Read Online Mr. And Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels - Free Book Online
Authors: Fern Michaels
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Man-Woman Relationships, Love Stories, Large Type Books, Fertility clinics, College Students, Ovum Donors
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place. So long ago. She sniffed the familiar smell of books, waxed floors, and dust on the windowsills. A lifetime ago, just for fun, she’d traced her name in the dust on one of the windowsills. For one wild moment she felt like doing it again. That, she told herself, would be regressing, and she really needed to move forward.
To Lily’s surprise, no one so much as looked at either her or Pete. All this macho security, and none of the students cared about Pete Kelly. Shrugging, she followed Pete to the computer area. He logged them both on, then nodded to the newspapers, indicating Lily should go through them. She moved off to the side of the long table to spread out the papers. Nothing on page one. That was strange. Normally the media ran with anything involving children. She quickly scanned the rest of the papers to find the story relegated to page two in most of them. Beyond strange. Two young boys gone missing, eleven others dead, and it was on page two! She stared down at a small picture of the two missing boys. No mention of parents.
Lily leaned over and whispered her findings to Pete. “Page two?” he hissed. Pete frowned. “I bet the FBI put a lid on it. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me.”
“Yes, page two. No mention of parents. Two boys missing, and it’s four lines. Two very, very small pictures of the missing boys. I don’t get it. Have you had any luck?”
“About the same as you. It was a massacre, and they’re playing it down for some reason. I suppose it could have something to do with the missing boys, but I don’t understand what it could be. No, it’s got to be the FBI in charge. They like to be in control and keep things close to the vest. They aren’t saying if the shooter was one of the kids or a stranger. Maybe a disgruntled staff member. If it’s not the FBI, then there must be some big money involved in the academy to keep it this buttoned-up. Let’s see if we can find out who owns the California Academy of Higher Learning. I’m not hopeful we’re going to find out anything since we don’t have the proper software. I’m going outside to call my office. See what you can find out about the working staff.”
Lily nodded as she flexed her fingers. While she wasn’t as proficient on the computer as she knew Pete was, she knew her way around the Internet.
An hour later Lily sat back in disgust. So much for her computer expertise. Other than the names of some of the staff, she was unable to come up with telephone numbers or addresses. She didn’t discount the fact that maybe the staff lived at the academy since it seemed to be a boarding school of sorts, and from what she’d been able to gather, the students lived there, too. She was about to get up to search for Pete when she saw him striding toward her. She threw her hands up to indicate she’d had no luck.
“Marty’s on it. So, if you’re up to it, let’s hit the town hall and see who owns what. As in the clinic and the academy. We’ll probably come up dry, but what the hell, it beats standing around here sucking our thumbs. My notebook is on the way. One of my guys will pick it up when the flight gets in. I want to find a TV, too. You okay with this, Lily?”
“I’m okay with it. Let’s do it.” But she wasn’t okay with it, and she knew it. She wished Winston was with her, so she could hug him, and she didn’t know why she suddenly felt the need to have someone close to her even if it was an animal.
Thirty minutes later, Pete and Lily entered the hall of records.
“It smells almost like the library, but I can also smell coffee brewing somewhere,” Lily said.
She was struck again at how young everyone looked. It was obvious that those with the gray hair, glasses, and potbellies were the ones in charge. All of the others looked like part-time Berkeley students. Everyone looked harried, and the lines for assistance were out the door. Both Lily and Pete patiently waited their turn.
Two hours
To Lily’s surprise, no one so much as looked at either her or Pete. All this macho security, and none of the students cared about Pete Kelly. Shrugging, she followed Pete to the computer area. He logged them both on, then nodded to the newspapers, indicating Lily should go through them. She moved off to the side of the long table to spread out the papers. Nothing on page one. That was strange. Normally the media ran with anything involving children. She quickly scanned the rest of the papers to find the story relegated to page two in most of them. Beyond strange. Two young boys gone missing, eleven others dead, and it was on page two! She stared down at a small picture of the two missing boys. No mention of parents.
Lily leaned over and whispered her findings to Pete. “Page two?” he hissed. Pete frowned. “I bet the FBI put a lid on it. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me.”
“Yes, page two. No mention of parents. Two boys missing, and it’s four lines. Two very, very small pictures of the missing boys. I don’t get it. Have you had any luck?”
“About the same as you. It was a massacre, and they’re playing it down for some reason. I suppose it could have something to do with the missing boys, but I don’t understand what it could be. No, it’s got to be the FBI in charge. They like to be in control and keep things close to the vest. They aren’t saying if the shooter was one of the kids or a stranger. Maybe a disgruntled staff member. If it’s not the FBI, then there must be some big money involved in the academy to keep it this buttoned-up. Let’s see if we can find out who owns the California Academy of Higher Learning. I’m not hopeful we’re going to find out anything since we don’t have the proper software. I’m going outside to call my office. See what you can find out about the working staff.”
Lily nodded as she flexed her fingers. While she wasn’t as proficient on the computer as she knew Pete was, she knew her way around the Internet.
An hour later Lily sat back in disgust. So much for her computer expertise. Other than the names of some of the staff, she was unable to come up with telephone numbers or addresses. She didn’t discount the fact that maybe the staff lived at the academy since it seemed to be a boarding school of sorts, and from what she’d been able to gather, the students lived there, too. She was about to get up to search for Pete when she saw him striding toward her. She threw her hands up to indicate she’d had no luck.
“Marty’s on it. So, if you’re up to it, let’s hit the town hall and see who owns what. As in the clinic and the academy. We’ll probably come up dry, but what the hell, it beats standing around here sucking our thumbs. My notebook is on the way. One of my guys will pick it up when the flight gets in. I want to find a TV, too. You okay with this, Lily?”
“I’m okay with it. Let’s do it.” But she wasn’t okay with it, and she knew it. She wished Winston was with her, so she could hug him, and she didn’t know why she suddenly felt the need to have someone close to her even if it was an animal.
Thirty minutes later, Pete and Lily entered the hall of records.
“It smells almost like the library, but I can also smell coffee brewing somewhere,” Lily said.
She was struck again at how young everyone looked. It was obvious that those with the gray hair, glasses, and potbellies were the ones in charge. All of the others looked like part-time Berkeley students. Everyone looked harried, and the lines for assistance were out the door. Both Lily and Pete patiently waited their turn.
Two hours
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