Free What You Wish For by Kerry Reichs Page A

wanted to murder Ilana with his bare hands.
    “That part is unclear. Ilana was treated by a fellow Russian, a gynecologist of indeterminate accreditation. Perhaps she was pregnant, perhaps she was not. The doctor would create pregnancy documentation and ‘refer’ her to adoption brokers. Ilana would pretend to understand little English, and refuse care by any non-Russian physician. As you can imagine, most parents are so desperate for a healthy candidate they won’t pursue upsetting questions.”
    Wyatt felt shame at her words. He wracked his memory for a single recollection of pregnant behavior or a baby bump. How could he, the king of intuition, not have noticed? Then again, what would he notice? He was a guy.
    “They worked this scam on a number of families, each time concluding with a miscarriage. Unfortunately for Ilana, one of their victims was a doctor who questioned the affair. He reported his suspicion to a prosecutor. The prosecutor began to dig around. Before action could be taken, Ilya Petrov dropped off the radar, and wasn’t heard from until she popped up as Ilana Lloubina in L.A.”
    “How did they find her?”
    “As it happens the prosecutor himself had adopted a child, and had a vendetta against adoption scams. He refused to let the matter go. He kept on the crooked doctor until he cracked. They arrested him a few days ago, after he solicited an undercover agent to engage in the same ploy. It appears Ilana passed on her taste for the good life.” Katherine sighed. “Greed makes you stupid.”
    So did desire, thought Wyatt. “She’s been arrested.”
    “Sadly, no. She must have heard about her partner and dropped out of sight. I doubt we’ll see her again.”
    They sat in silence, the lowering sun slanting through the office windows, each contemplating his or her hands.
    “Wyatt, unfortunately she’s gone, along with everything you’ve put into it. I wasn’t sure how to handle the situation, as it’s never happened to me before. I reviewed our contract, and under the terms, I fulfilled my legal obligations. I exercised due diligence and reasonable care in ascertaining the validity of the applicant, and relied upon seemingly legitimate documentation of a healthy pregnancy. It’s outside the scope of reasonable business practices to anticipate artful fraud, and the medical and personal verification I conducted satisfied the best practices for my industry.”
    “I understand.” Wyatt understood that Katherine was worried about liability and profit. Wyatt wasn’t thinking about that. He felt like his heart had been ripped out and shredded. He wondered if he could die from the burning in his chest. It was inconceivable to Wyatt that his baby had never existed.
    “This is a blow. You’ve lost a lot of money. You’re angry.”
    She didn’t understand at all. Wyatt didn’t want to sue or get his fee back. He wanted the baby. The baby who didn’t exist.
    “I want to help you. I’m going to put you at the top of the list. We will stipulate that you’re present at all medical appointments and receive proof of pregnancy firsthand. I’ll pay for a thorough background check by the investigator of my choice—”
    Wyatt held up a hand. “Katherine, I’ve been supporting this girl for months. Your fee is not insignificant. I’m a public servant. I don’t know if I can afford a second process.”
    They were both silent. “Wyatt, it’s a lot to take in. Go home and think about it. I’m here when you want me. If you believe you have to go through the state foster care and public adoption route, I’ll try to help there too.”
    Wyatt nodded.
    “Perhaps you’ll find an opportunity for a traditional approach to children . . .” She let the suggestion trail off.
    “We’ll see.” Wyatt was tight. If he’d wanted to marry just to make a baby, he’d have done it. Wyatt had no trouble meeting women. Old fashioned, maybe, but he didn’t believe in marrying for anything less than love.