Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
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There was silence before Edie said, ‘I’m sorry, my mistake. What was your wife’s maiden name?’
‘But you found something for Jennings, didn’t you?’
‘It’s a common name. I made a mistake. As it’s your wife who is interested in tracing a donor, she will need to contact the clinic. Confidentiality, I’m sure you understand.’
Ian paused. ‘But just now you were willing to talk to me.’
‘That was before – when I thought the enquiry was about you.’
‘So you have got something on me?’ he persisted.
‘As I said, it’s a common name and I made a mistake. Please advise your wife to contact the clinic if she wishes to make an enquiry about her donor. Thank you for calling.’ Saying a quick goodbye, Edie Moller ended the call.
Ian stared through the windscreen, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Edie Moller’s manner had abruptly changed and become very formal and guarded, quite brusque. Very different to when she’d answered the phone. Had she made a genuine mistake? Jennings was a fairly common surname, Ian supposed. As the clinic had been running for thirty years there could easily be another Mr and Mrs Jennings on file. Except. He’d given their forenames too – ‘Emma Jennings. I’m her husband, Ian Jennings,’ he’d said. It would be too much of a coincidence for another couple with exactly the same forenames to be registered at the clinic.
Ian remained sitting in his car, deep in thought, frantically searching for an explanation. Then he pressed redial on his phone. His call went straight to the Mollers’ answerphone, inviting him to leave a message. He didn’t. He pressed redial again, with the same result. Edie Moller was there but not answering his calls.
Annoyed, Ian tucked his phone into his jacket pocket, took his briefcase from the passenger seat and, with a feeling of disquiet, got out of the car. He had to go into work now. Preoccupied, he crossed the car park and went in the back entrance of Wetherby Security Ltd, then up the two flights of stairs to his office. Saying a perfunctory good morning to his colleagues, he sat at his desk, took out his mobile phone and called the clinic again. As he thought might happen it went through to answerphone. Edie Moller would see his number on the caller display. He picked up his desk phone and called the clinic from that.
‘Good morning. The Moller Clinic, Edie speaking. How can I help you?’
‘It’s Ian Jennings,’ he said. ‘You’re not answering my calls.’
A pause, then, ‘I’m sorry, Mr Jennings, I really can’t help you further. It’s for your wife to contact us.’ He heard the tension in her voice and knew she was very worried about something.