Mr. And Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels Read Free Book Online

can on the case, and it will be ready for us when we land. How about we blow off the fund-raiser and try to find the kids?”
    “I’m okay with missing the fund-raiser, but what makes you think we can find the kids? The police are on it. It’s national news now. They won’t let us anywhere near that group home. I don’t care how much money you have or how famous you are. If anything, your presence nosing around might hurt you.”
    “You’re right, and I know that. My shrink said I had to go back to the beginning. That’s where we’ll go.”
    “And you think they’re just going to open up and tell us what we want to know! I don’t think so.”
    Pete slouched down in his seat. “I knew I should have bought that goddamn business and burned it to the ground. I said I was going to do it that day I met you, and I never followed through. When I made my first million, that was my number two priority. I had nightmares about that, too.”
    “Even if you had, it would have been too late, Pete. Our donations were distributed long before you became successful.”
    Pete bolted upright. “Are you always right?”
    “No. Just sometimes. You already knew it. I just said the words out loud.”
    Pete nodded. “Do you remember how… I don’t remember if it was you or me, but one of us said there was something sinister about that place.”
    “It was you. I agreed, as I recall. I asked you about the building in the back, the one with no doors or windows. I think we were both just spooked. It was an emotional time for both of us. It’s probably a giant freezer to…you know, store all those donations. I wonder how much they’d want to sell that place. I bet if we could find that out, we’d get a sense of how big an operation it is. There must be blueprints at town hall. I know that when I built my office building and the warehouse, my blueprints were there for anyone who wanted to look at them.”
    Pete started to crack his knuckles out of frustration. “That boy was the spitting image of me, wasn’t he?”
    “Yes, Pete, he was. It took my breath away when they showed his picture. That group home—or was it a school?—what little they showed of it, looked pretty upscale to me. Not like a place for wayward youngsters. I didn’t hear any names, did you?”
    “No. I was so stunned I didn’t see half of what you saw. God, I hope my parents or my brothers didn’t see it. They’ll think for sure I have an illegitimate child out there somewhere. My mom is like a dog with a bone when she gets an idea in her head. She’s forever nagging me to get married and have kids. She said it’s not natural to be my age and not married. By the way,” Pete said, his eyes wide, “you aren’t married, are you?”
    Lily grimaced. “Only to my business.”
    “I can relate to that. We need to make a plan, Lily. The minute we get off this plane, we need to have a definite objective, and this time we’re both going to follow through to the end. No matter where it takes us. Agreed?”
    Lily nodded solemnly. “Agreed.”

Chapter 4
    B y the time Flight 2107 landed in San Francisco, Lily and Pete were fast friends.
    As Lily commented, “It’s like we’ve been transported back to the day we met.”
    Pete agreed as he juggled his garment bag and duffel. Lily had a firm grip on her own carry-on luggage as they made their way out to the concourse.
    Pete ushered Lily to the side. “Someone is going to meet us right here to hand over whatever information my guy Marty was able to get. And,” he said, turning around, “here comes my shadow. Lily, meet Zolof Kuchinsky. Zolly, meet Lily.”
    He was bigger than a bear, almost as tall as a giraffe.
    Lily looked up in awe at the bald-headed man who appeared larger than life. “Nice to meet you, Zolof.” Lily extended her hand, certain it would be crushed. It wasn’t.
    “Everyone calls me Zolly.”
    His voice was a surprise, it had a light timbre with a cadence Lily couldn’t identify. His