Kendra nodded. “Though I shouldn’t be. It was there all the time. I’d almost forgotten that there’s almost always an ID number on prosthetics, no matter if it’s an artificial limb, dentures, or even breast implants. Sometimes the number is so small . . .” She drew the prosthetic hand closer and squinted. “Yes! Here!”
Jessie leaned nearer. “What is it?”
“I found it!” Kendra pulled out her phone and trained its camera lens on the prosthetic wrist area. She swiped her fingers on the phone screen, enlarging the image until a sixteen-digit series of letters and numbers came into view. She snapped the photo and checked the focus. “Perfect.” Then she checked thenumber on the stone. “Also perfect. And the same number. But which one is the copy and why was it made?”
“Wow,” Jessie whispered as she looked at the photo. “I may have someone in L.A. who can run this down for us.”
Kendra chuckled. “I have someone closer in mind.”
“Really? How close? Can you trust him?”
“Don’t worry. I intend to take out insurance.” She saw Fitz walking up the hill toward them together with a dark-haired young man she recognized as one of his crew. “And here he comes. It seems he got a little impatient and decided to join us. Hello, Fitz. We were just about ready to come down to join you.”
“No need. Here I am. I brought you a few odds and ends.” He deposited an armful of various picks and shovels on the ground beside them before gesturing to the man at his side. “And I thought I should introduce you to Robert Dunne. He’s the man I put in charge of keeping an eye on you here at the camp. Robert, this is Kendra Michaels and Jessie Mercado.”
“Good to meet you, ma’am.” The young man smiled and shook Kendra’s hand, then Jessie’s. “I’ll make sure you’re both safe.”
“I’m positive you will,” Fitz said dryly. “But Bruce might have something to say about that.” He turned back to Kendra. “As I said, Dunne will take care of securing and guarding the camp itself. Kenneth Bruce is more of a mountain man and will be patrolling the perimeter and keeping a sharp eye out for unwelcome visitors. You’ll meet him later. They’re both good men.” He gestured to Dunne. “That’s all I need for you to do. You can go back to camp now.”
“Right.” Dunne flipped his hand to his forehead and then was on his way back down the hill.
Fitz immediately turned back to Kendra. “It’s time I got on the road. You wanted to talk to me? I take it that it’s something confidential.”
She nodded as she reached down and extended the glove-
wrapped hand she was still holding. “Very confidential. I want you to deliver this to the name and address I’ve enclosed with it. I’d like you to watch both the package and the man to whom you deliver it until he calls you back to pick it up. Then you’ll return it to me.”
Fitz looked down at the package. “You’re not going to tell me what it is?”
She shook her head. “I don’t have the right. It’s not my secret. I’m trusting you a lot just asking you to handle this for me.”
He nodded. “I’ll accept that.” He looked at the address. “He’s a doctor?”
She nodded. “He’s at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.”
“Whatever you say.” He paused. “Those two men I’m leaving with you are both former military. They’ll do a good job watching out for you. And I’ll get the other information you requested as soon as possible.”
“I know you will. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Take care, Kendra.” He glanced at Jessie as he turned away. “She’s obviously into something kind of sticky, Jessie. Keep an eye on her.”
“I will,” Jessie said. “See you later, Fitz.”
He waved his hand and took off down the hill.
Jessie instantly turned to Kendra. “Doctor? It has to be your old surgeon, Charles Waldridge?”
Kendra nodded. “He’s the surgeon who gave me my sight.”
“You’ve mentioned him to me.”
“Dr. Waldridge is probably the most brilliant person I’ve ever known. He headed the Night Watch project and developed techniques that helped thousands of vision-impaired people. I read recently that he returned to his old lab at St. Bartholomew’s to continue his research. He’s the only one I could think of who might be able to help. He has fantastic contacts with everyone in the medical field. He might be able to put me in touch with someone who can tell me what kind of work was done on that hand and who did it.”
“Or maybe he could find out himself?” Jessie asked.
Kendra nodded. “If he can even spare the time to talk to me. Miracle workers like him are always under tremendous pressure. I almost hate to ask him. He’s already given me one miracle when he made this blind girl see. Now I’m asking for another one. I’ll just have to cross my fingers.”
Jessie nodded. “I can’t say I’m familiar with many miracle workers, but I’ve heard they keep their reputations pristine at all costs.” She smiled gently. “And guilty or not, we both know that you believe Lynch is worth knocking on the Pearly Gates for. So stop being an idiot. I’m betting on you, Kendra. So why the hell don’t you make that call right now?”
