Birthright

matter. There’s no record, anywhere, that Elliot and Vivian Dunbrook adopted a child on this date, any date prior or any date subsequent to the one on these papers.”
    “What the hell does that mean?”
    “It means that Marcus Carlyle did not file the petition with the court. The case number listed on the petition, and the final decree, is bogus. It doesn’t exist. The judge’s signature on the decree and the court seal are most likely bogus as well. As this judge died in 1986, I can’t absolutely verify that end of it. But I can follow the steps. What youhave there, Callie, are papers generated through Carlyle’s law office that never went any further than that office. The adoption didn’t take place.”
    All she could do was stare at the papers, at her parents’ names. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
    “I might make more sense of it if you told me why you hired me to find this lawyer.”
    Jake got up, took Callie by the shoulders and moved her to the bed. “Sit down, babe.”
    He crouched down, rubbing his hands over her thighs. “You want her to know?”
    She managed a nod.
    He had a way, Callie thought, of lining up the facts, laying them out cleanly, concisely. His mind worked that way—clean and concise—so he could cut through extraneous details to the core of the matter. It was almost like listening to a synopsis of an event that had nothing to do with her.
    Which, she supposed, was precisely his intention.
    As he spoke, Callie rose, walked into the bathroom and got aspirin out of her travel kit. She downed three, then simply stood at the sink studying her own face in the mirror.
    Were you ever what you thought you were? she wondered. Ever really who you thought you were? Whatever, whoever that was, legal papers couldn’t change it.
    Nothing and nobody could screw you over but yourself. As long as she held on to that, she’d be all right. She’d get through.
    When she came back in, Lana was busily scribbling notes on one of her legal pads.
    Lana glanced up. “Callie, I have to ask you one vital question, and I need you to set your emotions aside before you answer. Is it possible Elliot and Vivian Dunbrook were involved, in any way, with the kidnapping?”
    “My mother feels guilty if she has a book overdue at the library.” God, she was tired, Callie thought. If Jake patted the bed now, she’d probably fall on it face first. “My father’s love for her made him agree to keep my adoption between them. His integrity had him keeping thedocumentation of it safe. They had nothing to do with it. Couldn’t have. And setting that aside, I saw their faces when I told them about Suzanne Cullen. They’re as much victims as she is.”
    As you are, Lana thought, but nodded. The Cullen baby, she thought again. Douglas Cullen’s sister. Roger’s granddaughter. How many lives were going to be turned around yet again?
    “You don’t know them,” Callie continued. “So you’re not convinced. You can check the information Jake just gave you. You can check them out if you feel obliged. But I don’t want you spending time looking at them when you could spend it finding this son of a bitch.”
    She tossed the papers on the bed. “He not only stole babies, he sold them. No way, no way in hell I was the only one. He has a system, and he preyed on desperate, childless couples for profit.”
    “I agree with you, but we’ll have to substantiate that.”
    “Hire the investigator.”
    “It’s going to add considerable expense.”
    “Just get it started. I’ll tell you when I have to pull the plug.”
    “All right. I’ll take care of it tonight. I know someone who did quite a bit of work for the firm my husband was with in Baltimore. If he’s unavailable, he’ll give me a recommendation. Callie, do the Cullens know?”
    “I went to see Suzanne today. We’re arranging for tests to confirm.”
    Lana made another note on her pad, then laid her pen across it. “I should tell you. I have a personal relationship with Roger Grogan. Ah, Suzanne Cullen’s father,” she explained when Callie’s face went blank. “We’re friends, good friends. And, as it happens, I had a date with Douglas Cullen last night.”
    “I thought you were married.”
    “I was. My husband was killed almost four years ago. I’m interested in Doug on a personal level. If that’s a problem for you, we’ll need to sort it out before we go any further.”
    “Jesus.” Callie rubbed her hands over her face. “Small