Page 107 of I Will Find You

“Okay,” he said slowly. Then: “I’m still not following.”

“She didn’t want David to know.”

“Ah.”

“Right.”

“So Cheryl made the appointment in your name so her husband wouldn’t find out?”

“Exactly.”

Hayden tilted his head. “You realize that’s probably against the law.”

“It’s not, but I know it’s an ethical breach. Anyway, Rachel checked in under my name. She used my ID. We look enough alike. The bills came to my house.”

“Okay,” he said slowly.

“I even made the appointment for Cheryl at your satellite office in Lowell—in case Barb was around at the Boston one.”

“All to protect your sister from telling her husband?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting,” he said.

“She was going through some stuff. I thought it would be harmless.”

“Doesn’t sound harmless,” Hayden said. “Did David ever find out?”

“Yes.”

“He must have been furious with you.”

“He doesn’t know about my part in it.”

“But he knows Cheryl went to look into donor sperm.”

“Yes.”

“And you never told him your role in this—shall I use the word ‘deception’?”

“I never told him,” Rachel said softly.

The waiter came by and poured some wine. When he left, Hayden asked, “So what do you want now?”

“David doesn’t think it’s a coincidence.”

“Doesn’t think what’s a coincidence?”

“You’re going to think this is insane.”

“We’re past that, Rachel.”

“He thinks…that is, we think…” It sounded so ridiculous that for a moment, Rachel couldn’t finish the thought. Then: “We think Matthew was at the amusement park with your group.”

Hayden rapid-blinked as though he’d been smacked across the face. Then he cleared his throat and asked, “Who is Matthew?”

“My nephew,” she said. “David’s son.”

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