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Cliff hated to agree with Brittany.
Jenna held her sister’s hand. “We don’t know who took your baby,” she argued. “And hindsight won’t help. We have to play the cards we’ve been dealt, and right now, we’re doing the best we can.”
“When I’m back on my feet,” Brittany said, “I’ll pay you back for everything I ever took from you—and for the damage to your car.”
“Sweetheart,” Jenna sank onto the edge of the chair beside Brittany’s bed, “you don’t have to pay me back for anything. I’ve helped you because I love you. You’re my family. That’s what families do for each other.”
Her sister’s brow creased. “Well, it’s pretty one-sided. I won’t continue to be a leach. If you’ll still have me, I promise to help. I’ll pay rent, buy groceries and find a way to work and go to school. I have a child to raise. I want her to be proud of her mama.” Tears slipped down Brittany’s cheeks. “I want to be her mama.”
“And you will.” Jenna stroked her sister’s arm.
A knock sounded on the door.
Cliff opened it to find Detective Schwope.
“Is it all right if I come in and speak with Miss Berry?” he asked.
Cliff glanced over his shoulder. “Detective Schwope wants to talk with you, Brittany. Are you up to it?”
Brittany exchanged a glance with Jenna and then nodded. “Yes. Let him in.”
Detective Schwope entered, pulling a notepad and pen out of his pocket. “I know you answered a lot of questions last night, but I wanted to check in and see if you remembered anything else about the attack.”
Brittany closed her eyes. “It happened so fast.”
“It might help if you talk through what happened before the attack,” the detective said, his tone gentle.
“Start just before I left the room,” Jenna suggested.
“Okay.” Brittany kept her eyes closed. “Nurse Grey brought Nurse Smalls in at shift change. Angie said paperwork had to be filled out in Admissions.” She opened her eyes and looked at Jenna. “The nurses left, and you walked out of the room shortly after. The baby was sleeping, and I wanted to use the toilet. I thought about buzzing the nurse but was too embarrassed to ask for help to...you know…
“I was only in there for a minute. Everything was too hard to manage on my own, so I was coming out to call for a nurse.
“As soon as I left the bathroom, I was hit in the face with something flat and rectangular.”
“The dinner tray,” Jenna supplied.
“I fell backward, hit the wall and slid down it. He kept hitting me,” she said, her body trembling.
“Did you see his face?” the detective asked.
She shook her head. “All I saw was that tray coming at me over and over.”
“Did he say anything?”
“No. He just hit me until I must’ve passed out.”
“You think it was the janitor…” the detective started, “why?”
“I couldn’t see his face, but I saw a brief glimpse of gray pants and shirt.” Her brow wrinkled. “I remember a janitor walking by my room earlier in a gray coverall.”
Jenna nodded. “I saw a janitor in a gray coverall going through the stairwell door as I was coming off the elevator right before Brittany came out of the room crying for help. As soon as she told me what happened, I ran after him. But it was too late. He was gone before I could catch up to him.”
“Had you contacted the baby’s father?” the detective asked.
Brittany’s brow drew into a stubborn line. “No. He wanted to give her up for adoption. He wasn’t going to help me if I kept her, so I left him.”
“Any chance he could’ve changed his mind?” the detective persisted.
