Walt Murphy – Part Two – 4

Chelsea greeted me, when I got to work, with "Ms Engel called. She wants to know if she can come in to get your first report on her case."

"Good lord. I haven't even had a chance to start on it yet. Call her back and tell her I'll be in touch when I know something and not before. And"—I grinned wryly—"be a bit more tactful than I would be. Please."

"On it," she said, laughing as she handing me my messages.

I settled down at my desk to go through them. There was an inquiry from a potential new client, asking if I was available to set up a security system for them. I called the man back, we talked about what he needed and then I gave him a couple of recommendations for companies who would better serve his needs. I can, and have, done that for individuals. But for a business I generally passed. I know my limits.

Another message was from a woman who wanted me to find her deadbeat husband. He was well behind on his support payments for their two kids. I passed her over to Chelsea to set up an appointment for her.

Now on to Ms Engel's case.

Finding Benjamin Engel's birth certificate wasn't hard since I knew what I was doing and where he'd been born. The information on it coincided with what Ms Engel had told me—his name, her name as the mother, no father's name given. His DOB was 07/11/1991. That said he was given to the adoption agency on July thirteenth of the same year.

Now all I had to do was figure out which agency and that wasn't going to be easy. Adoption records are sealed unless the adopted child is looking for their birth parent. Even then, that information may not be available.

I wondered if paying a visit to the hospital was in order. Maybe, if I got real lucky, one of the nurses who was there when Benjamin was born would still be on staff. If so, she would be in her late forties or fifties by now. At least that would narrow things down a bit. I hoped.

I checked with Chelsea to see when she'd set up the appointment with the woman who wanted to find her deadbeat husband. It was for tomorrow so I told Chelsea where I was headed and took off.