Page 48 of The Cajun Doctor

“Not his medical business. His other business.”

“And that would be . . . ?”

“Selling babies.”

“Whaaat?” she practically shrieked, causing Lily Beth to roll onto her back and blink several times before falling back asleep.

“For more than a year now, I’ve been helping Nick solicit college students willing to let him deliver their babies and then put them up for phony ‘adoptions.’ Easy peasy, actually. That Nick is one slick dude.” Angus actually had the nerve to grin as if the enterprise and Nick were commendable.

Seeing the glower on her face, he got serious and continued with his explanation. “Nick delivers the babies himself to avoid any detection from hospital personnel. He gives the girls ten thousand dollars up front, another ten thou on delivery, I get ten thou, and then Nick sells the babies for up to a hundred thou, mostly to foreign markets.”

“Angus! That’s illegal.”

“I know, I know. But it’s not really that immoral. People want babies, and there aren’t enough newborns to satisfy the need.”

“Splitting hairs,” she remarked.

He shrugged.

“What’s your involvement?”

“I hack into the files of college medical centers. In particular, I look for pregnant coeds, then cross file that with those seeking counseling, then another cross file for those either getting or applying for financial aid. Also, word of mouth. I know lots of people on lots of campuses. Piece of cake finding chicks in financial trouble, who are pregnant but not wanting to abort.”

“Have you lost your mind?”

“We’ve been very careful, covering our tracks. Not just one college. Here and there across the South. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. The girls are thankful for our help, usually. Of course, they don’t know the babies are being sold.”

“Of course,” she said, sarcastically. “Just how many are we talking about here?”

“Twenty, this past year.”

“WHAT?” she screeched. She did the quick math in her head. Twenty times a hundred thousand dollars equaled two million dollars. Even with the thirty percent to Angus and the girls, that was a huge profit.

“Shhh. You’ll wake Lil.”

“Getting information from you is like trying to catch dandelion fluff, but I’m beginning to connect the dots between you, Nick, Lily Beth, and the, Holy Cripes, mafia. Spit it out, please. All of it.”

“Nick is desperate for money, and—”

“Nothing new there.”

Angus scowled at her interrupting him. “Nick is desperate for money, and I’m desperate for money. But now, Nick is furious with me, and with Lil, for reneging on her baby deal. So I can’t rely on that income anymore. The mafia wants me to pay them back, like yesterday. If the mob doesn’t kill me, Nick will.”

“Why is Nick so upset about Lily Beth? Surely, if he’s dealt with so many pregnancies, it can’t be the first time a girl has changed her mind.”

“Yeah, but this is the kickass gene pool. A physicist and an athlete. He’s got a frickin’ bidding war going on for the baby.”

“Lily Beth is an athlete?” Somehow, she didn’t look the part, but then it was hard to tell with her baby bump.

“No, Lil is a physicist. Well, a doctoral candidate. She’s already racked up two hundred G’s in student loans, and she lost her fellowship money. She couldn’t stop barfing long enough to teach her classes. Some dude in her class had a thing for garlic.”

“Really? Lily Beth, a physicist?” Samantha was having trouble fathoming that idea. Talk about making rash judgments about someone! “How can Nick get away with this? What hospital does he use for deliveries?”

“No hospitals. Have you seen that medical building of his? Southern Women’s Maternity Center. Talk about luxury. It’s like a spa for rich women needing to pop out babies.”

“Angus!” Samantha chided.

“Well, it’s true. The women can get manicures and pedicures in between labor contractions. One lady had her roots done by a hairstylist just before they wheeled her in for a C-section.”