Read Online Vanished (Private Justice Book #1): A Novel by Irene Hannon - Free Book Online

hesitated. “Sure I can’t get you a beverage in case the wait is longer than you expect?”
    “I’m fine.”
    With a nod, the woman closed the door halfway and continued down the hall.
    Moira looked at her notebook and reviewed the questions she’d prepared in case her subject was reticent. But she hoped he wasn’t; free-flow interviews produced far more interesting material.
    She added a note about the doctor’s willingness to give out his cell number to distraught parents, then checked her phone messages and started returning calls.
    Several minutes later, while she was setting up an interview for Friday, the door behind her opened.
    Shooting an apologetic glance over her shoulder toward the doctor, she held up one finger and turned back to complete the call.
    “Thursday at 1:00 sounds fine. Your office in the Ridgeway Center. Is there a room number?”
    As the woman on the other end of the phone gave her further directions and she scribbled in her notebook, the doctor entered the room and took his seat behind the desk.
    “Okay. Sounds great. I’ll look forward to meeting you.”After pressing the end button, Moira directed her attention to the surgeon. “Sorry.”
    “I’m the one who should apologize. I kept you waiting far too long.” He smiled and leaned forward, extending his hand. “Moira Harrison, I presume.”
    Once again, the uncanny similarity of his voice to her Good Samaritan’s unnerved her. It was downright weird.
    Forcing up the corners of her mouth, she reached across his desk and took his hand. “Yes.” The strength of his grip surprised her, and she tried not to flinch.
    He must have caught some nuance in her expression, however, because he loosened the pressure at once.
    “I appreciate the Post ’s interest in my work. Feel free to fire away with your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. Or at least make something up.” He shot her an engaging grin.
    She opened her notebook, trying to focus. Wishing she could check out his left hand to verify he wasn’t wearing a Claddagh ring.
    Unfortunately, his hands were folded in his lap, hidden from her view. But she’d get a look at them before the interview was over. Not that she needed the absence of a ring to prove he wasn’t her man. Whoever had stopped on that rainy Friday night would be able to recognize her even if she couldn’t recognize him. And if it was Blaine, surely having her show up on his doorstep would unsettle him. Yet her presence didn’t seem to faze him. He was relaxed. Personable. Pleasant.
    So much for her tenuous theory.
    Moira gave him another forced smile. “Before we talk about your charitable work, could you tell me how you became interested in pediatric surgery?”
    “Of course. I always knew I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and go into medicine. He was a brain and spine surgeon. A remarkable man. Incredibly intelligent and brave. Anyway, in my early years of medical school, I planned tospecialize in brain and spine surgery as well. Then I did a pediatric rotation and discovered I had a knack for working with children. They loved me and I loved them. You might say it was a mutual admiration society.”
    “Did I read somewhere—perhaps another article—that you also have a special interest in geriatrics?” Moira checked her notes.
    He didn’t respond at once, and she looked over at him.
    This time his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve always had an affinity for older people too. And I do make nursing home visits through a program my church sponsors. Motivated by charity rather than medicine. But for a career, the younger set won, hands down. There’s nothing more gratifying than helping a young child heal and go on to fulfill his or her potential.”
    Scribbling in her notebook as he spoke, Moira finished capturing his quote before moving on to the next question. “Do you have children of your own, doctor?” As she looked up, she caught a flash of sadness in his