Part 14 (2/2)

At least that that Jack believed. A coincidence that Karen had been attacked? Then Denny? Both on the same day? Both within hours of each other? Jack thought not. Jack believed. A coincidence that Karen had been attacked? Then Denny? Both on the same day? Both within hours of each other? Jack thought not.

”No one else knows about this,” Janet was saying. ”He'd like to keep it that way. He's in room 204.”

Was Denny afraid that whoever had done this would come after him in the hospital? That didn't sound like Denny. But who knew just how much trouble he was in?

Jack looked over at Karen. Her eyes were wide with concern. He couldn't leave her here alone. Especially on their honeymoon. ”We'll be right there,” he told Henderson.

CHAPTER TWELVE

They entered through the back way of the hospital. Jack wasn't surprised to find an old high-school friend of Denny's sitting outside his room.

The large man Jack knew only as Bruno the Biker stood as they approached and Jack felt certain Denny would be safe with this man standing guard.

”He wasn't sure you'd come,” Bruno the Biker said.

”Sure he was,” Jack said and shook the man's hand. Bruno studied Karen for a moment, taking her measure. ”This is Karen.” Jack hesitated. ”My wife.”

Bruno lifted a brow, smiled and nodded. ”Nice.”

”Thanks,” Jack said and quickly ushered Karen into Denny's room.

Denny looked as white as the sheets on his hospital bed. A bandage hid most of his dark hair, but his dark eyes missed nothing as Jack and Karen entered.

”You remember Karen,” Jack said quickly.

”Hard to forget.”

”I'm sorry I don't remember you,” she said, extending her hand.

Denny took her hand with a frown, his gaze s.h.i.+fting to Jack's. Jack could tell it hurt Denny to move his head.

”It's a long story,” Jack said in answer to the look. ”How are you?”

”h.e.l.l of a headache, but other than that... I got to thinking after I talked to you. It just didn't add up. So I did a little digging. I found Liz's ad, the one she ran in the personals last week. I had it in my pocket, but whoever hit me took it and my wallet and left me for dead.”

”Most muggers aren't interested in personal ads,” Jack commented.

Denny smiled. ”My feeling exactly.”

”What did the ad say?” Karen asked.

”It was short and sweet. 'On March 11, 1984, I saw you take her. I saw you again yesterday. You recognized me, too. Contact me at once or suffer the consequences.' Liz always did have a way with words.”

So the ad hadn't been about finding a lover, secret or otherwise. Maybe Liz really had had been looking for her baby. been looking for her baby.

”Now that I think about it, Liz never said she was sleeping sleeping with the man,” Karen said thoughtfully. ”She said she had a 'relations.h.i.+p' with the mystery man. I guess I just a.s.sumed he was a lover. Why else had she advertised for him in the paper?” with the man,” Karen said thoughtfully. ”She said she had a 'relations.h.i.+p' with the mystery man. I guess I just a.s.sumed he was a lover. Why else had she advertised for him in the paper?”

Jack stared at Denny. Had Liz's search always just been for her child? Had the man she met that night at the Carlton been the man who had Denny's daughter?

”Jack told me about the baby,” Karen said, moving closer to his bed. ”You think the mystery man is the connection to your daughter?”

Denny nodded. ”March 11, 1984 was our daughter's birthday. I think she's alive. And he knows where.”

Jack worried that Denny and Karen were reading too much into the ad. Mostly, he just hated to see his friend get his hopes up. ”If that's true, then we should be able to find proof. There will be paperwork to prove it one way or the other.”

Denny shook his head. ”I already checked. Joanna Kay Vandermullen was born on March 11, 1984 at 1:57 a.m. and was p.r.o.nounced dead a few minutes later. I found both a birth certificate and death certificate filed at the county courthouse. There is even a record of the purchase of a cemetery plot and a headstone-all signed by Dr. Carl Vandermullen.”

End of story. So, why didn't he believe it any more than Denny did? Jack frowned. ”What are you saying?”

”It was a home birth.” Denny closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them Jack didn't like what he saw there. ”Vandermullen had to be in on it.”

”In on what?” Jack demanded.

”I don't know,” Denny admitted. ”But I don't think the baby's dead. I think Liz was actually telling the truth. She was looking for our daughter. I think that's what got her murdered.”

”Why would anyone murder her over an adoption?” Jack asked.

”To cover up what they'd done,” Karen piped in. ”If Denny is right, then Liz and Carl had wanted the world to believe their baby was dead. But at least one other person, the man Liz saw with her baby, knows the truth. I would imagine neither man wants that truth coming out now.”

Jack shook his head. He should have known not to bring her. Didn't he realize she'd get involved in this? h.e.l.l, she was already involved. She'd seen the man with Liz. Whoever he was.

”Think about it, Jack,” Denny argued. ”The baby was born here. Liz met Vandermullen just weeks after breaking up with me, married him and moved to Columbia Falls.”

”But Vandermullen kept his house here up in Rattlesnake,” Jack pointed out.

”All right,” Denny said. ”Maybe Liz came back to Missoula to have the baby, hoping Vandermullen wouldn't realize how far along she'd been when she met him. Maybe he followed her. For some reason, she had a home birth.”

”Did you ever think she might have come here to tell you about the baby?” Karen suggested.

That stopped them both. Denny stared at her. It was obviously something he hadn't considered. Nor had Jack.

All of it was just speculation, but he had to admit, a lot of it did make him wonder.

”Maybe Vandermullen never even knew the baby was mine,” Denny said.

Jack stared at the two of them, a bad feeling in his gut. ”Or maybe Vandermullen did did know.” know.”

They both turned to look at him.

”You think this Dr. Vandermullen wouldn't have wanted the baby if he'd found out it wasn't his?” Karen asked. ”That he made her give it up for adoption? Illegally, to hide the truth?”

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