by Renee Roman
Ruth studied the photos. “She’s grown into a beautiful woman.”
Cam inwardly agreed but waited while the woman’s eyes briefly glassed over while her finger traced the baby picture of her in a hospital bassinet. The sign, though a bit blurry, stated Baby girl Jones, six pounds, one ounce, seventeen and one-half inches.
“The boy was very sick.” Ruth looked up at Cam. “I remember them because they were my first set of twins. The girl was robust and healthy. We put them in the same bassinet and she held on to his hand when he cried. This must have been taken when her brother was having tests or being fed.” She slid the baby picture across the table and picked up the one of an adult Sarah. “I knew she’d be okay.” Ruth handed it over.
“Do you remember the mother’s name or any other details?”
Ruth closed her eyes and took a breath. When she opened them again it was obvious she was trying to not cry. “It broke my heart when I heard they were put up for adoption. Even more so when I learned they were being separated.” Her lips pursed. “Sarah?” She tipped her chin at the photos, and Cam nodded. “She was taken first.” Ruth wistfully smiled. “The young couple looked so happy when they held her. I was happy for them.”
“And the boy?” Cam asked.
Ruth’s face darkened. “He screamed the minute his sister left. I don’t know what happened to him because I was off for a few days. He was gone when I came in for my shift. I asked around, and another nurse said an agency came for him.”
Cam tried to hide her disappointment, but she must have failed because Ruth touched her hand.
“The other nursery RN is retired, but she lives in the area. We’re friends. Her memory is better than mine. Maybe she could tell you more,” Ruth said.
Maybe there was hope after all. “Do you think she’d talk to me?”
“I’m sure she would. A little intrigue will spice up her life.” Ruth winked. “If you know what I mean.”
Cam wrote her cell number on the back of another card and handed it to her. “If you can give her my number I’d appreciate it. I’ll be in town until tomorrow sometime.”
Ruth stood as she read the information. “Stark Revelations.” She glanced up, smiling. “Clever.”
Cam grinned and waved over her shoulder as she turned into the corridor. She looked for the stairs and pushed through the door, glad she didn’t have to endure another minute in the death trap called an elevator. She got to the first floor and pulled out her phone to call the office as she headed to her car.
“Stark Revelations, Maggie speaking.”
“Hi, Mags.”
“Hi, boss. How’s it going?”
“I might, and that’s a big might, have a lead. In the meantime, I’m calling for messages.” Cam rubbed her temple. The telltale signs of an impending headache forced her to take the medication that made her groggy. She hated the feeling almost more than the migraine.
“Thank God. Sarah Peters called again. I told her you were on a stakeout and that I likely wouldn’t see you until tomorrow.”
Cam remembered the way she’d rolled her eyes the last time Sarah had been at the office. Then she’d interrupted them. Both were so unlike Maggie’s usual behavior. Something was bothering Maggie and Cam needed to know what it was. “What’s eating at you about the Peters woman? I haven’t seen you like this in ages.”
Maggie huffed into the phone. “It’s not her, it’s you.”
“What about me?”
“Don’t play coy with me, Camdyn. You know perfectly well what I mean. You were practically falling all over her when she showed up.”
“I was not.” She pulled into the parking lot, used a key to unlock her hotel room door, then flipped on the lights and winced.
“I should know. I was watching.” Maggie’s “Don’t bull me” voice rang through loud and clear.
Whatever. “Mags, I’m medicated. Give me a break, okay?”
“Aww, poor you. Okay…for now. You want the rest of your calls?”
Cam turned out the overhead lights and turned on the desk lamp. “Please.”
A few minutes later, she lay on the bed, a cold washcloth on her head. She hated these unpredictable interruptions to her life. Her neurologist told her it was a result of the two concussions she’d suffered in childhood, both at the hands of foster care. She’d lost consciousness the second time, waking up a few hours later in the emergency room. Luckily, the foster mother had panicked when she hadn’t responded to being shaken and called an ambulance, telling the rescue squad she’d fallen and hit her head. The ER staff noticed unusual bruises and called in their social worker. The migraines had started a few years later, though she hadn’t known that’s what they were for a long time.
Her thoughts drifted to Sarah. It made her laugh to think Mags was irritated by Sarah more than she was. Maybe that was because Cam believed if she took on a case, the client deserved answers. It couldn’t be because she was attracted to Sarah, even though she was captivating. She was just anxious to provide some answers, or not, and close the case. The sooner the better. Wanting to move on was understandable. Sarah’s attractiveness had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.
* * *
“Is this Camdyn Stark?”
“Yes, it is. Can I ask who’s calling?” Cam didn’t recognize the number, but then, she rarely did.
“Julie Rice, a nurse from the hospital. I’m a friend of Ruth’s, and she asked me to call you.”
“It’s good to hear from you, Ms. Rice. Would it be possible to meet? I have a couple of pictures I’d like to show you, along with a few questions about babies you took care of a long time ago.”
“Well…I suppose it would be okay.” Julie hesitated.
“Any public location would be fine. A diner or coffee shop. Wherever you like.” People were wary these days with the state of the world and often felt more at ease in a familiar setting.
“That would be fine. Do you know Vickie’s on Johnson Boulevard? It’s a coffee shop and bakery. They have the most delicious pastries.”
Cam had just left the local library. She’d spent the early morning poring over birth announcements in the archives of the local newspapers but hadn’t had any luck. “I’ll find it. Would eleven o’clock be too soon?” She did a search for the address. It would only take her fifteen minutes to get there, but she needed to check out of the hotel first. She wanted to get home by early afternoon. Sarah’s wasn’t her only case, even though it seemed that way at times.
“Perfect. I’ll see you then.”
“I’ll be there.” Cam almost hung up until she heard “wait” coming through the earpiece.
“Yes?”
“How will I know it’s you?”
“Safety first. I like that. I’ll be driving a dark gray Charger and wearing a red sweater with black pants.”
“Got it.”
Forty-five minutes later, Cam pulled up to the short block lined with storefronts and parked a few spaces down from Vickie’s. True to Julie’s description, there were signs in the window boasting the best coffee cake in town, making her mouth water. It wasn’t often she treated herself to sweets, but today she felt like breaking the rules.
The little bell over the door announced her arrival, and everyone looked in her direction. She’d learned a while ago that small town residents always looked for a familiar face. Since she wasn’t one, they soon went back to their conversations. All except a gray-haired woman sitting in the third booth. She hesitated for a second before motioning Cam over. Cam extended her hand.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you, Ms. Rice.”
The woman’s intelligent eyes took her in as she settled on the bench across from her. “Likewise. Ruth said she spoke with you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You mind showing me some ID?”
Cam fished out her wallet and flipped it open. It held her driver’s license on one side and her PI badge on the other.
Julie leaned forward, then n
odded. “Can’t be too careful nowadays.”
They ordered coffee when the waitress came over. Cam perused the one-sided menu and added a sample plate of baked goods. Julie smiled.
“Got a sweet tooth, do you?”
She laughed. “My secret is out.”
“I know how to keep a secret.” Julie’s demeanor changed from light and flirty to subdued.
“Do you have a secret you want to share?” Cam asked. The hair on the back of her neck bristled, a sign she thought she was getting close to a piece of the puzzle.
Julie giggled, making her appear younger. She leaned forward, her eyes flashing around the busy diner as if making sure no one was paying attention to them. “It’s really not a secret, but I do love the cloak-and-dagger feel of it. You love what you do, don’t you?”
Cam stared at Julie. The only person who had ever asked her that question had been Liv. “The easy answer is yes. Why I do has a whole bunch of connotations I can’t really explain.”
Julie patted her hand. “Oh, I get that, honey. People used to ask me all the time how I could take care of babies knowing some of them were going home to the worst parents in the world.” She shrugged, her face somber. “I loved each one in my care. That’s the best I could do for them.”
“I’m sure you did.” The silence between them stretched out for a long beat until the waitress returned. The aroma of strong coffee and sweet pastries filled the intimate space between them.
“You must try some of everything, Camdyn. They are simply to die for.” Julie used her knife to cut each one in half.
“Call me Cam.” She looked down at the platter. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Which one do you want the most?”
The choice was easy. “Coffee cake.”
“Then leave that to last, so you can savor the flavor after it’s gone.” Julie winked at her.
Cam slid a pastry onto her plate. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
Julie took a bite, and the flaky bits reminded Cam of falling snow. “It was a long time ago, but some things you never forget.”
Cam agreed, though there were times she wished she could.
* * *
“There’s my favorite PI. How did it go, boss?”
Cam was reluctant to tell Maggie about her rough night. “I spoke with two of the RNs who worked the nursery when Sarah was born.” She didn’t make eye contact and Maggie must have sensed her angst. She always did.
“You’re killing me.” Maggie touched her forearm. “What’s wrong?”
Cam shrugged. She didn’t want her to worry, but even she was concerned about the frequency of her headaches and how severe they’d become. “Nothing. I was hoping for more, but at least I have a real first name for Sarah’s birth mother. The nurse I spoke to was adamant it was Judy. It’s a long shot, but better than nothing.” She turned for her office, hoping to avoid Maggie’s scrutiny. No such luck.
“Good. About the case. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”
Cam finally looked up, and Maggie studied her with such singular focus she wanted to move away and slam the door on her, but she couldn’t. Next to Liv, Maggie was the closest friend she had. She couldn’t hide anything from her.
Maggie led her into her office then guided her to the small couch before sitting next to her. “How bad was it?” Maggie’s forehead wrinkled in concern.
She’d done her best that morning to not have the lingering fatigue show during her interview. Once she’d reached the office, though, she let the bravado slip away. She slumped back, letting her head rest on the soft cushion, and closed her eyes. “Bad enough that I threw up, and that was after I’d medicated. Twice.”
“Don’t you think it’s time to go see Dr. Bryant again?”
Cam drew her fingertips across her temples, the flesh beneath still sore in the aftermath of what she called a “tsunami” migraine. “For what? I know what caused it. There’s no cure and I’m already on meds. Why waste the money?”
“Maybe she could prescribe something different. Or maybe there’s something you can try to ward the next one off.” Maggie, always the optimist.
She wished it could be that simple. From the time she was seventeen she’d been treated for them; the answer was always the same. If you feel one coming on, take your medication. If that doesn’t work, get somewhere dark and lie down. Take more meds. Drink caffeinated beverages. Blah, blah. Cam sat up and leaned her elbows on her knees.
“I don’t have the time or the energy to go through it all again, Mags. I’ll just deal with it.”
Maggie pursed her lips.
“I’ll try to get more sleep and slow down a little to see if it helps. In the meantime, I need you to set up an appointment for Sarah Peters to come in. We need to go and file a formal request in person at the Dover Office of Vital Statistics to see if they’ll release her real birth certificate without her mother’s name blacked out. Because of the adoption, they wouldn’t give it to me.”
“You want to do an overnight in Dover with Sarah Peters?” Maggie crossed her arms, meaning she was irked at the notion.
“It will be a long day trip unless there’s a reason we need to stay.” As much as she loved Maggie, sometimes she forgot Cam was her boss. “Just make the appointment like I asked you to, Maggie. Is that clear?”
Maggie’s arms dropped to her sides. “Crystal. I’ll get right on it.” She closed the door behind her a little louder than necessary.
Cam sighed and walked around her desk. She wasn’t sure if Maggie’s reaction was a result of her dislike for Sarah, or her refusal to do more about her migraines. She didn’t want to have that conversation, with her doctor or anyone else. Not again. The men who did this to her were no longer on her radar and would never be able to find her unless they discovered her current name. She and Liv had paid a hefty price to bury her old identity so deep no one would ever find it.
Every trip to her doctor was a blatant reminder of all the things she’d suffered at the hands of her so-called caregivers. Maggie was looking out for her, and she understood her protectiveness, but this wasn’t anything anyone could help with. Even her own ability to take care of the headaches was limited. Sometimes they just had to run their course.
The screen showed a message waiting for her. From Maggie. “Christ. Is she that pissed?” She opened the notification and read the text.
Ms. Peters is scheduled to meet you on Friday morning at eight a.m. in the office.
No greeting. No signature. If Maggie’s silent treatment continued, it was going to be a long day.
* * *
Sarah wrung her hands. The refrigerator held little in the way of comfort food. A cold beer might settle her nerves. The call wasn’t totally unexpected since she’d left a message a few days ago. Being asked to travel with Camdyn to Dover was the part that threw her equilibrium off. The assistant stated the sooner the better, but Sarah couldn’t afford to miss work. She’d used up most of her sick time, what little there was, during her mother’s illness. Vacations were also a luxury. She was up to ten days a year, but she’d been hoping to use them for an actual vacation. In light of the newest development in her life, she needed to save her days in case her brother was found. God knew where she’d have to travel to see him or for how long. It had been a stroke of fortune that the last day of work on her current construction site was Thursday. Friday was originally going to be a day of housework and chores, but this was more important. She’d get to them on the weekend.
Today was only Tuesday. She had to wait three more days to hear if Camdyn had good news. Well, she had to have news of some type, otherwise why would they need to go to Dover? Maybe Camdyn was going to bring her to her brother? Was that the news? No, it couldn’t be. Maybe I should pack an overnight bag, just in case. The trip would only take a few hours each way, but she wasn’t sure of anything except having to file a request in-person at the Dover Municipal Building. Maggie had barely said more than a doze
n words. Sarah tipped the bottle to her lips again, surprised it was empty. She needed to get a grip. Certainly if Camdyn had discovered news of consequence, she would have spoken with her personally.
She glanced at the clock over the stove. Time to throw together some dinner and make her lunch for tomorrow. Then she’d go through the last shoebox from the attic that had been tucked behind crates of books from her childhood. Among them were the long-forgotten pen pal letters she’d looked forward to receiving every week. Her parents had signed her up to join the Boys & Girls Club, and one of the activities was picking a pen pal. After she started high school, the letters became less frequent on both their parts, and she missed corresponding with Kelly. Maybe she’d try to find her on Facebook.
She tucked into the corner of the couch, balancing the meager portion of leftover spaghetti on her leg. After settling on a show about travel, she pictured the page in her diary from years gone by that she’d reserved for vacation destinations. Hawaii, Yosemite Park, and the High Peaks of New York were the three she could remember. She’d hoped to have crossed off at least one by now. Sarah looked down at the remnants on her plate. She didn’t want to deprive herself anymore. She turned off the TV. She was tired. It was after ten and she needed sleep to be able to function.
Sarah snuggled into the covers, willing herself to drift off, but her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Her life was mundane with the same routine day after day. Maybe she’d look into taking a couple of art courses at a local college. She’d have to stay close to home until she got a better car. She needed to do something other than dreaming about places she couldn’t afford to go. Cam’s life probably wasn’t routine at all. She imagined what it must be like to live in her world and wondered what had shaped her into the person she barely knew anything about. Where had she grown up? What was family life like? How much traveling had she done? She might have a few years on Sarah, but certainly she had an unfulfilled bucket list and she was curious what was on it.
The last thing she remembered was the look on Camdyn’s face the last time she’d seen her, as though she were really looking at her for the first time. The memory warmed her, sending tendrils of comfort through her as she drifted to sleep.