'All of them?' Meyer said.
'All of them. We've placed babies born with handicaps. We've even placed babies born with AIDS. There are a great many decent, caring people out there, I'm happy to say.'
Carella nodded.
'Anyway,' she said, 'to cut a long story short, in July of last year I telephoned the Hoddings to say we had a newborn infant for them to look at. Well, not quite newborn. The baby at that time was two weeks old. That's the initial grace period we give the birth parents. Two weeks. Agency policy is to place the infant in a foster home, give the birth parents an opportunity to change their minds about adoption, if that's what they wish. At the end of the two weeks, they can either reclaim the baby or else sign a legal surrender that transfers custody to the agency. In this case, I had little doubt that the mother - this was the only birth parent involved - would allow the adoption to proceed. In any event, I called the Hoddings and asked them to come see the baby. A little girl. They were - as I'd expected - thoroughly enchanted with her. A beautiful baby, truly. A storybook child, a little princess. Well, a Gerber Baby. I gave them all the facts about her . . .'
'What facts would those be, Mrs Henley?'
'Background information about the birth mother and birth father - in this case, not much was known about him - medical, religious, educational, all that. Hospital record on the infant. Hospital record on the birth mother. And so on. Everything they needed to know. The foster mother and I spent about twenty minutes with the Hoddings and little Susan . . . that was the name we'd given her here at the agency, Susan; the mother hadn't cared to name her. The Hoddings, as I'm sure they told you, still don't know the birth mother's name. It's here on record at the agency, of course, but the court records of the adoption are sealed and so is the original birth certificate. At any rate, as I say, the Hoddings loved the child on sight and agreed to take her home for the ninety-day trial period.'
'This was when, Mrs Henley?'
'Early in August. That's when they took Susan home with them. Little Susan.'
Mrs Henley shook her head.
'And now this,' she said.
Now this, Carella thought.
'When did the actual adoption take place?' he asked.
'Early in December.'
'Who was the child's natural mother?' he asked.
'I'll have the records sent in,' Mrs Henley said, and pressed a button on her telephone console. 'Debbie,' she said, 'would you bring in the Hodding file, please? Mr and Mrs Peter Hodding. Thank you,' she said, and released the button. 'This won't take a moment,' she said, looking up at the detectives again.
A knock sounded on the door five minutes later.
'Yes, come in,' Mrs Henley said.
A dark-haired girl wearing a long skirt and a ruffled white blouse came in carrying a manila folder. She put the folder on Mrs Henley's desk . . .
'Ah, thank you, Debbie.'
. . .turned, smiled at Carella, and then walked out again. Mrs Henley was already riffling through the papers in the folder.
'Yes, here we are,' she said. 'But you know, gentlemen, I really can't release this information without . . .'
'Of course,' Carella said. 'You've been very kind, Mrs Henley, and we don't want to place you or the agency in jeopardy. We'll be back in a little while with a court order.'
* * * *
The birth mother's name was Joyce Chapman.
Last June, when she'd first gone to the agency, she'd given her address as 748 North Orange, apartment 41.
'The Three-Two,' Meyer said. 'Down near Hopscotch.'
Carella nodded.
On the Cooper-Anderson background information form, she had listed her age as nineteen, her height as five feet ten inches, her weight as one hundred and fifty-two pounds . . .
color of hair: Blonde.
color of eyes: Green.
complexion: Fair.
best feature: Pretty eyes.
personality: Cheerful.
nationality: American.
ethnic origin: Scotch-Irish.
religion: Catholic.
education: High-school degree. One year college.
work experience & occupation: None.
talents or hobbies: Tennis, scuba diving.
health history illnesses: Measles, whooping cough, etc.
allergies: None.
operations: None.
No, she had never been confined to any mental institution . . . No, she was not addicted to any controlled substance . . .
No, she was not an alcoholic . . .
And No, she had never been arrested for a felony or sentenced to imprisonment in a state penal institution.
Among the papers released by the court order was an agreement Joyce had signed shortly after the baby was born. It read:
AGREEMENT WITH
THE COOPER-ANDERSON AGENCY
I, Joyce Chapman, do hereby consent to the release of my child, Female Baby C, to a representative of the Cooper-Anderson Agency and do hereby direct the proper officers of the St Agnes Hospital to permit the removal of said child by a representative of the Cooper-Anderson Agency.
I hereby authorize the Cooper-Anderson Agency to consent on my behalf to any medical, surgical or dental services which in the opinion of the doctor or doctors selected by the Cooper-Anderson Agency are deemed necessary for the well-being of said child. I further agree to the testing of said child for exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which can cause AIDS, and any other necessary and related tests. The Cooper-Anderson Agency will inform me of the test results.
I hereby agree to plan for my child with the Cooper-Anderson Agency and to keep the Agency informed at all times of my address and whereabouts until such time as final plans have been completed with the Agency for adoption, or until (or unless) I should decide to take said child back into my care and custody.
Dated this . . .
And so on.
Joyce had also sworn and subscribed to - before a notary public - a document that read:
AFFIDAVIT OF NATURAL MOTHER
CONCERNING
INTEREST OF ALLEGED NATURAL FATHER
Before me, the undersigned authority, personally appeared Joyce Chapman, who, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
1. That she is the natural mother of: Female Baby C.
2. That the natural father of said child is: unknown. Residence: unknown
3. That the natural father has never contributed to or provided said child with support in a repetitive and customary manner, nor has he shown any other tangible sign of interest in said child.
4. Due to the aforesaid statements, it is affiant's belief that the natural father has no interest in said child and would not have any objection to the adoption of said child.
Signature: Joyce Chapman
Affiant
And yet another document that read:
The Cooper-Anderson Agency wishes to advise each parent who releases a child for adoption that at some time in the future your child may wish to know your name and whereabouts. The Agency will not release this information without your consent, unless required by law to do so.
To help your child in the future, the Agency asks you to keep us advised of any health problems which may develop with you or your family which could later affect your child.
I would __ I would not _X_ want to be notified if my child wishes to contact me at a later date.
I do not __ wish at this time to make a decision on this matter.
I understand that my decision may be changed at any time in the future by writing to the Agency.
Signed: Joyce Chapman
'Let's go see her,' Carella said.