Marge rested her pencil against her pad. “You recall seeing janitors and orderlies in the nursery?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Do you recall seeing anyone who wasn’t suited up near the babies?”

Cindy thought a moment. “I don’t recall, but I wasn’t with the babies most of the time. I was in the back room with Hannah. I couldn’t really see what was going on. And with all the noise the babies were making, I couldn’t hear too well, either.”

“Who else besides janitors and orderlies do you remember wandering in and out?”

“Nurses, mostly…of course, there were doctors, too. And lots of supply people—salespeople, if you can believe that. They’d bring in all sorts of things—boxes of formula and sugar water, free samples of baby medicine, and lots of diapers. And then there were people from Laundry bringing in blankets for the layettes.”

Marge frowned, surprised at how busy a single nursery could be.

Cindy said, “I saw them come and go. But like I said, mostly I was with Hannah. I used to take her layette away from the rest of the babies into this back room. Darlene set me up there, and Marie just kind of let me be through inertia. I liked it in the back because I wasn’t in anyone’s way.” She paused. “I wasn’t in Marie’s way, specifically. She didn’t like me—even after I brought her chocolate-chip cookies.”

“You brought her cookies?”

“I thought it would help me get on her good side. Maybe it did. She let me stay.”

“But you couldn’t see or hear other people in front.”

“I could hear snatches, catch glimpses of people. That’s all. I should have been keeping an eye on Marie. I knew she was weird.”

“Cindy,” Jack said, “it was not your place or duty to keep an eye on the staff. You were there, but not in any work capacity whatsoever. You were there only as a favor to your father. So stop yelling at yourself.”

Cindy sighed. “I just wish—”

“Uh-uh. I don’t want to hear that,” Cohen said.

“All I mean, Grandpa, is I feel so sorry for the baby. And for the mother. I got to know all the babies. I look at Hannah, I see them all.” The teenager’s eyes watered. “This is just so bad.”

Jack kissed his granddaughter and looked at Marge. “She’s just too good for this world.”

“Oh, Grandpa!” Cindy returned her attention to Marge. “I remember Marie and Darlene being in the nursery, of course. Mostly, that’s who I remember. And Christine Simms wafting in and out…oh—and Lily—that’s Darlene’s trainee. I met her a couple of days ago. I don’t remember seeing her last night, but who knows? All sorts of people were in and out. Babies going into their mothers’ rooms, returning from their mothers’ rooms.”