Chapter 22
Amanda was sitting in the home office on the phone with Francine when Lee returned from picking up the boys. "You're sure it's the same doctor?" Amanda questioned. She waited quietly as Francine replied then added, "Well, I think you and Edwards need to look more into the doctor's history again. Something definitely doesn't add up. Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Yes, it does make me feel a little bit better, but I'll feel a whole lot better when we find that girl. Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Yes, I'm going to stop at Maggie and Tuck's before I come in, I promise. Talk to you then." She hung up the phone and looked up at Lee.
"Any news?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Well, they talked to the missing girl's sister and she confirmed she was on her way to the Happy Family Adoption Agency to see Dr. Schuster for a weekly appointment. Now, Dr. Schuster claims she never showed up, although the receptionist thought she did," Amanda explained.
Lee furrowed his brow, "What does she mean she thought she saw her. She either did or she didn't."
Amanda laughed, "That's what Francine said, too, but I guess three women came in all about the same time and she couldn't give a positive ID on all of them."
"So, now what?" Lee rubbed his hands together.
"Now, they look deeper at Dr. Schuster. They conducted a preliminary interview but he was rather rushed when a nurse called him out for a woman in labor. He told them he had to leave and they could contact him later," Amanda explained.
Lee scratched the back of his neck and stated, "Well, I'm sure Edwards and Francine will dig up everything that can and then some on that doctor. Edwards seems to be almost as good on that computer as you are. But you… for the rest of today and tonight, you are going to rest. You've been pushing yourself just a little too much as far as I'm concerned."
"Lee… no… I'm fine, really," Amanda insisted.
"No, you fell asleep in the car again today. You need more rest. Dr. Johansen told you this might happen," Lee stated firmly.
Amanda shook her head as she stood and walked around the desk. She stopped beside Lee and put her hand on his chest. "I'm tired because I don't sleep much at night. Between getting up to go to the bathroom several times and the girls moving around as much as they are, I haven't gotten a solid night's sleep in weeks. And it's only going to get worse."
Lee looked down at his wife and sighed. He put his hands on his knees until he was eye-level with her rounded belly and spoke softly, "Listen you two. Your mother really needs to get some quality rest, so try to keep it down tonight. If you do, maybe, just maybe she'll eat more of that pie you two seem to like so much."
Amanda placed her hand on his shoulder and laughed, "I don't think that's going to work, Sweetheart."
Lee straightened up and shrugged his shoulders, "Well, it's worth a shot."
"Uh-huh. Well, how about a nice cup of tea while the boys tell me all about their day before they get started on their homework," Amanda suggested.
"Actually, I was coming in here to tell you I was going to bring Philip over to fill out that application. I talked to my contact and he's pretty much guaranteed the job, the application is merely a formality," Lee informed her.
Amanda closed the office door and walked into the kitchen where the boys were sitting at the island munching on a bowl of grapes and some cheese. "What time will you be back?" she asked.
"An hour or so. It shouldn't take much longer than that, right, Chief?" Lee directed his question at Philip.
"Sounds about right, Lee," Philip agreed. "I'm ready to go when you are!"
Lee smiled, tossed his keys in his hand and announced, "We'll be back in an hour, I guess."
The remainder of the evening passed uneventfully. Lee tried to give Amanda's belly another pep talk before he fell asleep but two hours later, Amanda was wide awake heading for the bathroom. The next morning, she awoke, still tired from her restless night. "It didn't work, did it?" Lee asked tentatively as he watched a normally perky Amanda groggily drag herself out of bed toward the bathroom. Her groaned reply was enough of an answer, so he loudly suggested, "Amanda, why don't you take the day off completely. Stay home and rest today."
"No, I promised Mother and Francine I would get the baby registry done this morning and then I have two of the newer agents meeting me in Records to start sorting out and organizing some of the files down there. Billy asked if I would take a crack at it and I promised him I would," she explained before she turned on the shower.
"I'll get breakfast started for you and get the boys up," Lee stated before he pulled on his robe and headed down the stairs.
Two hours later, Amanda drove herself to Maggie and Tuck's. She walked into the store and smiled at the clerk at the front desk. "Welcome to Maggie and Tuck's. If I can help you in any way, please let me know," the older woman stated.
Amanda sighed softly and asked, "Where can I start filling out a registry?"
"Right over here," the friendly clerk announced. She handed Amanda a clipboard and a pen. "If you fill out each column as you go, I can make a few copies for you before you leave. Then if someone wants to purchase something from the list, they just need to give your name and we can pull it up and cross things off."
Amanda took the clipboard and thanked her. She took her time walking around the store, writing meticulously on the sheets provided. Once she was finished, she brought the list to the clerk. "I think I have everything. It's been so long since I've done this, I'm sure I'm forgetting something," she declared.
The clerk skimmed the list, tilted her head and asked, "Twins, huh?"
Amanda patted her belly and nodded, "Yes, surprise. Never thought I'd have any more children after my boys but here they are."
"I had twins and back in those days we didn't have half the opportunities you'll have now," the clerk informed her.
"You did? Was it as hard as I've been reading?" Amanda asked, her eyes wide with interest.
The clerk reached out and patted her hand, "Don't believe anything you've read. You'll know what's best for your babies, believe me. We didn't have any fancy books to tell us how to care for our children. We did what we knew and what felt right." She took the papers and placed them into a folder under the register. "There, now just tell your family and friends to stop here first. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Can I get a few copies to take with me?" Amanda asked with a nod.
The clerk reached for the folder then shook her head, "I'm sorry, I just remembered the copier isn't working. We're waiting for the repairman. He should be here by tomorrow."
Amanda placed a small book on the register belt, "Okay, then, I'd like to buy this please." She watched as the clerk pressed a small button under the edge of the register before she lifted the book and scanned the barcode. "What's that little button for?" Amanda observed.
"Oh, that? That just triggers our security cameras. Management is very particular. You see, there's a camera right up there," the clerk paused to point to a camera in the corner of the store, "And when I press the button it activates the camera to zoom and record. Pretty sophisticated stuff I think for a store like this but it's for our protection."
"I guess it is," Amanda looked in the direction of the camera and smiled.
In a small office in the back of the store, the manager watched the monitor carefully. A tall man with salt and pepper colored hair stood beside her. "Wait, that woman came to Happy Hearts the other day," he stated. He quickly pulled a file folder out of his briefcase and read, "Amanda Keane. Says here she just moved to the area, no real family and she is giving up her baby because she can't care for it. Got pregnant after a night of drinking and doesn't know who the father is."
"Really?" the store manager drawled. "Is that it?"
Dr. Schuster looked at the woman, "Listen, Glennys, we have to keep a low profile for a bit. I told you the police already started asking questions about Cintas."
"No family… just moved here… who's going to raise a red flag on this one. She looks like she's ready to go any day now," Glennys Martin stated firmly. Without waiting for a reply she commanded, "Follow her and bring her to the house. I'll be there at exactly three o'clock to check on Cintas too. We have clients waiting that would be willing to pay even more for a baby this week."
Dr. Schuster pursed his lips, shoved the file back into his briefcase and slipped out into the hallway while Glennys watched Amanda hand the clerk a ten-dollar bill.
