asked. âDid it generate any leads?"
âThere were several calls.â Jake glanced over at Dylan. âYou have the details. Why donât you tell her?"
âThe first call was from a gas station attendant about thirty miles from here,â Dylan said. âHe stated that he saw you fill up the tank, and you gave him two twenty-dollar bills for payment. You didnât bring the child inside, nor did he see a kid in the car. He admitted that he wasnât paying much attention. There were also a few calls from obvious cranks."
âWhat do you mean?"
âWell, one man said youâre his daughter, and you owe him five hundred dollars. Heâs a homeless man well-known by the police, and he has no children. Another woman said you ran out on a bill at her coffee shop; sheâs also hoping to gain some cash by taking advantage of your memory loss."
âThatâs it?â she asked, feeling depressed. Wasnât there anyone who knew her? Who cared about her?
âWell, there was another woman who said you look like a friend of hers who disappeared eight years ago. She lives out by the coast, north of here, in San Luis Obispo. Manning talked to her, but said she had no facts to connect her friend with you, just a feeling. She wasnât completely sure she recognized you, and apparently she fancies herself something of a psychic. He thinks itâs extremely doubtful thereâs any connection."
Sarahâs heart had taken a jump at the thought of a friend, but neither Dylan nor Jake seemed excited by the news. âYou donât think she could be telling the truth, then?"
âI thought Iâd drive out there and talk to her today,â Dylan replied. âJust to be sure. We donât want to overlook any leads. Itâs a long shot."
Sarah blew out a breath, wishing there were more information, but in an odd way strangely relieved that there wasnât. Her reaction was wrong, she thought. She should have wanted someone to come forward and identify her, but her instincts told her it wouldnât be that easy. Sheâd taken great pains to hide herself away. âShall we go?"
Jake hesitated. âDo you want to eat something first, see the doctor before we go?"
âIâm not hungry, and I donât need to see the doctor. Heâs obviously not going to give me back my memory. The sooner we start, the sooner weâll find Caitlyn.â She glanced at Dylan. âCould you hand me my coat, please?"
He grabbed her coat off the chair and tossed it to her. She realized her mistake a split second too late. As the jacket flew through the air, the money slipped out of the unzipped pocket and landed on the floor in a wash of green bills.
âWhat the hell is this?â Jake asked as he knelt down to collect the money. He glanced up at her, shocked. âGood God, Sarah, there must be fifteen hundred dollars here."
âFourteen hundred and forty dollars,â she corrected. âI counted it yesterday when I found the money in my coat, and before you ask, I donât know where it came from. It was in a zippered pocket in the back of the jacket, almost like a hiding place. There was nothing else there."
Dylan grabbed the jacket and ran his hands around it, obviously intent on making sure she was telling the truth. âNothing."
âThatâs what I said,â Sarah repeated. âAnd Iâd like my money back."
Jake gave her a hard look as he stood up, the wad of cash in his hand. âHow do you know itâs your money?"
âWell, it was in my jacket, wasnât it?â She took the money from Jake and stuffed it into the back pocket making sure the zipper was closed this time. âAre you ready?"
âMore than ready,â he replied.
âAs soon as you leave this hospital, youâre both going to be a target,â Dylan said. âAre you sure you donât want me to follow you two down to LA,
âThere were several calls.â Jake glanced over at Dylan. âYou have the details. Why donât you tell her?"
âThe first call was from a gas station attendant about thirty miles from here,â Dylan said. âHe stated that he saw you fill up the tank, and you gave him two twenty-dollar bills for payment. You didnât bring the child inside, nor did he see a kid in the car. He admitted that he wasnât paying much attention. There were also a few calls from obvious cranks."
âWhat do you mean?"
âWell, one man said youâre his daughter, and you owe him five hundred dollars. Heâs a homeless man well-known by the police, and he has no children. Another woman said you ran out on a bill at her coffee shop; sheâs also hoping to gain some cash by taking advantage of your memory loss."
âThatâs it?â she asked, feeling depressed. Wasnât there anyone who knew her? Who cared about her?
âWell, there was another woman who said you look like a friend of hers who disappeared eight years ago. She lives out by the coast, north of here, in San Luis Obispo. Manning talked to her, but said she had no facts to connect her friend with you, just a feeling. She wasnât completely sure she recognized you, and apparently she fancies herself something of a psychic. He thinks itâs extremely doubtful thereâs any connection."
Sarahâs heart had taken a jump at the thought of a friend, but neither Dylan nor Jake seemed excited by the news. âYou donât think she could be telling the truth, then?"
âI thought Iâd drive out there and talk to her today,â Dylan replied. âJust to be sure. We donât want to overlook any leads. Itâs a long shot."
Sarah blew out a breath, wishing there were more information, but in an odd way strangely relieved that there wasnât. Her reaction was wrong, she thought. She should have wanted someone to come forward and identify her, but her instincts told her it wouldnât be that easy. Sheâd taken great pains to hide herself away. âShall we go?"
Jake hesitated. âDo you want to eat something first, see the doctor before we go?"
âIâm not hungry, and I donât need to see the doctor. Heâs obviously not going to give me back my memory. The sooner we start, the sooner weâll find Caitlyn.â She glanced at Dylan. âCould you hand me my coat, please?"
He grabbed her coat off the chair and tossed it to her. She realized her mistake a split second too late. As the jacket flew through the air, the money slipped out of the unzipped pocket and landed on the floor in a wash of green bills.
âWhat the hell is this?â Jake asked as he knelt down to collect the money. He glanced up at her, shocked. âGood God, Sarah, there must be fifteen hundred dollars here."
âFourteen hundred and forty dollars,â she corrected. âI counted it yesterday when I found the money in my coat, and before you ask, I donât know where it came from. It was in a zippered pocket in the back of the jacket, almost like a hiding place. There was nothing else there."
Dylan grabbed the jacket and ran his hands around it, obviously intent on making sure she was telling the truth. âNothing."
âThatâs what I said,â Sarah repeated. âAnd Iâd like my money back."
Jake gave her a hard look as he stood up, the wad of cash in his hand. âHow do you know itâs your money?"
âWell, it was in my jacket, wasnât it?â She took the money from Jake and stuffed it into the back pocket making sure the zipper was closed this time. âAre you ready?"
âMore than ready,â he replied.
âAs soon as you leave this hospital, youâre both going to be a target,â Dylan said. âAre you sure you donât want me to follow you two down to LA,
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