas and told stories about the wonderful staff and experiences the center offered. Taylor had a wistful moment, imagining a life where she wanted kids and could afford a setup like this to have them in. What was it like to live a charmed life full of volunteering and babies, and no thought of murder or missing children?
She would never know that life.
Matt, finishing up his last cookie, gave her a smirk behind Dottie’s back and the wistful moment passed.
He thought they were wasting their time by the impatience on his face. Maybe they were. But having a more complete picture of Felicity’s life, and speaking to some of the people involved in her pregnancy, was the best way Taylor knew to find the needle in the haystack that she needed to bring this case home.
The clock was ticking.
And there was no way she was handing this over to Leo.
“Is this your first child?” Dottie said to Matt.
Mad Dog didn’t miss a beat. “Yes, ma’am. But I’m hoping to talk her into a whole passel of them.”
Oh, he was good. Maddening, but good. Dottie laughed and Taylor felt heat in her face.
But a part of her wondered…
No. She didn’t have time for a serious relationship or kids. Besides, she’d sworn a long time ago not to bring an innocent child into this world, much less a wholepasselof them. The world was cruel and even parents with the best of intentions starting off could end up jaded.
Like hers. “One might be too many at this point,” Taylor said under her breath, fingering the tweed on one of the rocking chairs.
