The clerk shook her head.“It’s probably nothing.”
“What?”
“I really shouldn’t be telling you this,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, “but I took a call to our office recently.”
Billy felt the hairs on the back of his neck go up, but he kept his head bent over the engine.
Roxie turned towards the woman, blocking the view from the office window.She’d sensed the same change in the air that he did.“About what?”
“Please know that he didn’t fill out any confidentiality agreements.It was an unsolicited call, so I’m not bound to keep anything secret.”
Roxie bobbed her head.“All right.”
Carol smoothed back her hair.“The caller was looking for information on adoptions that took place in about that same time frame.”
“For triplets?”
“He said three sisters.I didn’t let him get much further than that before I told him he’d need to fill out the proper paperwork.”
“He?”
“Yes, the voice was male.”
The wrench Billy was holding wasn’t moving.He was barely breathing.He didn’t even have to look to see if Roxie’s foot was rocked back on its heel.Her hair would be wild about now, her eyes big and bright.
“Did he give you a name?Did he sound old?Young?Did he say why he was looking?”
“I didn’t take a name.It’s not proper procedure.Please don’t get too excited.”
“I won’t,” Roxie promised.“It’s just that we’ve had so little to go on.”
“This is probably an entirely different case.The only reason I brought it up was because the caller did indicate that the sisters he was looking for had gone through separate adoptions.But didn’t you say you remained in foster care?”Carol pulled her raincoat together around her throat.“I’m sorry.I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“But you did, because you had a feeling.”Roxie’s energy was vibrating all around them, but Carol was acting more and more anxious.She kept looking at the fourth floor and trying to hide behind her car’s raised hood.
“How long ago was this?”Roxie pressed.
“A month.Maybe two.”
“Do you remember anything else?Did you give this guy any information?”
The clerk rubbed her forehead as if it was aching.“I typically refer callers to a website that reconnects people.That’s about all I can do without the right forms.”
With quick movements, Roxie pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse.“Write it down.Please, write down the website.”
Billy waited until the transfer was made before stepping in.“Could you try the engine again?”
“Oh!”Carol said, hopping back a step.She’d forgotten he was there.Flustered, she slid into the driver’s seat.When she turned the key, the engine growled, but then purred.
Billy nodded.That’s what he’d figured.
He closed the hood and put away the tools.He was wiping his hands as he walked back to the driver’s side of the car.“I cleaned the connections on your battery, but I think you have a low charge.You should get that checked out as soon as possible.”
Carol looked relieved.“A battery.I think we can afford that.Thank you.”
Billy glanced at Roxie.She was beaming.“No, thank you.”
The woman pulled out of the lot as he and Roxie made their way to the truck.She was over the moon, hugging his arm and bouncing along in boots that had been too painful only minutes ago.Billy tried to shake off the uneasiness he felt.“Don’t get too excited about this,” he warned.“It’s a long shot.”
