Instantly, recognition clicked. One of her nurses at Magnolia Avenue Hospital had the same surname.

The mysterious Bonnie O’Reilly.

This particular suit had been filed thirty years ago. Ian O’Reilly (age twenty-seven) had accused Jonathan Brookside (also age twenty-seven) of stealing his idea, his technology, and his research and using it to found Gridwork Communications Corporation.

Leah read through the remainder of the document. The case had been tried. Jonathan had not been found liable.

Think, Leah.

A plaintiff named O’Reilly had sued Jonathan Brookside. Two years later, a nurse named O’Reilly had cared for Jonathan Brookside’s daughter on the day of her birth.

O’Reilly was one of the most common American surnames of Irish origin. The fact that Baby Brookside’s nurse shared the same name as a plaintiff who’d sued Jonathan Brookside a few years prior could comfortably be attributed to coincidence.

If everything had proceeded normally from there, had she and Sophie gone home with their rightful parents, suspicion would not be justified. But instead, while a nurse named O’Reilly was on duty, Baby Brookside had been switched with Baby Montgomery.

Under those circumstances, suspicion seemed highly justified.

Tilting back her head, she peered at the crown molding dividing wall from ceiling.

Ian and Jonathan had both been twenty-seven. According to Joyce, Bonnie had been fifty or so at the time of Leah’s birth. It was feasible to think that Bonnie could have been Ian’s mother. Or perhaps his aunt? Cousin?

If Bonnie had been related to the Ian who’d sued Jonathan, then, no doubt, Bonnie was not one of Jonathan’s admirers.

So . . . What?

Bonnie had taken it upon herself to punish Jonathan by swapping his child with someone else’s?

But why? That seemed far too extreme. It was true that the wheels of justice didn’t always turn fairly, yet it looked as if due process had been followed in this case. Ian had had his day in court.

Confounded, Leah Googled Ian O’Reilly on her phone. Several results populated. But just like when she’d hunted for Bonnie, none of these people seemed to be the person she sought. These men weren’t the right age or hadn’t lived in Georgia.

When she finished reading through the rest of the paperwork, she returned to the attendant, who looked up inquiringly.

“I’m interested in accessing a birth certificate,” she told him. “Can you recommend how to go about that?” If she could find Ian O’Reilly’s birth certificate, she’d learn his mother’s name, his father’s name, his place of birth, and more that might help her locate him.

“Are you the person named on the birth certificate?”

“I’m not.”

“Are you a primary family member of the person named?”

“I’m not.”

“Sorry, but those are the only two categories qualified to request birth certificates.”

“Ah. I see.”