Page 48 of Finding Amanda

He flipped through the computer printouts,looking for something on Gabriel Sheppard, but found nothing. Remembering Chris's request that he call before he got started, he picked up his cell.

"Hey, pro."

"There's nothing on Sheppard in here."

"Yeah, I know. I was hoping to have something for you this morning, but I don't."

"What's wrong? Can't dig up anything on him?"

"Oh, yeah. I've got lots of stuff on him. Did you know he lost his license to practice medicine a few years ago?"

"Why?"

"Not sure yet. I'll get to that. I'm trying to find out more information. Meanwhile, I can tell you he was born in nineteen-sixty, grew up in Haverhill, Mass., which isn't far from Andover, where he lives now. He graduated from the public school in seventy-eight and went on to undergraduate school at UMass, then on to med school at Tufts."

Most of Chris's words had been lost after the year of the man's birth. "He's . . . he's twenty years older than she is? So she was sixteen and he was . . . ?"

"Thirty-six."

"I'm going to kill him."

"I didn't hear that. Anyway, he worked for the state for a few years after he finished his residency, then set up his own practice in Boston, which is what he did until he lost his license."

"What does he do now?"

"He's a professor. And, get this, he writes textbooks. He's published two."

"That's the link. Somewhere his path crossed with Amanda's—publisher, editor, agent—someone tipped him off."

"You may be right. Is your fax machine on?"

Mark checked the copier/scanner/fax, which was sitting onthe floor next to the phone jack in the living room. "It is now," he said, pressing the button.

"Okay, I'm faxing the details."

"So why'd he lose his license?"

Chris hesitated. "Well, that's what I'm trying to nail down. I haven't got all the details yet."

"Tell me what you know."

"It looks like he was arrested for statutory rape about five years ago."

Mark braced himself. "Any idea how old the girl was?"

"Thirteen."

"Oh, Lord."

"Yeah, I know. He was never prosecuted. The state dropped the charges."

"Why? Why wouldn't they?—?"

"I don't know. That's what I'm waiting to find out. I've seen similar cases, though. Sometimes the girl refuses to testify."

"Why?"

"She thinks she's in love," Chris said. "It's possible some girls are afraid. I suspect one of those two things is in play here. I have a call in to the detective who handled the case. Maybe he'll be able to shed some light on it. As soon as I hear from him, I'll let you know."

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