Read Online As Time Goes By by Mary Higgins Clark - Free Book Online

becoming depressed. But it was when he was driving and could not remember the way home, even when they were only in the next town, that she knew something was terribly wrong.
    The car had cut over to the Palisades Parkway and they were now approaching Alpine. Betsy knew that Carmen would be preparing dinner. She thought she was looking forward to being without company, but when she arrived, three of her former fellow teachers from Pascack Valley were waiting for her. As each in turn hugged her, Jeanne Cohen, who was now principal, said fervently, “Betsy, this is going to be ancient history. It’s awful that you have to go through it. Everyone who knows you saw the way you took care of Ted.”
    â€œI hope so,” Betsy said quietly. “I was beginning to sound like a monster in court.”
    They had been waiting for her in the living room. She thought of all the good times they had had together here. Outside the shadows were lengthening. It felt as though they were gathering over her. She glanced at the club chair that had been Ted’s favorite place to sit. The last time he was in it was the last night of his life. But when they had gathered here before dinner, he had gotten up, come over to her and reached for her hand. He had pleaded, “Betsy, help me find it.”
    An hour later he had become violently upset. But in that single moment of clarity, it had seemed to her that he was trying to tell her something.

13

    W ith rapt attention Alvirah and Willy watched and listened to Delaney’s report on the events at the Betsy Grant trial. When it was over, they looked at each other. Willy spoke first. “It looks like today did not go very well for Betsy Grant.”
    â€œIt’s only the first day,” Alvirah said hopefully. “That prosecutor really knows how to lay it on thick.”
    â€œAre you still sorry you’re not covering the trial?” Willy asked.
    â€œOh, I’ll start going just as a spectator when the defense part of it starts. But Willy, there’s something else I really want to focus on. Delaney has such a terrible need to find her birth mother. And now that her adoptive parents have moved away, she really thinks it’s her opportunity to do it without feeling as though she is hurting them.”
    â€œThat doesn’t make much sense,” Willy said.
    â€œYes, it does,” Alvirah said. “When she was back and forth to the house, Delaney knew that Jennifer Wright considered it a personal rejection if Delaney brought up the adoption. They obviously lied on the birth certificate when they put their names in as the parents. So let’s see what I can find out. You know I’m a pretty good detective.”
    Alvirah still could not get used to using a computer. She had a gift for making mistakes as she tried to do research online. But she was determined to see for herself the wording on Delaney’s birth certificate. With some help from Willy, she finally got the information she wanted; only it wasn’t nearly enough. It simply said that twenty-six years ago at 4:06 P.M. on March 16th a female named Delaney Nora Wright had been born. The place of birth was listed as 22 Oak Street in Philadelphia. The mother and father’s names and address were listed as James Charles Wright, 50, and Jennifer Olsen Wright, 49, living in Oyster Bay, Long Island.
    â€œWilly, the only information the Wrights could give Delaney was the name of the midwife, Cora Banks, and where the birth took place, at 22 Oak Street. Delaney told me there were four listings for Cora Banks in the Philadelphia area. She said she called each one of them, but they were all much younger than midwife Cora Banks would be today, and they all claimed that they had no knowledge of her.”
    Willy printed out the information on the birth certificate. Alvirah reviewed it and stared at it, her expression gloomy. “This is not as helpful as I thought it would