"Lisa Tuttle - A Cold Dish" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tuttle Lisa)

I was sure that background details of the heritage of all the unborn must be kept on
file somewhere. Their mothers at least would be identified, in case they wanted to
return to reclaim their unborn babies when their situations improved (this did
sometimes happen).

Of course, I had no right to any of this information. It could only be accessed
illegally.

It's just not true that punishment is a deterrent to further crime. All my previous
experience of the law did was make me much more careful not to be caught this
time.

It didn't take me long to find the name of my baby's genetic mother. She was called
Chelsea Mott. No information on the father.

I ran a search on the name Chelsea Mott. I was astonished at the number of links
that came up, but even more astonished by the connections they made.

I sat and stared at my computer screen, feeling as if all the breath in my body had
gone sighing out.

Chelsea Mott was a law student. Two years ago she had worked as a summer
intern for Judge Arnold Jason. She'd worked for him from June through August. In
October she'd gone in for a pregnancy removal. Significantly, although she was at
law school in another state, she'd come back hereтАФthe home State of Judge Arnold
JasonтАФfor the removal.

My revenge had just been handed me on a plate.


┬╖┬╖┬╖┬╖┬╖
When I arrived at the hospital, in the early stages of labor, a lawyer was waiting with
papers for me to sign.

CarmenтАФI'd asked her to come along as my doula, to help me through the pain,
and to run interferenceтАФtold her to get lost.

"It's only to make things easier," the lawyer explained with a kindly smile. "So they
can take the baby away as soon asтАФ"

"Nobody's taking my baby," I objected. "I'm keeping herтАФor him."

"But you can't! It's all arrangedтАФthe parents are here."

Someone at the hospital must have called them as soon as I'd phoned to say I was
on my way. Before I could respond, another contraction made me gasp and double
over.

"Get out," Carmen told the lawyer. "Or I'll have somebody throw you out."