“A hot bath does sound like a good idea. See you later.” Kate hung up and went to the kitchen. “I’m going upstairs. Will you bring Annabelle up when she’s finished her lunch?”

Once upstairs, she sat on the edge of the bed, her leg jiggling. She thought about Hilda, and the way she acted like Annabelle was her child. Hilda’s daughter had moved away a few years ago with Hilda’s granddaughter, who was about Annabelle’s age. What if the reason her own daughter had moved to California was because Hilda was unstable? There were plenty of stories about crazy nannies.

It could really still be anyone, Kate thought. Georgina had always been jealous of Lily, coveting her beauty and charm. Maybe coveting her husband as well? Or Selby. Maybe she’d only been pretending to be a good friend all these years. She was one of the few people who had easy access to Kate’s house, to Annabelle. Could she be in on it with Georgina somehow? But she knew that seemed far-fetched. Simon was the more likely suspect. He’d admitted the other day that the client he was talking to was unhappy. And there was that urgent call he’d taken on the day of her mother’s funeral. Maybe his business was in trouble. A lot of their cash was tied up in the foundation. Simon could have somehow been aware of Lily’s intended provision for them. Money was a strong motive for murder.

She leaned back against the pillow and closed her eyes. She was so tired. Maybe she’d catch a few minutes of sleep. Her temples were pounding, and she felt as though a thousand voices were screaming inside her head.

“Mommy! Mommy!”

“What?” Kate snapped as her eyes flew open.

Annabelle’s lower lip trembled, and she began to cry. “I was talking, and you didn’t answer me.”

Hilda was standing behind her. “I’m sorry, Kate. I knocked a few times. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I fell asleep for a second. You can leave Annabelle with me.” She reached out her arms to her daughter. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Come here.”

Hilda looked surprised. “Okay. Are you sure you don’t want me to take her, so you can get dressed?”

The woman really was trying to come between them. “No. Thank you very much.”

Hilda gave her a strange look. “Okay, well, let me know. How about if I get her ready for the party when the movie is over?”

“How about you take the afternoon off? I’ll get her dressed. I’ll see you at the party.”

Hilda left the room, and Annabelle jumped up on the bed next to her mother. “I miss Grammy. I want her to come to my party.”