Scrambled Babies Read Online Free Page B

amazement, the cab and all of them screeched up unscathed to the hotel entry. The hotel bellman let them out and pulled Paeton’s luggage out of the trunk.
    Fred charged nervously ahead.  “Let’s get to your room and check TV to see if anything’s been reported.  And then we can get on the phone and—”
    “And what, Fred?  Call the police?”  Paeton was having trouble keeping her legs working.
    Fred ignored the remark.  They reached the hotel desk, and Paeton registered in silence.  When they entered Paeton’s suite, Fred raced to turn on TV.  Paeton joined him as he scanned the channels searching for something about the baby-switch.  He shook his head.  “Amazing!  Nothing!  Not a blessed word about it!”  He turned to Paeton with a strange look on his face.  “Why hasn’t he reported this craziness?  Does he want to keep your child?”
    Paeton felt goose bumps.  “Fred, what are you talking about?  How can he want to keep Kelsey?  I have his baby.  Doesn’t he want his baby back too?  How about his wife?  She must be frantic.”
    “Maybe he doesn’t have a wife.  Maybe he figures he’s halfway to Hong Kong—wait a minute!  He’s got to stop in San Francisco.  No plane flies nonstop from New York to Hong Kong.  We can call the San Francisco airport and ask them to find—”
    Paeton’s laugh betrayed a change from fear to futility.  “A guy with a too-tight vest?”
    “No, dear.  A guy with a baby in a travelseat decorated with tiny animals and matching blanket, exactly like this one,” and he pointed at the guilty seat.  Fred was already moving to the phone.  “I’ll figure it out as I go along.  What was the flight number?  Oh, never mind.  There’s only one flight coming in from New York connecting to Hong Kong.”  Paeton started to speak, and Fred waved her off.  He brought up the number on his cell and clicked on it. He waited to be connected to San Francisco International.  “Yes, is there any way I can reach the head flight attendant for the Global flight that just came in from JFK connecting to a flight for Hong Kong?  Yes, it’s extremely urgent.  Thank you.”
    Fred paced as far as the telephone wire would permit.  Paeton sat bedraggled in an overstuffed leather chair.  Madison was getting to know the scrambled baby.
    “Thank you.  Yes, could you tell me if you noticed a man in a three-piece suit traveling with a baby in a travelseat with zoo animals on it?”  Paeton saw his face fall.  “There was no one on your flight traveling with a child.  You’re certain?  I know you know your job, it’s that I was positive—no infant on the flight.  Okay, well, thank you for your trouble.  You too.”
    Fred hung up grimly.  “Well, I guess the good news is that she’s not going to Hong Kong.”
    “Right!  And the bad news is we have no idea where Kelsey is.”
    Paeton realized that until the babies were in the right hands, she needed to ensure Madison wouldn’t say anything to anyone about the mix-up.  Maddy was such a good child.  So far she had been fabulous in that department!
    “Maddy, could you come here a minute, please?”
    “What is it, Mommy?”
    “It’s about Kelsey, honey.  I know you’re upset about her not being with us.”
    “But you said she was okay.  Right?”
    “Oh, of course, she’s—” and Paeton had to swallow back a sudden urge to break down, “okay, but we can’t tell anyone about what happened.  They wouldn’t, uh, understand.  It’s simply something private, something that only we can know about.”
    “I already know that, Mommy. I know it’s a very big secret. I’ve been keeping it, right?”
    What a wonderful girl!   “Yes, it’s a secret.  And I know you are really good at keeping secrets.”
    Maddy nodded her head.  “I am.  Remember when we had that big party for Daddy?  I never told him.  Right?”
    Paeton took the six-year-old in her arms and hugged her tightly.  “Right,