by Renee Roman
Ten minutes later, she parked at the end of the block. Decade’s neon sign was a beacon among the otherwise drab storefronts, most of which were closed for the night. She looked in the mirror and laughed. She had smudges on her face. Her black T-shirt hid whatever dirt was there, and she knew there was plenty. Her torn jeans were still clean, even though they had a few holes in questionable locations. They’d have to do. At least she’d remembered to put on underwear today, not something she did on a daily basis. She preferred long skirts to pants, but they were impractical when welding, not to mention dangerous. The glove box held an array of items she kept for emergencies such as this. The can of store brand wipes was almost empty, and she added it to the growing list of things she needed to buy. A few scrubs and the marks were gone, leaving her skin pink and clean. She could pull off the androgynous look when she wanted to, and not wearing makeup made it easier, even if she preferred her feminine side. After a final check for her ID and money, she nodded at her reflection. Time to get lost.
Chapter Five
Sarah held a piece of scrap metal she’d found during her latest round of “trash to treasure” as she liked to call her foraging through neighborhoods on trash nights. A stiff wire brush would remove all the loose oxidized particles from the surface. Her cell vibrated across the bench. She read the display as she removed a glove, then swiped the screen to answer.
“Hi, Lisa.”
“What’s shakin’?”
She giggled at Lisa’s attempt at being cool. She probably didn’t realize her choice of words were outdated by a decade or more. “Playing in the shop.”
“Have you heard anything yet?”
She went outside with a can of diet soda and sat in the dilapidated lawn chair she’d confiscated from a pile of trash by the road. Some of her best finds came from the items discarded by others. “No, but it’s only been a little over a week. Camdyn said it would take time. I just have to be patient.” Thoughts of what kind of work Camdyn was doing to fulfill their contract constantly nagged her thoughts. “I called earlier, but she was out of town.” Sarah had the distinct feeling the secretary at the office didn’t care for her. She’d been professional when they’d spoken, but there wasn’t any warmth in her tone.
“Oh. Maybe that’s a good sign.” Lisa sounded upbeat.
Her enthusiasm was more than Sarah could generate. “Maybe. I pulled down the last two totes from the attic. I’ll go through them later.”
“Want some help? We can grab a bite to eat after. My treat.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Lisa was aware of how tight her finances were, but that didn’t mean she had to foot the bill when they went out.
“I know. I want to.”
* * *
“Wow, this is old.” Sarah held up a yellowed document, the edges curling and cracked.
Lisa carefully took the document from Sarah. “It’s Anne’s parents’ marriage license.” She brought it closer to the light. “It’s dated nineteen forty-four. I wonder how old they were.”
“Mom didn’t have a lot of pictures of her parents in the album. Probably because they lived in Tennessee, if I remember right. She and Dad moved to Delaware right after they were married so he could find work. I only remember seeing my grandparents a few times while I was growing up. They were kind enough, but we didn’t do much family stuff together.”
Sarah wondered why that was. Granted, they’d been about eight hundred miles from them, but it wasn’t across the country. Though it might have seemed like it back then. Maybe they hadn’t approved of her parents’ marriage, or her adoption. She shook her head, wondering what had made her so judgmental. First with Camdyn, now with her grandparents, even though she didn’t have any real reason to dislike either of them. She needed to get her anger under control. It wasn’t anyone’s fault her parents had died. Maybe she wanted to have someone to blame for feeling abandoned and alone. What she needed to remember was she wasn’t alone. Lisa was there, and if Camdyn was as good as she claimed, she might even have a brother. Sometimes family kept distance from one another for odd reasons.
“What are you thinking?” Lisa tipped her head.
“Sometimes I wonder if looking for a sibling who doesn’t know I exist is wise.”
Lisa scooted closer. “I thought you wanted to find him?”
She glanced down at the assortment of cards, letters, and miscellaneous papers piled around her. “I did. I mean…I do, but…”
“Sarah, it’s okay to question it. You can stop any time. Right?”
Sarah nodded, and Lisa went on. “Come on. Let’s finish here and get cleaned up. Then I’ll take you to your favorite restaurant for dinner.”
As she piled the stacks back in their containers, she couldn’t help feeling they’d provided more questions than answers. Why hadn’t she had a closer relationship with her grandparents? Could it be they’d never joined the twentieth century and relied on letters and phone calls alone to stay in touch? Even so, there’d been very little from them in the way of birthday cards. Lord knows, her mother had saved everything else. Thinking of the threads that connected people gave her a better sense of what little Camdyn had to follow, and her appreciation grew, but just a little.
* * *
Cam held on to the sides of the toilet seat and leaned her head on her arm. The migraine she’d done her best to ward off earlier had finally won over the meds she’d taken, and her stomach lurched every time she moved. Unable to deny the need to vomit, she’d stumbled into the bathroom and collapsed next to the toilet, losing what little lunch she had left in her stomach. She flicked the handle and moved away from the rancid odor.
“Christ, I look as shitty as I feel.”
She washed her face and brushed her teeth. She also wanted a shower, but she was too unsteady on her feet and afraid if she fell she’d become a statistic of accidental death. Her shirt was wrinkled beyond salvaging, so she tossed it aside before pulling a clean sweater on, then ran her fingers through her hair. Her stomach revolted at the thought of food, but with a need for caffeine, she didn’t have a choice. She wished someone was there to go with her. Where the hell did that come from? She was quite capable of handling things on her own. She’d been doing it for years.
Her stomach gurgled again, and she didn’t want to be embarrassed by having to bolt through a restaurant to the restroom. She fingered through the stack of take-out menus and picked the least offensive. The local bistro did a great wood-fired pizza, but they didn’t deliver. After placing her order that included a small antipasto, she considered how wise it was to be driving in her condition, though she’d done worse things in her life. Lucky for her, she only had to go a few blocks. Dusk was approaching, but there was enough daylight remaining that there wouldn’t be much headlight glare. Cam gulped down the fresh air hoping to clear her head.
“Hi. Can I help you?” The woman behind the small podium asked with a smile.
“Take-out order for Stark.” Cam forced a smile in return though she felt anything but sociable. The woman disappeared into the kitchen before returning empty-handed. “It’ll be a few more minutes. Would you like something while you wait?”
She thought a barf bag might come in handy. “No, thank you.” Cam slumped onto the bench by the door and scrolled through the texts she’d missed while she was passed out. Maggie had sent a few, checking on her. Several clients had called, and Maggie covered for her absence by saying Cam was out of town. Maggie hated texting more than emailing. One text from Kevin with an update on a case he was working. A voice mail from Sarah. Her heart beat a little faster. She pressed the icon and listened as Sarah’s hesitant voice came through her earpiece.
“Uh, hi. It’s Sarah. Sarah Peters.” An exasperated sigh could be heard before she continued. “I don’t mean to bother you while you’re away, but I was going through some papers and found a photo of a baby and a strange note. I don’t know if it means anything. Anyway. If you want it, let me know.”
; She listened to the message again. She should be annoyed that Sarah hadn’t given her much time to find info, but then again, she’d told Sarah to call her if she came across anything she thought was important. She looked at the time. It was too late for her to call, and since there wasn’t much she could do in her current state, she decided it could wait till morning. As suspected, Maggie had also left a voice mail wanting to know if she was feeling any better and to give her a call tomorrow.
“Miss. Your order is ready.”
Cam paid and grabbed the bag. On the drive home, she couldn’t help thinking about Sarah’s desire to connect with family. She’d had the same desire once. There was only one person she considered her family, and it was never too late to call home.
“Cam, how are you?” Liv’s voice rumbled through the phone.
“I’ve been better.” Cam knew no matter the reason for her call it was always welcome. She had come to love Liv in a way she never could have imagined. Not only had Liv given her a hand up when she’d needed it, but she had taught her that love came in a variety of shapes and sizes, and all she had to do was be open to it. They loved each other in a unique way. No other woman would ever take Liv’s place.
“Tell me all about it and we’ll fix it together.”
* * *
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not letting you pay.” Sarah didn’t want Lisa to think she couldn’t pay her own way, even if it were true. She rummaged in what served as a handbag looking for her wallet until her fingers closed around it and she pulled it out. “Ah-ha.” She smiled at Lisa before glancing around. She’d spoken a little louder than she intended. The other tables seemed unaware, but her gasp that followed didn’t go unnoticed.
“What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Lisa said.
All Sarah could do was point at Camdyn as she stood near the front door.
“Wow. I mean, I’m not into women, but she’s hot.” Lisa smirked at her, laughing.
“That’s her,” Sarah whispered, grabbing Lisa’s hand and hoping to keep her quiet.
“Her who?” Lisa asked before she grasped the meaning. “Oh my God, is that the investigator you hired?”
“Yeah.” Sarah tried not to stare. Lucky for her, they were toward the back, and Camdyn had sat down near the front door.
Lisa slid the check presenter to the edge of the table. “No wonder you have the hots for her.”
“I do not have the hots for her,” Sarah hissed.
“Could have fooled me.” Lisa signed the bill and took back her card. “Want to say hello?”
Lisa started to rise, and she grabbed her arm, pulling her back to her chair. “No.” Sarah said it a little more forcefully than she intended.
“Gee, okay.” Lisa rubbed her arm. “If you don’t have the hots for her I don’t see the harm in being polite.”
Sarah shook her head. “We aren’t exactly friends, you know. It’s a working relationship. It would be weird.” Although the thought of being friends wasn’t totally out of the question, she couldn’t entertain the idea as long as Camdyn was working for her. It wouldn’t be right.
“Fine. Whatever you say.”
Camdyn stood and went to the cash register. The waitress handed over a brown paper bag, and Sarah experienced a minute of regret as she left. It was obvious Camdyn had ordered dinner and was probably heading home to eat alone. She knew what that felt like.
“Can we go now?”
“In a minute.” The last thing Sarah wanted was for Camdyn to see her leave the restaurant with an attractive woman, though the thought was idiotic. What difference did it make if Camdyn saw her and Lisa together? It’s not like she was interested in dating Camdyn.
“Whenever you’re ready.” Lisa stood and the look on her face told Sarah the only person she was kidding was herself.
Chapter Six
Cam opened the file one more time, making sure her paperwork was neat and orderly. There were only two large hospitals in the Dover area—Kent General and Milford Memorial. She’d followed her instincts and driven to Kent. She’d tried several of the more conventional avenues of inquiry including mutual consent registries, which would probably end up being a dead end. Unless Sarah’s birth mother had a big change of heart, she wouldn’t have given consent for disclosure of her personal information. What was the likelihood that a baby girl Jones, born on March 15, 1989, had a birth mother named Mary Jones? The woman might have given a fake name, especially if her pregnancy had been unplanned to begin with, which was likely the case. It wouldn’t be the first time Cam had discovered a fake identity, and since Jones was nearly as common as Smith, Cam’s odds of finding the correct birthmother were slim. Sarah’s adoptive mother had even questioned her own memory about the birth mother’s first name, and Cam wasn’t sure she could rely on what she’d read as fact. While she waited for a response to her formal inquiry, Cam had kept digging. Which brought her here.
The first thing she had to do was find the maternity ward. Against her better judgment, she slid her gun from its holster and locked it in the glove compartment. After all these years, she felt naked and vulnerable without it, but hospitals frowned on armed individuals. Even more so in maternity wards.
The wing she wanted was to her left. Maternity was on the fourth floor. She took a deep breath and reviewed her speech. The elevator’s monotone voice announced she would be “going up.” Cam disliked automation, like those nondescript voices that told her to press one for balance inquiries, two to make a payment, etcetera, etcetera. Elevators were another thing she disliked immensely. This one was dark and a bit dingy. The lights flickered and she held on to the railing as it rattled and jerked upward on cables she was sure would break any second and send her hurtling to her death. The rush of air when the doors opened allowed her to breathe again, and she nearly leapt into the hallway, vowing to take the stairs when she was done. Cam approached the reception desk, and an elderly woman looked up and smiled at her.
“Hello. May I help you?”
She read the woman’s name badge and smiled back. “I hope so, Sandra. I’m looking to speak with a nurse who would have worked here in the late 1980s.”
“My, my. That’s a long time ago. Tell me the person’s name.”
She’d planned ahead for the most common questions and leaned a little closer. “I wish I knew.” She showed her badge and ID, hoping it would put the woman at ease. “I’m on an investigation and reached a dead end. Any information would be helpful.”
Sandra’s eyes grew big, the excitement clear on her face. “Oh dear. Let me think. Ruth has been here longer than I have, and I’ve been a clerk in the ward for twenty-five years. Maybe she was working here back then.”
“Do you think I could speak with her?” Cam’s heartbeat picked up pace. It always did when she was on a trail.
“I’m not sure. She may have already left for the day.” Sandra’s index finger ran down a list of phone numbers taped on the desk near the phone. “Let me call and see.” She punched numbers into the keypad and then looked up expectantly, her hand waving in the air in a “hurry up” motion. Regret showed on her face before she spoke again. “I’m sorry, I don’t think…” Sandra began, then stopped. “Ruth, you’re still here.” After a brief pause, she went on. “I know, but I need to ask you something. Were you working maternity in the late eighties?” Sandra’s head did that side-to-side thing one did when listening to someone drone on. She smiled at Cam and held up her finger. “There’s someone at my desk that wants to speak with you…well, that’s up to you.” Another pause. “Okay. I’ll tell her to wait.” She looked satisfied as she put the phone down. “She’ll be right down, but I’m not sure how long she’ll stay. She’s had a rough day.”
“I do appreciate your help.” She slid a business card onto the counter and wrote her work cell number on the back. “If there’s anyone else from that time frame who might be able to help, feel free to give me a call.” Cam pressed the card into Sandra’s han
d and let her fingers linger briefly. Sandra’s face flushed.
“I certainly will.” Sandra was studying the card when a tall woman with silver hair rounded the corner. Sandra proceeded with the unnecessary introductions.
“Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” Cam asked. When Ruth hesitated, she said, “I’ll only take a few minutes of your time.”
Ruth nodded and gestured to an open door a little way down the hall. Once they were inside, she closed the door behind them.
“I’m not sure I can help with whatever it is you’re looking for. The eighties were a long time ago.”
She handed over the recent picture of Sarah. “This woman, Sarah Peters, is looking for her twin brother. I believe they were born here under the last name Jones, and separated shortly after. Her adoptive parents died recently and she has no family.” Cam knew it was a cheap shot to play on Ruth’s emotions, but it was all she had. She pulled out another picture from the file in her briefcase. It was from a couple of days after Sarah was born. “She has an amended birth certificate and not much else.”