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CHAPTER FIVE
“It’s been over six weeks. You haven’t found anything?” Ignoring the dull ache in his shoulder, Zach paced the kitchen of the rental house, the cell phone at his ear. “What about Janet’s friends? Past landlords? Neighbors?”
“I don’t know where she is right now,” Jerry retorted. “But I do know where she’s lived, where she worked, and who she saw for the past four years.”
Leaning against the doorway to the living room, Zach shoved a hand through his hair. “And?”
“She quit or was fired from six different jobs in three towns during that time. Arrested once in Chicago for drunk driving, once for possession of drugs—a party situation where a dozen people were hauled in. Other than that, she’s stayed out of trouble with the law.”
So either her drug habits were gradually coming under control, or she’d managed to steer clear of the dealers who’d been her downfall. They’d hooked her on meth, then used her to deliver. After being caught with fifty grams, she’d ended up serving five years. But at least nothing since then.
The sound of shuffled papers came across the line. “I did track down Katie’s birth certificate. It doesn’t list a father.”
No surprise, there. Zach closed his eyes. “My sister isn’t exactly a model citizen.”
“But there’s nothing to show that anyone is trying to find her. Her roommate back in Madison said Janet never talked about Katie’s father, never asked for or got any child support. No one ever showed up claiming the child was his.”
“Her employers?”
“The co-workers I talked to said she showed up late a lot. Always seemed tired. Didn’t work hard. She’d get fired or quit just before it was likely to happen, but there don’t seem to be any rumors about embezzlement or other problems.”
“Her supervisors?”
Jerry gave a short laugh. “These days, management is afraid to say anything for fear of a lawsuit. No matter how bad the employee.”
“What about Janet’s father?” Not that much help was likely from that quarter.
With no other siblings, Zach had never thought of Janet as just a half-sister, but his mother had been divorced for years when she’d had an affair and become pregnant. Initially, the man had sent sporadic child support, but later he’d sued for full custody of their eighteen-month-old daughter and won.
Soon after his legal victory, his company transferred him back East, and Zach hadn’t seen Janet again for almost seventeen years.
“He still lives out in New York. He sounded drunk and became defensive when I called. He immediately announced he wasn’t responsible for any of Janet’s debts.”
“Even after you told him she was missing?”
“Yeah. He said this was nothing new. Interesting lack of concern, given there’s a grandchild involved. I’ll check in again tomorrow and let you know if I’ve found anything else.”
After the call ended, Zach braced one hand high on the door frame.
With her arm curled tightly around her doll, Katie had fallen asleep on the sofa an hour ago. Her tousled blond curls and long lashes made her look like an exhausted cherub. What kind of future did the poor thing have? A mom with a drug addiction. An unidentified biological father who hadn’t bothered to stick around. And now an intolerant, uninvolved grandfather.
Zach’s own mother lived in a cozy retirement village out in California and could hardly take on a child.
