Where Love Has Gone by Harold Robbins Page B

separate stories were too mutually corroborative to be disputed.”
    “They had time to agree on their stories.”
    He shook his head again. “I’ve had too much experience with this sort of thing to be taken in. Besides, neither of them was in any condition to cook up a phony. They were both close to hysterics. It would have been impossible for them to be coherent enough to fabricate a story.”
    “There were no other witnesses?” “None.”
    “What happened then?”
    “Dr. Bonner, who arrived before I did, took Nora upstairs and gave her a shot. Then I had Sergeant Flynn call you while I went down to Police Headquarters with Dani where she gave a statement. I read it to her and despite my advice she insisted on signing it. From Police Headquarters I went to the juvenile detention home, where Dani was given into custody of the juvenile authorities. Fortunately, I was able to persuade the probation officer to call the Juvenile Court judge who, upon
    hearing Dr. Bonner’s recommendation, sent Dani home for the night. I took her to her grandmother’s and it was from there that I called you.”
    We were on Portola Drive now, climbing up into the hills. I looked back. Nora’s Jag was right behind us, and off to the left I could see almost the whole city sprawled out. On the right I noticed the familiar sights of construction. We were coming to a big billboard.

    THIS IS DIAMOND HEIGHTS

    This was where I had come to buy our Christmas trees when Nora and I were first married. I remembered I had once considered it as a building site for my first project, but there had been a shoring problem because of the hills, and the city would not cooperate. But land was less plentiful now and more valuable. Apparently the authorities had seen the light.
    I looked at the houses with a critical eye. They were doing a good job. I turned back to Gordon. “Exactly what made you decide to call me?”
    He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t really know. I had a hunch, I guess. I had the feeling that you’d be a good man to have around in a spot like this.”
    “You thought that even after what Nora said the last time we were in court?”
    He didn’t answer right away. When we reached the top of the hill we made a sharp right turn onto Woodside Avenue. A series of dull-green buildings loomed up on our right. We turned into a driveway and up and around behind the buildings. I noticed a small sign, CHILD INTAKE DIVISION.
    Gordon stopped the car and shut off the motor, then turned to look at me. His voice was level and his eyes met mine squarely. “What I think doesn’t matter. It’s what you think that counts. The responsibility is yours. Either you’re her father or you’re not.”
    He opened the door and got out. I heard an automobile come up behind us. I looked in the rear- view mirror and saw Nora’s Jaguar. Slowly I reached for the door handle.
    8

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    The reporters and photographers were all around us before Nora’s car came to a stop. Gordon gestured toward a door behind him. “Get her in there as quickly as you can.”
    I nodded and pushed my way through to the door of the car. Nora got out first. I took her hand to steady her. The flashbulbs went off. She turned and both of us helped Dani out. Her hands were cold as ice; I could feel them trembling in mine.
    “Don’t look at them, sweetie. Just come with me.”
    Dani nodded silently and we started for the door. The reporters pressed against us, forcing us to
    stop.

    “Hold it for a picture, please!” one of them called.
    I sensed Dani’s almost instinctive obedience to the voice of authority. I kept nudging her. “Keep
    moving, honey.”
    Gordon managed to join us and we made a tight knot around Dani as we pushed our way to the door.
    “Lay off, fellows,” Gordon pleaded. “Give the kid a break!”
    “That’s what we want to do, lawyer man!” a voice from the back of the crowd shouted raucously. “A front-page