Part 3 (1/2)
”If your baby really was stolen, the father of the baby seems the prime suspect.”
It was clear she'd already thought of this. She nodded. ”I...” She licked her lips and swallowed. ”I don't...”
”You don't know who the father of your baby is?”
”I know what you must be thinking.”
He doubted that. ”Surely, you have some idea or can at least narrow it down.”
”Are you familiar with alcoholic blackouts?”
He stared at her. ”You're an alcoholic?” The only thing he'd ever seen her drink was cola.
”Let's just say I don't remember getting pregnant and leave it at that for now.”
He studied her for a long moment. Was it possible he knew more about the conception of their baby than she did? ”When can you see a doctor?”
Relief washed over her features at his change of subject. ”The sooner the better,” she said.
”No problem. I think I can get you an appointment this afternoon.” Dr. Fred Delaney had delivered both Slade and Sh.e.l.ley and had been a friend of the family for years. He would make time for this, Slade knew. Dr. Delaney was also on his list of people to talk to about his mother. ”Is that too soon?”
”No.” She rose as he got to his feet.
He considered telling her about the two of them. That after doing the math, he figured the baby had to be his. But first he had to know if there really had been a baby.
He started to leave and stopped. ”Last night, when you came to see me at my office...”
”Christmas Eve,” she said, then waited for him to go on.
”There was a Santa bell-ringer in front of my building. Maybe you saw him?”
She shook her head, frowning as if wondering what that had to do with anything.
”I think he had my office staked out. I saw him on a cell phone as you were leaving. I think he'd been waiting for you.” He saw her pale, her hand trembling as she grasped the back of the chair he'd been sitting in for support.
”Then they know I've come to you,” she said, fear making her blue eyes darken.
”They?” he asked, just to clarify.
”The people who took my baby.”
The monsters in the painting.
If ”they” existed outside this woman's mind.
The Santa bell-ringer, on the other hand, had been real. He described the Santa as best he could, hoping she'd recognize the guy as someone she knew. But while the man hadn't been hiding behind a monster mask-he had had been hiding under a beard and hat and possibly a whole lot of padding. Like the monsters in her painting, real or not, Santa hadn't wanted to be recognized either, it seemed. been hiding under a beard and hat and possibly a whole lot of padding. Like the monsters in her painting, real or not, Santa hadn't wanted to be recognized either, it seemed.
”I can't place him from your description,” she said.
He nodded, not surprised. ”You just might want to be...careful.” He wanted to warn her, but he didn't have any idea against what-or whom. The bottom line was: if those monsters in her painting existed, then Holly Barrows was in danger.
”You don't have a phone?” he asked, remembering that he hadn't found a listing.
”I have it listed under the gallery.” She rattled off the number.
He memorized it. ”I'll call you with a time. We can meet at the doctor's office.”
He glanced back at the painting as he left and almost wished she really was was crazy. The alternative scared the h.e.l.l out of him. crazy. The alternative scared the h.e.l.l out of him.
DR. FRED DELANEY had grayed in the years since he'd delivered Slade and Sh.e.l.ley. He'd come to Dry Creek right out of medical school and ended up staying. Now in his sixties, he was semi-retired.
”You know my office is closed the week of Christmas,” he said when Slade called him.
”That's why I'd like you to see this woman. I'd just as soon have this done...quietly.”
Dr. Delaney didn't ask. ”Three o'clock.”
Holly Barrows arrived a few minutes before her appointment. Slade had half expected her not to show and realized he was going to have to start believing at least some of what she said.
The checkup didn't take long. Dr. Delaney came out of the examining room and motioned for Slade to follow him into his office.
”Close the door,” he said as he went around behind his desk.
Slade didn't like the look on the older man's face.
”She delivered a baby in the last month or so. Is that what you wanted to know?”
Sweet heaven. Slade felt light-headed. His baby. Holly had been telling the truth.
”There was quite a lot of tearing,” Dr. Delaney continued. ”The baby could have been overly large. Either there wasn't time for an episiotomy or...one just wasn't done. I would imagine she was in a lot of pain during the delivery.”
Slade felt a cold anger fill him. ”You're saying the delivery wasn't handled properly?”
Dr. Delaney blinked. ”I would have no way of knowing that. The baby could have come too quickly for anything to be done.”
”Or the doctor could have bungled it.” Slade knew how doctors hung together. Especially when the word malpractice malpractice started floating around. started floating around.
”Do you know who delivered this baby?” Dr. Delaney asked in answer.
He shook his head. Maybe a midwife. Maybe monsters. ”But believe me, I intend to find out.”
It wasn't until he and Holly left the office that Slade realized he'd forgotten to ask Dr. Delaney about the man in Marcella Rawlins' life.
”Are you all right?” he asked Holly once they were outside.
She looked over at him and he sensed something different about her. She didn't look as much like a sleepwalker. ”Did you get the proof you needed?”
”Yes. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that.” All of it, including the pregnancy and delivery without him.