Page 24 of Ransom for His Secret Son

“None,” she admitted. Eloise muttered something Remi didn’t catch. “I’ve had him under surveillance for months. Thought he’d lead me to Tarrant eventually. But he hasn’t. He’s working late at his clinic right now if you want to catch him,” Eloise added. “You’ll stop there before you come see me.”

Brody didn’t hesitate. “We will.”

Eloise didn’t say goodbye. The line went dead, leaving an awkward silence in the room. Christina rolled her eyes, sliding her phone back into her pocket with an exaggerated sigh.

“She’s never been big on saying hello or goodbye,” Christina muttered, shaking her head. “Honestly, I think she’s having some kind of meltdown. In addition to all the added security, she’s been taking self-defense classes and firearms training. It’s as if she’s preparing for a war.”

Remi didn’t respond right away. Maybe Eloise was dealing with a possible meltdown after losing her son and living in fear of Tarrant. But something about the way Christina said it felt…defensive. As if she’d wanted them to think the worst about Eloise.

Brody’s voice cut through her thoughts. “We’re heading to the clinic,” he said to Christina. “But before we go, do you know if there was anyone at the fertility clinic who could’ve helped steal my wife’s embryos?”

Christina’s expression didn’t flicker, but there was a slight pause. Just long enough for Remi to catch it.

“I’ve thoroughly researched the fertility clinic staff,” she said, her voice smooth but with maybe something simmering underneath. “But there’s no proof pointing to who might have helped with the embryo theft.” She stopped, her gaze flicking between Brody and Remi, then added, “Which points back to Langley. He could have done it all himself. He had access, authority, and no one to answer to.”

Without waiting for a response, Christina moved to a sleek cabinet and pulled out another thick file, heavier than the last. She handed it to Brody.

“You can keep this,” she offered. “I’ll print another copy for myself if I need it. It contains names, PI reports on all the staff and even some of the clients who used the clinic around the time Grace’s embryo was stolen. I even had checks done on the visitors.”

Brody flipped the file open, scanning the first few pages. His posture was rigid, his jaw clenched, but he didn’t say a word.

“There’s a report on your mother in there,” Christina said, as if it were an insignificant afterthought.

Brody’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. “What?”

Christina’s expression didn’t change, as if she’d expected the reaction. “You didn’t know your mother went to the clinic two years ago?”

His knuckles whitened around the edge of the file. “No,” he said flatly. He looked at Remi, silently questioning if she knew.

Remi couldn’t shake her head fast enough. “I had no idea. Why would Sandra have gone there?”

A muscle flickered in Brody’s jaw. “I don’t know, but I’m about to find out.”

Chapter Seven

Brody didn’t say a word as he climbed back into the cruiser, the file from Christina heavy in his hands. Remi slid into the passenger seat beside him, silent. She was no doubt giving him space but also processing everything that Christina had told them.

He didn’t start the engine. Instead, he pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over his mother’s contact before he hit the call button.

The phone rang twice before Sandra answered, and he put the call on Speaker. “Brody, is everything okay? Did something happen to you or to Remi?” she asked, both questions drenched in worry.

Brody stared out the windshield, the edges of the file digging into his palm. Everything was far from okay. He was drowning in the memories of the past and no closer to finding his son, but with time definitely not on their side, he just jumped right into the reason for the call. Well, he did take a necessary detour first.

“We’re okay,” he assured her. “How’s the baby?”

“Oh, he’s wonderful, Brody.” His mother’s voice took on a dreamy tone. “I fed and changed him, and now he’s sleeping.”

Brody hated to end that happiness he was hearing, but it had to be done. “Why did you go to the fertility clinic two years ago?”

There was a pause. A long one. “How did you know that?”

“Someone gave me a file with the info,” he answered. “Why did you go?”

More hesitation. “I, uh, was looking for closure,” his mother finally answered.

Brody’s chest tightened. Closure. The word felt foreign to him, like a language he didn’t speak. He’d been chasing that ghost for years and still hadn’t caught it.

“How did you expect to get it there, four years after Miranda was gone?” he pressed.