She didn’t comment on that as they climbed out of the car and started toward the sign that said “Office.”
Before they reached the door, a woman came hurrying out. She looked to be in her sixties, with short salt and pepper hair, large brown eyes, and a worried expression.
“Did Maddie from Big Ralph’s send you over?”
“Yes,” Rachel answered.
“I’m so sorry, but she was mistaken. I don’t have a cottage to rent–or anything in the main house either.”
Jake stared at her, wishing he had the ability to read more than Rachel’s mind.
Figuring he had nothing to lose, he said, “Are you turning us away because we were interested in the Solomon Clinic?”
She blanched. “We don’t like to talk about that place.”
“Why not?”
“I’d prefer not to continue the topic.”
Before he could say anything else, she turned and hustled back into the office.
They stood staring after her.
“Well, that was . . . something,” Rachel murmured as she stared at the doorway through which Mrs. Madison had disappeared.
He reached for her hand. “I’m sorry. I know you were looking forward to staying somewhere charming.”
“It’s not that important.”
Of course he didn’t believe her. They’d been under a lot of pressure, and she’d wanted to enjoy some of the town ambiance, but neither one of them wanted to continue the discussion.
As they drove away, she made a quick change of subject, “Do you think the clinic was unpopular here? Or is there a conspiracy to protect it?”
“It could be either. Or both.”
“Is there a library in town?”
“I think we passed one.”
“I guess we’d better stop bringing up the subject with residents and just stick with newspaper files.”
“We have no idea what we’re looking for. Or even what year,” Rachel said.
“We know it was in existence when we were here. . .” He stopped and thought about himself and Rachel as they’d been when they’d seen the children. “At least when we were three or four or five. Can you think of any other clues?”
“Could we go back there instead of the library? I mean to the building that’s sitting where the clinic was.”
“Sure.” He turned the car around and headed back to the downtown area, then found the Waterside Restaurant again and pulled a few doors down to where they thought the clinic would have been.
“I’m getting out,” Rachel said.
“Wait a minute. What do you expect to find out?”
“I don’t know, but I have the feeling that I’ll pick up something.”
“Do you need me with you?”
“Let me try it alone. So you don’t have to find a parking space down here.”
