A Search for Evidence

As Detective Jameson turned to leave, Olivia's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Detective, wait!"

He turned back to her, his eyes questioning.

Olivia's eyes locked onto his, a determined glint in them. "If you want proof, real proof, to support my words...check the DNA of Sophia's son."

Jameson's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Olivia's voice was steady. "Sophia's son, Matthew...he's not her biological child. He's Dorothy's son. The night we delivered the baby, Sophia took him as her own. If you run a DNA test, you'll see the truth."

Jameson's mind raced as he processed this bombshell. If true, this would be the concrete evidence they needed to link Sophia to the crime. He turned to Olivia, his eyes intense.

"Are you certain about this, Olivia? This is a serious accusation."

Olivia nodded, her eyes unwavering. "I'm positive. I was there, Detective. I saw it all. And I'm willing to testify to it."

Jameson's grip on his pen tightened as he jotted down some notes. This changed everything. He needed to get to the bottom of this, and fast. With a nod, he turned to leave, his mind filled with the next steps in the investigation.

At the Martin's residence, mrs. Martins sat in her living room, watching the newsflash on TV, when a knock on the door broke the silence. Her nanny, Maria, hurried to answer it.

"Who is it?" Mrs. Martins called out.

"It's the police, ma'am," Maria replied, opening the door wider.

Detective Ivy and Jameson walked in, flashing their identity cards. "Good morning, Mrs. Martins. We're from the Willowdale Police Station."

Mrs. Martins' eyes widened in surprise. "Ivy? What are you doing here?"

Ivy smiled apologetically. "We need to talk to you about something, ma'am."

Mrs. Martins gestured to the sofa. "Please, sit down. Maria, bring us some chilled juice."

As they sat down, Mrs. Martins asked, "What's this about? You're not here about Sophia's little incident last week, are you?"

Ivy hesitated. "Actually, ma'am, we are. You see, I had to come in disguise as a house help to get to the bottom of things, and I apologize for the inconveniences."

Mrs. Martins' eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Just then, Maria returned with a tray of juice and handed it to them. "Here you go, officers."

Mrs. Martins turned to Ivy. "Now, tell me what's going on. What's this about Sophia?"

Ivy took a deep breath. "We have reason to believe Sophia might be involved in a serious crime, ma'am. And we need your help to uncover the truth."

Mrs. Martins' expression turned skeptical. "A crime? Sophia? That's ridiculous. She's a devoted mother and wife. What could she possibly be involved in?"

Jameson spoke up. "We can't reveal too much just yet, ma'am. But we assure you, we're investigating all possible leads. And your cooperation would be greatly appreciated."

Mrs. Martins sipped her juice, her eyes fixed on Ivy. "I don't know what you're talking about, Ivy. But I'll tell you one thing - Sophia is innocent. Whatever you think she's done, you're wrong."

Ivy nodded. "We'll take that into consideration, ma'am. But we still need to ask you some questions. Can you tell us about Sophia's behavior lately? Has she been acting strangely or secretive?"

Mrs. Martins shook her head. "No, nothing out of the ordinary. She's been her usual self. Although..." She paused, thinking. "Now that you mention it, she has been receiving some mysterious phone calls lately. And she's been a bit distant, preoccupied."

Ivy and Jameson exchanged a knowing glance, and detective Jameson asked, "Can you tell us about Sophia's relationship with her son? Has she been a devoted mother?"

Mrs. Martins thought for a moment. "Nothing out of the ordinary, officers. Sophia was busy with her career before Matthew was born, and she got even busier afterward. But she seems to be handling her responsibilities as a mother well."

Ivy nodded. "That's good to know. Now, do you know anyone by the name of Dorothy?"

Mrs. Martins' expression changed to one of shock. "Dorothy? Yes, I know her. She used to be our house help for years. Why are you asking about her?"

Jameson leaned forward. "Please, Mrs. Martins, tell us everything you know about Dorothy."

Mrs. Martins hesitated, then began. "Well, Dorothy was a hardworking and loyal employee. She had been with us for years. But about a year ago, she suddenly resigned and left our employment."

Ivy cut in, her eyes intense. "Was Dorothy pregnant before she left your household, ma'am?"

Mrs. Martins hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. "No, she wasn't pregnant. At least, she didn't show any signs of it." (Though she wasn't entirely sure why the question was asked, she didn't want to reveal too much just yet.)

Detective Jameson leaned forward, his voice persuasive. "Mrs. Martins, we need your cooperation in this investigation. We believe Sophia might be involved in something serious, and we need your help to uncover the truth."

Mrs. Martins' eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? What could Sophia possibly be involved in?"

Ivy's expression turned grave. "We're investigating a death, ma'am. Dorothy's death."

Mrs. Martins' face went white. "Dorothy? The Dorothy who used to work for us? That's impossible! She was a lovely girl, hardworking and loyal. There's no way she's...gone."

Jameson's voice was gentle. "We're afraid so, ma'am. And we have reason to believe Sophia was involved."

Mrs. Martins' eyes widened in disbelief. "Sophia? Involved in Dorothy's death? That's absurd! What evidence do you have?"

Ivy hesitated. "We don't have concrete evidence yet, but we have suspicions. And we need your help to piece together the events leading up to Dorothy's resignation."

Mrs. Martins' mind raced. Why would Dorothy resign suddenly? She had been faithful in her service, always diligent. But then, she remembered the truth she had been hiding. Dorothy had been pregnant with her son's child. Could that have something to do with her resignation?

The detectives' eyes seemed to bore into her soul, as if they knew she was hiding something. But she couldn't bring herself to reveal the truth concerning her son and Dorothy's pregnancy. Not yet.

"What makes you think Sophia is involved in Dorothy's death?" she asked instead, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jameson's expression turned grim. "Let's just say we have our reasons, ma'am. And we'll need your cooperation to uncover the truth."