The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld

Author:Rene Denfeld
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-09-05T04:00:00+00:00

Naomi stood in the doorway of Danita’s room upstairs. The bed was neatly made, with a solitary flat pillow.

The crib was empty, only a pile of soft blankets. A plastic mobile with baby elephants was screwed to the top: Naomi could imagine the infant opening and closing her hands as the elephants danced.

The closet was small. Danita had few clothes, but all were clean and hung neatly. There was a set of old brown shoes on the floor. There was something missing—something she had expected to see by now in the house.

Naomi knew the police had turned over the whole house, from attic to basement. They had even dug up parts of the basement on a lurid tip from a neighbor who turned out to have mental health issues herself. The case was so recent she could still see the fingerprint dust in the room, feel the presence of heavy-booted police. Unlike Madison, this loss here was fresh, and she could feel the difference. It had not been long since Baby Danforth had been in this room, alive.

“Danita loves her child,” Violet said behind her. “Baby was the best thing that ever happened to her. She settled down, learned how to work. She was a good mom.”

“What about her disability?”

“I used to ask her if she would consider putting the baby up for adoption. She said no. She said, ‘Grammy, this is the first person to ever look at me like I am beautiful.’ So I knew then it was on me to take care of both of them.”

Naomi paused outside the closet. The mobile above the crib made a cute tinkling sound.

Something was missing—she turned slowly around.

“That is why it will be good to find my great-granddaughter, even if she is dead,” Violet said, pressing her now trembling hands down over her skirt. “Because it is on me. I failed Danita, and I failed her baby, too. I told God already: He can forgive me in the afterlife, if He chooses. I am never going to forgive myself.”

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