Page 52 of Tear Me Apart

“Jasper, I can’t believe all of this is happening. I feel like our whole world is collapsing.”

“It’s not, but if Mindy dies, it most certainly will. Please, Lauren. See reason.”

She has never felt such bone-wrenching fear before as she does when the words come out of her mouth. “You’re right. I know you’re right, and the doctor is right, but my God, we’re going to blow up her world.”

And mine.

“Her world blew up a month ago when she crashed and was diagnosed.”

She sits with it for a minute, then nods, feeling Jasper relax, hearing his sigh of relief. What would he do if she said no? Tell Mindy anyway, and be damned with her? He is doing the right thing for his daughter, and to hell with his wife.

Oddly, she feels a spark of respect for him. He is always so kind and gentle and sweet; she’s never seen him defiant before. She supposes that’s what makes him such a good trial attorney, and he normally leaves that personality trait at work. Or maybe she just doesn’t know her husband as well as she thinks she does. Perhaps he’s been hiding things from her as well. She’s spent their entire marriage focused on Mindy first and foremost; it’s certainly possible.

“All right. If we’re going to do this, we should tell her now. I can’t get behind a public plea, though. I can’t do it.”

“But—”

“Wait, hear me out. We can ask Juliet to look for the mother. I’ll give her every detail I can remember, and help her any way I can, but I can’t get on television and broadcast our lives for the whole world to see. It could damage Mindy’s chances of making the Olympic team when she recovers. I won’t do anything that might impact her public future. Deal?”

“Deal.” He pulls her into his arms. “Oh, baby, you’re making the right choice here. I’ll call Juliet right now, and then we’ll talk to Mindy together.”

He kisses her forehead and hugs her close. Cowering in his arms, she tells herself it is going to be okay. Seventeen years is a long time. She is lucky she’s made it this far. She can only hope that if the whole truth comes out, Mindy won’t hate her. She couldn’t bear that.

And all the while, the rational, calm voice in the back of her mind, the one she avoids connecting to at all costs, laughs and laughs.

“I know we’ll be able to find her, Lauren. I know it in my heart.”

She nods into his hair and whispers, “The mother’s name was Graciela.”

28

DENVER, COLORADO

Juliet is getting out of the shower when her phone rings. She is surprised to see Jasper’s number on her display. She punches the Talk button, suddenly frightened.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

“Hi, Juliet. Yes, it is. We just need your help, that’s all.”

“Anything.”

“She told me. She told me everything. I know you know the truth.”

Juliet heaves out a breath. “Oh, thank God. Now what?”

“We’re telling Mindy shortly. But we need you to do something. The doctors are getting worried about finding a match. Lauren and I would like you to look for Mindy’s biological family.”

Juliet can’t deny the charge she feels. What a relief. She will be able to cover her tracks now. But she is careful; she doesn’t want Jasper knowing she’s gone rogue on them already. “Without a crime involved, I can’t do it through CBI, you know that.”

“Right, but you’re an investigator. We thought you might be able to interview some of the hospital staff, see if they’ll release the doctor’s files to you, that sort of thing. With a name, perhaps we can reach out to them directly and ask for them to consider donating for a possible match. Kind of like our own private eye. We’ll pay you, of course.”

“Oh, no you won’t. I’m happy to do it. I have to admit, I’ve already started looking into the doctor, and unfortunately, she’s been dead for a long time. But I can make some calls and see if I can shake anything loose on that front.”

“Lauren told me the girl’s name was Graciela. If that helps.”

“Oh, wow. She told me she didn’t remember.”

“Honestly, I think she’s been holding this information in a vault she never thought she was going to have to open. I don’t think she knows more than the girl’s name, or else she would have told me. Maybe it will be enough to go on. The doctors here want to go public and ask for donors of Hispanic origin, specifically from families who may know or be related to a young girl who had a baby in the right time frame, but Lauren has put her foot down. She won’t allow it.”