It’s seven-thirty a.m. Monday. Paco and I are sitting in a coffee shop across from Breen’s clinic. Paco glances at his watch. “You said eight o’clock. Right?”
“Right.”
“Here’s what I’m thinking. This is a fertility clinic, not an obstetrician’s office. A knocked up woman sitting in the waiting area would stick out like a hippo in a chicken coop. Know what I mean?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer. “That’s why I drove down the alley behind the clinic, to see if there’s a back door. There is, so I’ll bet that’s the entrance they’ll use.”
“But we can’t see it from here.”
He rises. “You stay here ’til it’s time for your appointment. I’ll keep an eye on the back door. Got your cell phone?”
I nod.
“I’ll call you if and when I see them. You do the same.”
He chugs the rest of his coffee, pats the top of my head and leaves.
I finish my coffee and try to wake up. The last few days have been a blur. I’m sleep-deprived (thank you, Billy) and probably not at my best. I fight the urge to seek out a comfy chair and curl up for a nap.
At seven fifty, Paco calls. “A blond with a bun in the oven and skinny black-haired woman just entered the clinic through the back door. The blond is lugging a kid. I’m guessing this is your girl.”
“I’m guessing you’re right.” I stand and stretch. “Heading for the clinic now.”
“I’ll be around. If you need me, call.”
When I arrive at the front door of the clinic, it’s unlocked. I head for the receptionist and tell her my name.
She hands me a clipboard loaded with forms and lowers her voice although we’re the only two in the room. “You’re here about egg harvesting. Correct?”
The word harvesting startles me. A vivid image of Jared Breen pops up in my overactive brain like a bad movie. Clad in farmer overalls and ball cap, he’s aboard a tractor and chasing me through a wheat field yelling, “Gimme your eggs.”
“Um, yeah.”
“No need to be embarrassed, dear. Lots of young ladies sell their eggs.”
I nod my thanks and perch on a hardback chair; thumbing through the questionnaire I have no intention of actually filling out. My hand is poised over the first line (name) when I hear a baby howling in rage. It’s faint at first, but growing louder. The clacking of high heels and the sound of a man’s soothing voice follows. A door opens and Nina Rockwell appears with Destiny squirming in her arms. Jared Breen is a step behind her.
He points at a leather couch. “Have a seat, Nina. This won’t take long.”
Nina’s face is tight with stress as she totters to the couch with Destiny. She makes a half-assed attempt to comfort the screaming baby, pounding on her back a little harder than necessary. Her hand is tipped with dagger-like scarlet nails. Still screeching, Destiny arches her back, churns her chubby legs and pushes away from Nina, all the while looking over her shoulder for Aida. Something akin to a feral expression flashes across Nina’s face.
It scares me. I jump out of my chair. “Mrs. Rockwell? Can I help with the baby?”
She rakes me with a frosty glance. “Do I know you?”
“Yes. We met at Dani’s funeral. I’m Aida’s friend.”
No pause to think it over. She shoves Destiny into my waiting arms. “Good luck. She’s fussy today. “
“No problem.” I hold Destiny next to my body and sway back and forth. When her sobs subside, I lift her up until we’re eye to eye. “How are you, beautiful baby girl?”
Destiny studies my face and pops her thumb into her mouth. Her big blue eyes brim with tears. She looks so much like Dani I have to bite my lower lip to keep it from quivering.
I glance down at Nina who is using a tissue to dab at the baby slobber on her silk blouse. “Where’s Aida today?”
“She’ll be here shortly. Dr. Breen is giving her a prenatal check-up.”
“Is Dr. Breen an obstetrician as well as a fertility doctor?”
She gives me a dismissive glance. “The check-up is a special favor to us. He’s a friend of the family.”
I’ll bet he is. “Is she having a boy or girl?”
“They’re doing an ultrasound right now.”
Our conversation dies a natural death. I pace the floor with Destiny who’s exhausted from her heavy-duty screaming fit. Her eyelids droop as she fights to stay awake. She finally gives in and drifts into a light slumber. Even though every fiber of my being resists, I sit on the couch next to Nina Rockwell who is skimming through a copy of Vogue.
She glances at me. “She asleep?”
I nod, waiting for her to say, “Thank you.”
She doesn’t. But she does say, “You trying to get pregnant?”
“No. I’m considering donating eggs. I need the money.”
Her brows furrow like she’s unable to grasp the concept of someone needing money, mouth opening and closing as she searches for an appropriate response.
Fifteen minutes later, a door opens and Dr. Breen steps through. “Nina? She’s all done. I’ll walk you out.”
She springs from the couch and snatches up her Coach purse and designer diaper bag. Apparently she forgets she has a child, because she strides across the waiting room. I hurry along behind her, Destiny in my arms. Believe me, I so want to dash out the door and take the baby home with me. I want it so bad, I’m shaking.
When she gets to the door, Nina realizes she’s missing something. She slams to a halt and turns to face me. “I’ll take her now.”
“It’s okay,” I say, ducking my chin in a timid manner. “Do you mind if I say hi to Aida?”
She looks at the baby sleeping in my arms. “I suppose.”
For the first time, Jared Breen’s gaze travels over me. “And you are?”
The receptionist hears him, motions him to come closer and whispers the purpose of my visit.
Breen flashes a big toothy smile. “Excellent.”
I follow Breen and Nina down a hall with six closed doors, presumably examination rooms. Is this where the Russian girls get impregnated while sedated? The door to one of the rooms opens and a woman walks out pushing an ultrasound machine. An antiseptic odor drifts from the room. Lysol and bleach overlaid with a room freshener smelling of rose petals. A chill crawls over my skin. No way do I ever want to be inside of one of those rooms.
We round a corner and find Aida waiting by the rear entrance door. When she sees me, her eyes widen in surprise. “Mel?”
“Hi, girlfriend,” I chirp, handing over the baby. “I ran into Mrs. Rockwell in the waiting room and helped her with Addison.”
Destiny stirs during the hand-off. Her eyes flutter open. She looks up at Aida, smiles and snuggles into her chest. I have to turn my face away so Breen and Rockwell don’t see my tears.
I swipe at my eyes and put on a happy face. “Did you find out if your baby is a boy or girl?”
Aida drops a kiss on Destiny’s head and places her right hand on her belly. “Doctor say I will have beautiful little girl.” Her luminous eyes cloud with grief. “Her name will be Larissa.”
Nina Rockwell is growing impatient. “Time to go, Aida. Thank you, Jason. We’ll be in touch.”
As they exit the clinic, I scamper back to the waiting room, not wanting to spend a single moment alone with Jared Breen. Now that Aida’s safe, I tell the receptionist I will take the paper work with me and return it later…not.
She says, “Dr. Breen would like to see you before you leave.”
All I can think about is the creepy examination rooms. “I’m kind of pressed for time.”
“It won’t take long. He’s in his office.” She points toward the hall. “First door on the left.”
Curiosity trumps my desire to dash from the clinic. I rap on the closed door and hear, “Come in. Please.”
I leave the door ajar when I enter. Dr. Breen pops up from behind his desk and waves me into a chair. “My receptionist tells me you’re a p
ossible egg donor.” He pauses and flashes a brief, insincere smile. “I see you have our questionnaire.
“I’m thinking about it. I’ll take the forms with me and look them over.”
“I sense you’re somewhat ambivalent. Perhaps, I can answer your questions.”
I struggle to come up with a question, since, truly, donating eggs does not appear on my to do list. I blurt, “Does it hurt?”
Breen chuckles. “Normally, the first question is, ‘How much will you pay me for my eggs?’”
I manage to smile back at him. “I guess I’m more concerned about pain. I’m not good with pain.”
He rubs his hands together. “I respect that and I’ll try to be as honest as possible. The procedure can be somewhat painful. In order to harvest the eggs, I have to insert a needle through the wall of the vagina into an ovary. However, I do everything possible to make the donor as comfortable as possible. And, the financial compensation is extremely generous.”
I suppress a shudder. “Anything else I should know?”
“Yes,” he says. “It’s not a one-time shot or an instant procedure. It involves a four-week drug treatment program designed to stop your menstrual cycle. This keeps all your eggs in the ovaries. Also, you’ll have to abstain from alcohol, recreational drugs and sexual intercourse.”
He pauses to let his words sink in and waits for my response. When I don’t have one, he adds, “Actually, I have some time right now. I could take a little peek and see if you’re a good candidate.”
No way is he going to take a peek, little or big. I spring from my chair. “Thanks, Doctor Breen, but let’s wait until after I return the questionnaire.”
“Sure, sure, no problem, my dear.”
I’m at the door when he says, “If I’m not mistaken, you’re Billy the Kid’s girlfriend.”
I turn to face him. “How do you know that?”
“You’re a waitress at Nick’s Place. Right?”
I nod. “I’ve never seen you at Nick’s.”
He winks at me. “Oh, word gets around. You know how it is.”
I can’t wait to get the hell out of this place, so I ignore the fact he answered my question with questions of his own. As I slip through the door, he says, “Hope to see you soon.”
I fervently hope not.
When I get home, I know exactly what I have to do.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Kendra answers on the first ring. When she answers, I skip the small talk and go straight to the heart of the matter, “We have to kidnap Aida.”
After a brief shocked silence, she says, “Are you crazy? Kidnapping is a federal offense. I have a husband and children. I know orange is the new black but I cannot end up in prison. You’re on your own, girlie.”
I need Kendra for this caper. Tact has never been one of my strong suits. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so blunt. “Just listen. Okay?”
She says, “Mmm hmmm.”
“Aida had an ultra sound today. Her baby is a little girl. She plans to name the baby Larissa after her dead sister. But, guess what? If we don’t get Aida out of the Rockwell house, her baby will be taken away from her and named Emma or Sophia or Kaitlin. And the last name will likely by Johnson or Smith, not Doroshenko. And, Aida will be an unhappy hooker in Portland. Do you feel me?”
After a long silence, Kendra sighs. “Yeah, I feel you. What’s the plan?”
“The problem is, Aida refuses to leave Destiny. Obviously, we can’t kidnap Destiny, so we have to lure Aida out of the house and get her into your car. Preferably, in the middle of the night when everybody’s sleeping. The next morning when she’s safely stashed at your house, I go to the authorities, give them the flash drive and narc out the Rockwells. I’ll tell them about Dani and Destiny and that Destiny may not be safe. Hopefully, they will act quickly.”
“And if they don’t act quickly? What about Destiny?”
“Trust me, Nina Rockwell will find a new nanny immediately. She likes the idea of having a child but wants nothing to do with the mothering part.”
I think about Destiny’s sweet face and innocent blue eyes and my tears start to flow again, robbing me of speech. I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry, Dani. Please trust me. Remember, we’re Danimal! It will be okay. I send my thoughts into the stratosphere, hoping they will be delivered.
“Are you crying?” Kendra says. Her tone is incredulous.
“Yes, Sherlock, I’m crying.” I draw a hiccupping breath. “I hate the thought of leaving Destiny in that house. I held her in my arms today. I looked into her eyes and saw Dani. You have no idea how hard it was to give her back. I wanted to run out the door and bring her home with me. I wanted it so bad I could taste it.”
My voice is choked with tears. I take a shaky breath and try to speak again. “We have to be smart, Kendra. We have to get Aida out and then we’ll get Destiny away from the Rockwells. Believe me, I know she’s not safe and it breaks my heart to leave her there. I saw something awful in Nina Rockwell’s soul today and it scares the hell out of me. I don’t know what else to do. If you can think of a better way, let me know.”
By the time I finish, I’m in full-out meltdown mode, barely able to string two words together.
I hear Kendra snuffle and know she’s crying with me. When she speaks, her voice quivers. “It’s okay, Mel. Count me in. We’ll do it together.”
She promises to pick me up in an hour and clicks off. I’m in the bathroom splashing cold water on my face when I hear a tentative rap on the door. I grab a towel and trot to the window where I part the drapes and peer out. Steve is standing in front of Number Ten.
Flustered, I open the door and babble, “Oh, hi. So you’re still in 3 Peaks.”
Obviously, Mel, since he’s standing right in front of you.
“Do you mind if I come in? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
I fling the door open and step back. “Sorry. Sure, come on in.”
I wave him into a chair. “Is something wrong?”
He studies my face for a long moment. “Yes, I think something’s wrong. I’m concerned about what’s going on in your life. I sense you are involved in a troublesome situation. If you can get past your trust issues, I’m here to offer my assistance.”
I perch on the end of the bed. “What makes you think I need help?”
“Let’s just say the soul doesn’t lie.”
“What did my soul tell you?”
“Remember when I called you the girl with the rainbow in her soul?”
“Is the rainbow gone?”
“When last I looked, it is still present, but the colors are dimmer and now bleed into each other. This indicates you are under extreme stress. Also, I saw your reaction to the information on the flash drive. It’s not hard to deduce you’re dealing with an important, possibly dangerous, situation.”
Decision time. His offer of help seems sincere. The least I can do is hear what he has to say. Still, I proceed with caution.
“What kind of help are you offering?”
“I’m concerned about your friend who has been brought to this country illegally. I assume her status is being used against her, to keep her from speaking out. Am I correct so far?”
“Yes.”
“I have been in and out of the U.S. many times. I’m well acquainted with the immigration laws. I believe I can help your pregnant friend.”
His offer is hard to refuse. “How, exactly, would you help her?”
“First, I need more information about her situation. How was she brought here? Who is the father of the baby? Is he still involved with her?”
There’s no way I can tell him about Aida’s situation without going into the baby-selling thing. Before I launch into the story, I pull out the Gideon Bible present in every motel room.
“Put your hand on the Bible and promise you won’t reveal what I’m about to tell you—to anyone unless I tell you it’s okay.”
He suppresses a smile but complies. When I
tuck the Bible back into the nightstand, Steve says, “You do realize if I was truly a bad guy, it would not bother me to lie.”
I grin at him. “You think I didn’t look into your soul to see if you were lying?”
He nods. “Excellent, Melanie. You’re a quick study.”
I fill him in on what I’ve learned so far. “The other day, you said if immigration can’t find her, they wouldn’t be able to detain her. It made me realize I need to get Aida to a safe place before I go to the authorities. I’m working on a plan right now.”
I don’t mention the plan involves a kidnapping.
He gives me a sharp glance. “Do you need help with your plan?”
I avert my eyes. “Not right now. But, thanks.”
Steve stands. “I can see trust issues are still troubling you. Sometimes life requires a leap of faith, Melanie. I must go now. Please keep me informed of your progress and let me know how I can help.”
He starts for the door. Somehow, I can’t let him go.
“Wait. Do you want to know what I see in your soul?”
He smiles and again, I notice our marked resemblance. “Yes, I would appreciate it.”
We sit across the table from each other. I stare into his eyes and see light reflecting off a sparkling body of water. But, hold on. The amorphous dark blob I’d seen before, flitting to and fro, is in a fixed position. Its darkness casts a long, narrow shadow over the water.
I drop my gaze, rub my eyes and take another look. It looks the same.
“What do you see?”
I describe the contents of his soul as clearly as possible.
“This dark shape you see,” he begins. “Does it extend completely across the water?”
I take another look. “No. Not quite.”
“Did you see it when we met at the coffee shop?”
“Yes, but it looked different. It was moving around.”
“And now it’s in a fixed position?”
“Yes.”
He smiles. “Good, it means I am making the right decision.”
“About what?”
“The direction of my life.”
“So the black blobby thing is…”
“A problem I’ve been dealing with for years.”
Affliction Page 20