Page 111 of Everything She Feared

“There’s been research on the question of genetic predisposition, or children inheriting violent characteristics,” she said. “Some studies examined the childhoods of adults arrested for serious crimes and found that in many cases their biological parents were violent. Researchers observed that it’s quite possible that children can inherit violent, antisocial behavior, or impulsive aggressive behavior, from their biological parents.”

“What about children raised apart from their biological parents?” Sara asked.

“The research shows that even children raised apart from their violent biological parents exhibited similar violent traits.”

Sara’s eyes glistened.

“However, other research has shown that being the child of a parent, or parents, who’ve committed violent acts, like assaults and murders, is no guarantee of inheriting the violent characteristics of their parents. What it comes down to is there’s no certainty about inheriting violent traits.”

Tears rolled down Sara’s face.

Dr. Mehta passed her tissues from the box nearby.

“Thank you,” Sara said.

“You’re welcome.”

Dr. Mehta glanced at the time.

“Is there anything more you want to tell me or discuss, Sara?”

“No. Thank you.”

Nodding, with a little smile, Dr. Mehta subtly regarded Sara with a degree of puzzlement, as if she had not made up her mind about their conversation and Sara’s revelations.

50

Seattle, Washington

Driving east outof downtown, his nerves gnawing at him, Ryan glanced at the skyline in his rearview mirror.

Was Seattle going to be another washout?

Stopped at a red light, he checked the touchscreen of his SUV. No messages. Nothing yet on his requests for help with DNA analysis. Sometimes his sources were quick to get back with results.

Sometimes it took longer.

Ryan accepted the odds of him finding Magda’s daughter were astronomical. But he had three possibilities and despite the setbacks, deep in his gut, he still believed he was close.

Isn’t that what I told myself in Panama, in Canada, in Germany, the UK? Isn’t that what I said after searching in Denver, Dallas, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Brooklyn?

So what?

I can’t give up. I’ll never give up.

The reality was his financial situation was not good. He’d need to find work again soon. But he’d set that issue aside until he was done, really done, in Seattle.

And he wasn’t done.

The light turned green. He adjusted his hold on the wheel. He was following a weak tip that Magda lived in this region of Seattle. It was weak because his source, a retired federal agent, kept revising the name Magda was using, then the Seattle address where Magda supposedly lived.

The most recent put her in Madison Park.

He was heading east on Madison. He’d passed a branch of the Banner Bank, then a chop suey restaurant near 14th Avenue, when he got a call displayed on his touchscreen from Sonya Rule.

The name’s familiar.

He used the voice activation feature to answer and said: “Hello.”

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