Free Second Chances by Leigh Brown, Victoria Corliss

would Harry’s name trigger the secret door? Did that mean the baby Sophie spoke of was Harry’s baby? Then why was she so upset? Was this search just a huge waste of time? And where was this mystery baby? Dimitri hadn’t mentioned Pashmina having any children.
    “What does Harry have to do with this?” he asked quietly.
    “Well, I obviously discovered that Pashmina was married to Harry Lynch so I decided to run a search on Harry. He and Pashmina divorced sometime in 1979. Harry married Catherine Spencer, a resident of London in 1980.They were married for 26 years until Harry passed away a few years ago from cancer. Harry and Catherine had two boys, Sean and Jonathan. They live in England as does Catherine.” Dimitri reported as he looked over his notes.
    “I still don’t understand what Harry’s name has to do with anything,” George mumbled.
    “Well, when I looked at 1979 birth records from Boston hospitals I found Harry’s name. There was a baby boy born on October 15, 1979 at Brigham & Women’s hospital to a resident of Greece. The birth records were sealed. When I contacted the Massachusetts Open Adoption Registry I found an application for exchanging information. The registry exists for adopted children to connect with birth parents.” Dimitri took a deep breath, knowing that he was revealing a lot at once. George looked overwhelmed.
    “So I applied to the registry for records pertaining to the baby boy born October 15th. It took a few days but finally I received a copy of the birth certificate. It lists the mother as Pashmina Smith and the father as Harry Lynch.”
    “Pashmina Smith? Why Smith?” George asked.
    “She was probably trying to keep her anonymity. It was Harry Lynch’s name that caught my attention.”
    “What does that have to do with me?” George asked the knot in his stomach slowly unfurling. Clearly, this search had revealed nothing that concerned him. Pashmina and Harry had a baby. So what?
    “Well, I asked to have the records faxed to me. When they arrived I discovered something very interesting,” Dimitri countered.
    “What?” George asked already weary of the findings.
    “When I received the actual birth certificate, Harry Lynch’s name had been crossed out. The father listed on the birth certificate was you.”
     
    *   *   *
    CHAPTER SIX
    Amelia tapped the sheets of papers into a neat pile and placed them on the conference room table next to a tidy rainbow of pens and pencils. Satisfied her materials were in order she turned her sights to the plump leather swivel chairs and for the fifth time in as many minutes, arranged them into strategic positions. She sipped on her Diet Coke and laughed nervously. “Relax,” she chided herself, “it’s just a conversation. You can do this.”
    Any minute now Pashmina would be here to review the manuscript, a standard part of the editorial process. Still, Amelia’s nerves threatened to get the better of her and she took another long and calming sip of soda. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she sighed heavily glancing at her watch. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
    “Good morning.” Pashmina stood hesitantly in the doorway looking around the room. “May I come in or am I interrupting? I heard voices.”
    Biting her lip to keep from laughing Amelia greeted her, “Hi! Those weren’t voices you heard, just me talking to myself. It helps me to think out loud some times,” she explained.
    “I know exactly what you mean.” Understanding lit up Pashmina’s face. “I often converse better with myself than other people.”
    Amelia motioned across the table for Pashmina to join her, “Please, have a seat. Can I get you something to drink before we start, coffee, tea, water?”
    “I’m fine for the moment, thanks.” Taking Amelia by surprise she slipped into the chair beside her. “Do you mind if I sit next you?” she asked laying a gentle hand on Amelia’s arm. “It makes me feel like we’re tackling