Morano could visualize the transformation that was about to occur. His dilapidated office would soon disappear; in its place a multimillion-dollar luxury hotel that would attract vacationers everywhere. The cash flow from his dock services would still be incoming. But thered be a lot more than fishing boats making their way to his pier. Chartered yachts would soon conveniently travel between Manhattan and here, bringing affluent tourists to gamble in the casino and be pampered in his five-star hotel.
The pieces were falling into place. He just had to play his cards right.
The rickety office door swung open and a gruff workman walked in, carrying an empty toolbox.
It looked for all the world as if he was here to do carpentry or make repairsand the place could sure use it.
But a short time later, the man left, his empty toolbox now filled with twenty thousand dollars in cash.
Just outside the office, he pulled out his burner phone and punched in the requisite number. Todays repairs are done, he reported.
Good, was the reply.
The workman headed to the gravel area where hed parked. He walked past his truck and across the dock, stopping to hurl his phone into the bay. Then he reversed his steps, got into his vehicle and drove away.
Amanda hurried back to Sloane Kettering and the Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant unit. She knew Melissa would never leave Justins side during her absence. And shed checked her cell phone twelve times since shed called in an hour ago. But, despite Melissas reassurances, her heart was still racing, her prayers still echoing inside her head as she rushed to see Justin, to make sure he was still alive and fighting.
She was startled to see the stocky man with the ruddy complexion and salt-and-pepper hair standing outside the BMT Unit, hands clasped behind his back as he stared inside.
Uncle Lyle? Amanda broke into a run. What are you doing here at this hour? Has something happened?
No, nothing like that. Lyle Fenton patted his nieces shoulder. He wasnt an affectionate man. Never had been. Hed grown up poor, made himself rich, but had never included a family as part of the picture. But when his sister and her husband had been killed in a car accident, hed felt some sense of responsibility for their only child. Amanda had been in photojournalism school at the time, and Lyle had already made a decent amount of money. So paying for her education and kick-starting her career had been his way of reaching out. It was easy enough, given she loved the Hamptons and had moved within ten miles of his estate.
Still, they rarely saw each other. Until now.
I was in Manhattan on business, he told his niece now. The meeting ran right through dinner and well past ten. So I stopped in to see how the babyhow Justinwas doing. I was surprised not to find you here.
Amanda released her breath. Thank God. Her uncle was just passing through on his way back to the Hamptons. Nothing had gone wrong with her precious baby.
I only left for a few hours, she replied. It was important. And, as you can see, I left my friend Melissa with Justin. She treats him like her own. With those words, Amanda glanced inside the unit, relieved to see Melissa sitting by Justins side, talking softly to him in his crib.
What was so important? Lyle asked curiously.
I hired an investigative firm to find Paul.
That came as a major surprise, and Lyle started. Paul? Hes dead.
Maybe. Maybe not.
A heartbeat of silence. I had no idea your thoughts were heading in this direction. Do you have something to go on?
Nothing solid. But tell me, Uncle Lyle, how else should my thoughts be headed? Amanda spread her hands wide. Im desperate. Im not a potential donor. Youre not a potential donor. I have no other family. And so far the registry has come up empty. I dont know if Pauls alive. I dont know if hed be a viable match. But Ive got to try.
Lyle nodded, although the expression on his face was dubious. I understand. Who did you hire? I could have given you some recommendations.
I didnt need them. I hired Forensic Instincts. After the way they handled the kidnapping of that little girl, there was no doubt in my mind that they were the right company to track down Paulif hes alive.
They took the case?
Amanda nodded. Theyre meeting about it as we speak.
Do you need money? An independent investigative team like Forensic Instincts doesnt come cheap.
Im fine for now. Plus, youre already paying for all of Justins hospital expenses. Im very grateful. But enough is enough.
Thats absurd, Amanda. I have the means. Ill offer a huge reward for the right stem cell donor, if thats what it takes. Dont hesitate to call on me.
Thank you, Uncle Lyle. Ill do that. But right now I think Forensic Instincts is my ray of hope. Once again, she glanced into the unit. I want to get back inside and relieve Melissa.
The nurses said thered been no change, Lyle informed her. Thats good, isnt it?
I dont know what good means anymore. Amanda was already rolling up her sleeves, getting ready to scrub up. I thank God he isnt worse. But I keep praying hell improve, that by some miracle hell get better. She shut her eyes for a brief second. Thats a pipe dream, I know. But hope is all I can cling to. And I wont give up on my son.
No, no, of course not. Lyle gestured for her to get back inside. Go and be with your child. Ill be in touch. He started to leave.
Uncle Lyle? Amanda stopped him with a gentle hand on his forearm. Thank you. Not just for dropping by or for offering to help pay Forensic Instincts, but for having yourself tested. I know this isnt your thing. But it means the world to me that youd try.
Briefly, he smiled. It was hardly a sacrifice. I have more than enough bloodand moneyto spare. Another awkward pat on her hand. Ill be in touch.
Once her uncle had gone, Amanda went through the ritual of sterilizing her hands and donning the necessary gloves, hospital gown and mask. Then, she reentered the reverse isolation unit where her infant was fighting for his life.
Go on home to your family, she said softly to Melissa. And thanks so much.
Melissa rose and squeezed her friends gloved hands with her own. Call whenever you need me.
I will.
Amanda approached the crib, relieved to be back, happy to be alone with her son.
She could never get over how small he was. Or maybe he just looked that way in his crib with a central line IV in his three-week-old chest and a blow-by of oxygen perched on his crib to enrich the oxygen content of the air around him. Hed been born full-term, a respectable seven pounds one ounce. Maybe thats what made it even harder. The preemies down in the neonatal ICU looked so much more fragile, so much more like they had the fight of their lives ahead of them. And yet, none of them was as sick as Justin, who faced a grim prognosis.
The middle-aged nurse whod most recently checked Justins vitals walked in behind Amanda.
Ms. Gleason, she greeted her. Im glad you got out for a little while.
Thank you. Amanda gestured at the medical apparatus, then at her baby, who had started waving a tiny fist and whining. How is Justin? Is there any change?
Thank you. Amanda gestured at the medical apparatus, then at her baby, who had started waving a tiny fist and whining. How is Justin? Is there any change?
No. The little guy is a fighter, though. And he obviously knows his mommys voice. He was quiet until you walked in. Would you like to hold him for a while?
It was a routine questionone that, in this case, the nurse already knew the answer to. Amanda held her baby every chance she could. It was one of the few things she could offer him at this pointthe warmth of her body, the soft lullabies that soothed him, plus her constant prayers and love. Holding him was a bittersweet experience. The joy of cradling him close, having his tiny fingers curl around hersthe feeling was indescribable. But the guilt of knowing why she couldnt nurse him, why he couldnt even be bottle-fed, but instead had to get his nourishment from an IV catheter, why his breathing was raspy, and why he had an infectionan infection shed given to himate at her like the vilest of poisons.
Now she gathered him close, being careful to avoid his IV, and rocked him as she began singing him the lullabies he seemed to love. He stopped fussing, his tiny body relaxing as he experienced the security of his mothers embrace and the melodic sounds of her voice. At that moment, all was right with his worldand Amandas.
If Paul really were alive, he couldnt help but fall in love with this little miracle.
Tears welled up in Amandas eyes, slid down her cheeks beneath the mask. Between the pain, the worry and the hormones, she cried at the drop of a hat. Shed even wept in front of Marc Devereaux, although hed seemed to understand. Hed taken her case. Hed been confident. Hed reassured her. And she believed in him.
But would they find Paul? Was Paul alive to be found? Or was that just wishful thinking on her part?
Shed mourned him for so long. More so after she found out she was carrying his baby. Theyd never talked about having children, nor about settling down together. It was too soon. Theyd only been together for five months. But they were five intense months, filled with a love and a passion Amanda had never before experienced. Justin was the culmination of that. And Paul would never be able to share in the miracle that was his son.
Finding out that Paul might truly be alive had been a devastating blow to her gut. Disbelief, hope, confusion, betrayal, and most of all, anger had rushed through her, one sharp emotion at a time. But, with Justins diagnosis, all that emotion channeled into desperation to find Paul. The fact that he might have been lying to her since day one and that hed done a dump-and-run was insignificant. All that mattered was Justin. She had to save her baby. Even if it meant pleading at the feet of a man whod made a fool of her.
Justin gave a little cough, then screwed up his face and kicked his legs. Amanda didnt like the sound of that cough. And she didnt like the way his nose was running. He looked paler than before. And he seemed fussier. Was that normal baby behavior or was it the pneumonia getting worse? Shed have to find Dr. Braeburn and ask him.
She stopped singing and kissed the top of Justins silky head. Please, God, she prayed. Please let Forensic Instincts find Paul. And please let him be a healthy match for Justin. Please.
But Amanda was a realist. And she knew that prayers alone wouldnt be enough.
Ryan McKays lair, as the team called it, took up the entire basement of Forensic Instincts. Usually, he was down there by his lonesome, with only his servers, his gadgets and his workout equipment to keep him company. But, at the moment, things were different. Even though it was after two in the morning, Marc was pacing around Ryans space like a hungry lion.
Finally, Ryan swiveled around in his computer chair and faced Marc, hands folded behind his head.
Nothing jumps out at me, he pronounced. Our client is just who she says she is. A thirty-four-year-old photojournalist who lives in an apartment over a café in Westhampton Beach. Her only family is an uncle, Lyle Fenton, whos a rich business tycoon serving on the Southampton Board of Trustees. He put her through school after her parents died and used his influence to get her some high-profile jobs. Doesnt look like hes subsidizing her, though. Shes on her own financially.
Marc nodded. No surprises there. Not about the information itself nor the scope of it. He didnt ask how Ryan had accessed Amandas finances. Ryan could access anything.
I also checked out Amandas photojournalist friend, Ryan continued. Shes as legit as Amanda.
Yeah, shes also cooperative, Marc added. She didnt hang up on me when I woke her up in the middle of the night. She confirmed that shed taken the photo, and when and where it was taken.
Okay, so that takes care of those preliminaries.
What about Paul Everett? Marc demanded.
Again, he seems clean enough on the surface. A real-estate developer, like Amanda said. Had some decent-size prospects, most of which are underwater, thanks to the economy. I can check around in the morning, see what I can find out from the people he worked withassuming I can find them. Apparently, he owned a wharf and marina out in the Hamptons where local fisherman docked their boats. Looks like he had plans to grow it into something bigger. He was trying to get all kinds of building permits. Once again, I cant dig deeper until business hours start. No ones in the township office at 2:00 a.m. So weve got a seven-hour wait. What I can do until then is use my facial recognition software to compare the older photos of Paul Everett with the new one. Itll take time to enhance the cell phone shot. But Ill do it. And well have stronger confirmation that the two guys in the pictures are one and the same.
At least well be using the time instead of wasting it, Marc concurred. What about D.C.? Did Everett have any ties there? Marc asked. Any reason hed be in Washington?
None that I can see. That doesnt mean he didnt start a new life after he took offif he took off. Remember, we still have to consider the possibility that Paul Everett is dead and decomposing at the bottom of the ocean, or that he was dinner for a bunch of hungry sharks.
Uplifting thoughts. Marc blew out his breath. So no signs of dirty dealings? No business contacts who would want him out of the way, or who hed run from?
Not yet. This was a cursory search, Marc. It was meant to give us some starting points. I only scratched the surface. Ill go deeper. Ill dig up Everetts friends, business associates, partners, historyanything sketchy from his past. Whether he ran or was killed, he was into something over his head. Its up to me to give the team something to run with. Ill figure out if Everett was a victim or a slimeball. He cant hide from me. A smug grin. No one can.
CHAPTER FOUR
Casey faced Amanda across a table in Sloane Ketterings institutional cafeteria.
Amanda shifted in her chair, staring into her coffee cup and stirring furiously. She was waiting for a reaction from the head of Forensic Instincts. Just because Marc was fully invested didnt mean the rest of the team would follow suit. And having Casey Woods fully on board was essential to the urgency with which they approached the case.
Casey alleviated her worries with just a few words.