fought her. She would have preferred to have Beth put out for adoption to a family halfway across the world, but Rick wouldn’t have it.” She shrugged. “So the relatives in Virginia were a compromise. He visited her whenever he could until they sent her to Switzerland, then he’d drop in at least a couple times a year wherever she was at school. Naturally, since he was in politics, he had to keep the visits low-profile, but he’d bring her presents, and he got to know her real well.” She added, “He said she was so smart. Good grades all the time. And she won trophies for skiing and swimming. She loved to ski.”
Her smile faded. “But she had that accident when she was skiing. Rick said she’d never be the same. The family sent her to that hospital in California, to some fancy psychiatrist, but she’s never gotten any better. He said that if she ever did recover, he’d let me know and take me to see her. That was years and years ago…”
And the seventeen-year-old girl who had entered that California hospital was now a little older than Eve. All the laughter and tears and experiences of those years had been smothered within the walls of an institution. She shuddered at the hideous picture that thought brought to mind.
“How did you find out that Beth had wandered away from the hospital?”
“The detective I hired told me.”
“The detective who gave you the initial report on Beth? He’s been working for you all these years?”
“Of course not. Don’t be silly. I couldn’t afford to do that. But Hermie said he’d make a couple contacts at the hospital and occasionally let me know how she was doing.” She moistened her lips. “There wasn’t much to tell me. She must be real bad. Hermie said they kept her on pretty heavy drugs. But a few days ago, he called me and told me that she might be in trouble. She’d left the hospital, and no one could find her. I gave it another twenty-four hours, but they still haven’t found her. So I came to tell Joe he had to help. He’s smart, and he’ll be able to locate her.” She let out a relieved breath. “There. I’ve told you everything. I hope you’re satisfied. Now call Joe and tell him that he has to help me.”
“I don’t have to call him. We’ll talk when he gets home. Who is this Hermie? The detective?”
She nodded. “Herman Dalker. He likes me. He said he understood how I had to give up Beth and that I was a wonderful woman to be so concerned about her even though she’s sick in the head.”
Eve flinched. “Give me his telephone number. And the name of Beth Avery’s school and anything else you can remember. Joe will need it.”
“Hermie’s number is in my purse. The school is some Catholic academy. St. Cecilia or something like that. Yes, that was it. St. Cecilia. I’ll scrawl it down when we go back inside,” Sandra added eagerly. “You’ll tell Joe to help her?”
“I don’t tell Joe anything. I ask him. You should know that by now, Sandra. Is there anything else I should know about this?”
“That’s all.” She hesitated. “I don’t really know much at all about Beth, do I? Just what Rick told me and the detective … I should probably not worry about her. The Averys have taken such good care of her. They’ve sent her to all those neat foreign places and schools. And after that accident, they spent all that money trying to get her well. I’m sure that they’ll find her and take her safely back to the hospital.”
“But you’re not sure, or you wouldn’t have come to me and Joe.”
“As sure as I can be.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s just that I’ve never been able to give Beth anything, and this is a way that I can do that.”
Eve shook her head in disbelief. “So you’re going to make a gift of Joe and me,” she said dryly. “That’s my choice, Sandra.”
“But you’ll do it. You have to do it. She’s your sister, Eve.”
“Blood may be thicker than water, but it’s difficult to embrace that concept when I’ve just discovered that she exists.” She waved a hand as Sandra opened her lips to speak. “Don’t talk to me any longer. Not right now. Just get in your car and go home. I promise I’ll discuss this with Joe.”
“Discuss? No, I want your promise to