The Baby Discovery

Soon she heard voices in the hall and then a police officer came into the room. He nodded to everyone before his gaze went to the stranger.

“I’m Officer Brown assigned to this case. You’re the man who found the baby?”

“That’s right.”

“What’s the name, Sir?”

“Zane Broderick.”

“Age?”

“Thirty-four.”

“Do you live around here?”

“Yes—1017 Parkway.”

“Phone?”

“My number is 734-9812.”

“What’s your occupation?”

“I’m a mechanical engineer.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“My crew and I are performing a test on a new maglev train in the morning.”

Meg blinked. She’d heard about the exciting project when one of the engineers who’d been involved came in to be treated for a gash on his leg a few months earlier. She’d ridden on a bullet train similar to the type they were building when she’d gone to Japan on a trip with some fellow nurses after graduation.

“I was checking the last section of track for any last-minute problems when I saw a bundle in the middle of it, covered in snow. I thought it was a cat crying until I opened it and found the baby inside, barely alive. It was wrapped in a cloth.” He pointed to the cotton blanket still lying inside the jacket.

The officer peered at the bloodstains. “Is this track the one on the west side of town where a large building has been erected at one end?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve seen it.”

“I wrapped the baby in my coat and ran for my truck. It was parked two miles up the track. Then I drove straight here.”

“Do you know what time it was when you found the baby?”

“Forty-five minutes ago.”

“Is that your white Chevy V8 out there in the emergency parking?”

“Yes.”

“Give me the names and addresses of a couple of your crew, please.”

“Rod Stigler and Martin Driscoll. They live at the Doxey apartments on Conover Street. Number 10 and 14.”

“Okay. Thanks for your cooperation. I’m going to have to ask you to remain here until another officer from the station comes over to deal with the evidence and get a blood sample from you.”

The policeman turned to Dr. Tingey, but his gaze included Meg. “Don’t touch the blanket or the coat. In the meantime, if you should learn anything that could help us trace the birthmother or father, call the station. I’ll be in touch.”

“Is it routine to be given the third degree?” Mr. Broderick demanded quietly after the officer had left the room. Meg could feel his anger.

“I’m afraid even the good Samaritan is suspect until proven otherwise. As far as the police are concerned this could be a case of attempted murder,” Dr. Tingey murmured.

“The problem is, there have been too many instances in the past where the person who found an abandoned newborn turned out to be connected to it in some way. But normally it’s a teenage couple who can’t deal with the fact that they’ve become parents. They’ll do anything to get rid of it.”

Meg shuddered.

“Be patient. The truth will come out soon enough. Looking on the positive side, if this little guy continues to hold his own, there will come a day when he’ll want to thank you for saving his life.

“I’d like to thank you now for your quick action. The body warmth from your coat obviously helped preserve him.” Dr. Tingey shook the other man’s hand.

“Meg?” he called over his shoulder. “Keep the IV going. I’ve got to check on a head injury patient, then I’ll be back.” He left the room.

Under the circumstances, Meg couldn’t help but admire the kind way Dr. Tingey had tried to put the stranger at ease. He knew how unsettling it must be for Mr. Broderick whose good deed had fallen under suspicion.

“You look like you could use a cup of coffee. Can I get you some?”

His gaze was still riveted to the baby. He seemed deep in thought. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I’d appreciate it.”

“Not at all. Why don’t you bring that stool in the corner over to the crib and sit down while you watch the baby. I’ll be back in a moment.”

When she returned a few minutes later, she discovered he’d followed her suggestion. In the process he’d removed the well-worn cowboy hat which had been set on the counter next to his coat. Beneath the brightness of the overhead light, his medium-cropped dark-blond hair gleamed with health.

It surprised her to realize they’d both been living in town and she’d never seen him before. Lines of character defining a face burnished by the sun added to his masculine appeal. The combination of his six-foot-three height and well-honed physique made him a rarity among the male of the species. In Tooele, she hadn’t known such a man existed…

“Here’s your coffee.”

“Thank you.” He took it from her hands. In that brief moment when he’d looked up, she’d glimpsed a flash of blue. The man was even more attractive than she’d first realized.

“Hi, Meg.” The lab technician breezed in with her cart.

“How are you, Angela?” The mother of three was always cheerful.

“Can’t complain. Word has spread around the clinic that we have a Baby Doe.” She put on sterile gloves, then placed her hands inside the holes of the crib to get started.

“Oh—isn’t he sweet!” As she began drawing blood from the baby’s heels she said, “With those cheeks, he looks like a chipmunk.”

Meg smiled. “My words exactly. He’s the most precious thing I’ve ever seen.”

But she noticed that Zane Broderick continued to wear a pained expression throughout the procedure. For someone who’d never laid eyes on the baby until he’d found him on the track, the man seemed exceptionally attached to the child.