The Dark at the End

The Dark at the End Page 15

Dawn stared through her windshield at the McCready Foundation building from her quasi-legal parking space. Senator James McCready had died last year but his foundation lived on. Part of the building was rented office space - mostly to the private practices of the physicians associated with the foundation - but the rest was devoted to research.

And that totally bothered Dawn. Dr. Heinze was a pediatric surgeon - it still bothered her that Mr. Osala had called in a surgeon - associated with a medical research facility. Were they doing research on her baby? Were his birth defects so unusual that he had to be hidden away and studied?

She didn't care about his defects, she wanted him back.

But where was he?

She hadn't named him, and he certainly wouldn't be listed anywhere with her last name. Baby Boy Pickering. Totally unlikely. But he had to be somewhere.

Banned from the building, she'd had to set up watch out here. Not an easy thing in midtown Manhattan.

She stepped out of the car - a used Volvo V70 wagon - and stretched her legs. Jack had helped her buy it. She glanced through the side window into the rear where the infant seat was securely strapped in. She'd wanted a Volvo because she'd heard they were safe, and if she was going to be driving her baby around, she wanted a safe car.

She'd parked where she could see not only the front entrance to the office section of the building but the ramps in and out of the attached garage as well.

She was suddenly on alert as a silver Lexus pulled out of the garage. Dr. Heinze drove a silver Lexus -

And yes, that was him behind the wheel.

She jumped in and started the car. She'd never before been able to follow him after he left his office. Now she'd know exactly what he was up to. And, eventually, where he lived.