The Lawman's Baby. Patricia Johns

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СКАЧАТЬ he was going to help her, he needed detailed answers.

      Mike called a few different numbers, and was transferred three times before he was put in touch with the hospital social services worker who had done the paperwork for Benjie.

      “Officer McMann,” she said with a smile in her voice. “How’s the little guy doing?”

      “Good. Really good,” Mike said.

      “I’m glad to hear it. What can I do for you?”

      “I was hoping to get a little more information about my sister.”

      “You know I can’t do that.” Her voice softened. “She was within her rights to relinquish the baby, and if we don’t respect those privacy rights, the whole system fails.”

      Yeah, he did. The Safe Haven laws were in place so that babies need not be abandoned in unsafe environments. If a mother didn’t want her baby, she could simply hand it over to a hospital employee or a firefighter within three days of the birth. If they started chasing down parents who abandoned those babies, people would be afraid to do the right thing and those babies might be left in much worse environments.

      “I’m worried about her,” Mike said. “She’s my sister. She’s recently given birth. She might be in medical distress—it’s a possibility! I just want to find her and make sure she’s okay.”

      “I can’t do that, Officer McMann,” she repeated. “I would if I could. I do sympathize with your worries, but—”

      “Was there any hint of where she might be living?”

      “None.”

      “Was anyone with her when she left the hospital?”

      “I can’t reveal that information unless you’re investigating a crime. Are you?”

      “No.” He sighed. “I’m not.”

      “May I give you some advice, Officer?” the woman asked gently.

      “Might as well.”

      “The baby is safe. Your sister knew where to find you—even if you didn’t know where to find her. Wait a few days or weeks. Maybe she’ll come see you herself.”

      “Did she seem...okay?” he asked. She was silent, and he sighed. “Just wait. Right.”

      “It’s all I can say.”

      “Thanks,” he said. “I guess I don’t have much choice.”

      Mike hung up and rubbed his hands over his face. Those blasted laws... Yeah, he understood how they worked, but what about the times that the mothers might need medical intervention? She wasn’t okay—if she were, she wouldn’t have left her baby, he knew that. She’d been abandoned when she was tiny, too. She grew up wondering why her mom had just dumped her with Grandma and disappeared. So she wouldn’t do that to her own child—not if she could help it.

      “Mike?” He looked up to see Jack Talbott coming across the bull pen. He and Jack had worked together in Denver before Jack transferred out here to Eagle’s Rest in order to get married.

      “Hey,” Mike said. “If you mention how tired I look, I’m going to deck you.”

      Jack laughed. “That’s going to be me soon enough.”

      “When is Liv due?” Mike asked.

      “Six weeks.”

      “Yeah... This will be you soon enough,” he agreed.

      “Are you okay, though?” Jack asked, pulling up a chair opposite Mike’s desk. “Have you heard from your sister?”

      “No,” Mike said. “I left instructions for the Denver precinct to give her my contact information if she tries to find me. The Social Services agent who dealt with her when she relinquished the baby won’t give me any other information.”

      Jack nodded slowly. “Have you checked for any arrests or detained individuals in the last few days? I mean, not saying she’d have been in trouble, but...”

      “It’s something to check,” Mike agreed, and he turned to his computer. He’d found her once before the exact same way. “I called the Denver precinct last night and asked around if anyone knew anything, or had any idea of where she might have gone. It was a long shot, but they don’t have anything, either.”

      “You might just have to be patient,” his friend replied.

      “What would you do, if you were me?” Mike asked.

      “If I contacted her, I’d be worried that she’d want her baby back,” Jack said.

      “That crossed my mind,” Mike agreed. If he found his sister, would she even want his help? Or would she want Benjie back? A mother didn’t give birth and then just cut all her emotions off—he knew that much.

      “But I’m worried about her, too. She needs help.”

      “Yeah, I get it.”

      Mike shrugged. “If you hear anything, let me know.”

      Jack tapped Mike’s desk in a farewell. “You bet. Take care, buddy. See you out there.”

      Mike nodded a goodbye, but remained at his desk. He was just going to have to wait for his sister to contact him. Because as much as he wanted to treat his sister’s situation like he treated every other challenge in his life—go conquer it with testosterone pounding through his system—he couldn’t. SWAT tactics weren’t the answer here. Jana might have given him her child, but so far, she didn’t want to be found.

      He pushed back his chair and rose. Patrol of this sleepy little tourist spot wasn’t exactly exciting, but it did give him time to think. His sister needed his help—he was sure of it—but this was going to take a softer touch than he was accustomed to using.

      He’d come to Eagle’s Rest to prove himself tough enough to be part of the most elite squad in the force. So far, he was being forced to soften up in ways he’d never anticipated—a newborn baby’s care, and possibly his sister’s life, depended on it.

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