Discovering that blooms were vanishing from his wife’s tomb, a prosperous man set up a surveillance camera, and after viewing the recording, the husband was utterly stunned…

Where would he be now if it weren’t for Adam? He would have run out of oxygen. He would be dying right now, underground. Closer to dawn, he finally slipped into a deep, restless sleep, only to wake up screaming.

He dreamt of a coffin, the sounds of earth pounding against the lid. Rain was pouring buckets. Adam and Sophia were quietly watching TV in the bedroom.

Michael pondered for a long time on what to do. To take the boy, he needed to make sure his mother wouldn’t show up. He already felt attached to Adam.

The boy was so curious, so polite, so independent for his age, like an adult in a child’s voice. Michael drank strong tea without sugar and watched as the drops monotonously slid down the glass, replacing each other. So much had happened.

Just yesterday, he was grieving over Catherine, feeling the pain of loss, and today he almost hated her. Yesterday he would have given anything to see her alive, and today he would trade much to keep everything the same. Hello, Mr. Mathis, this is Mike Larson.

Yes, good day, he said into the receiver. He had a three-day stubble on his face. He had neither the strength nor the desire to shave.

He contacted his old acquaintance and asked for help. Mr. Mathis was an extremely busy man, juggling a job in law enforcement and private detective work. With connections in all the important departments, he could easily find a person, even if they had left the country.

He was often approached by those who couldn’t find their loved ones. Michael explained that he wanted to find Adam Johnson’s mother. As long as she’s listed as missing, they won’t let me adopt Adam.

Wouldn’t it be easier to grease the palms of those who decide on adoption, missing and for a long time? How long has it been? Ah, two years. You don’t say, no, I have a different interest in this matter. What if something happened to her? The boy misses her.

He keeps telling me how wonderful she was. I would still like to find her. But if she’s dead, then I’ll adopt him and that’s the end of it.

All right, I’ll check through my channels. Just remember, I’m not all-powerful. Sometimes these things remain unsolved.

But as my experience tells me, the mother probably just abandoned the kid and is up to who knows what in the capital. She did go there, right? Yes, it happened on December 28th, just before New Year’s. She got on a train and that’s it.

But no one knows where she got off. Train, you say, or how many people were thrown off trains back in the day. But it’s not the same time now.

Let’s hope for the best. All right, keep in touch. Michael had been waiting for a response from his old friend for over a week.

During this time he had been working from home remotely, only occasionally popping into the office to make sure everything was in order. The staff were handling things splendidly and weren’t bothering the boss with trivial matters. Finally, late one evening, the long-awaited call came at his home.

I found Adam’s mom, the voice on the other end said. Linda Johnson is currently in a maternity hospital on the outskirts of the capital. It’s a budget facility and the service leaves much to be desired.

According to my information, she decided to become a surrogate mother. She spent a long time in the hospital, treated for amnesia, but upon discharge she still didn’t remember anything. That’s what it says in her medical records.

For some time she lived with Scott Howell. He works as a janitor in the same hospital where Linda was treated, and then she became a surrogate mother for a childless couple. It was a family that, shortly before Linda’s delivery, got into a car accident, with all members present.

Grandmother, grandfather, husband and wife. Linda is still in the maternity hospital, having a difficult time after giving birth. According to my data, she has triplets.

Michael was shocked. This was unbelievable. How could she decide on something like this? Could it be that her memory didn’t return and she simply doesn’t remember her mother and son? Amnesia, you say? Michael mused thoughtfully.

Yes, that’s what it says in the patient’s chart. There are some peculiarities with her passport. She was getting it restored.

She renewed her health insurance, but didn’t request her son’s birth certificate. Maybe it wasn’t lost, or maybe someone deliberately removed the child from her documents. It’s a dark story.

It’s a pity for the girl, 26 years old, and she’s holding three strangers’ children, and it seems there’s nowhere for her to turn. And the guy she lived with in the city, Scott, according to my data, left the country. He has a grandmother in Israel, and he headed there.

Looks like they went their separate ways. Thank you so much. Can you give me the address? And of course, I’ll text it to you.

After that call, Michael sat for a long time, staring into space. Trying to process everything that was said was extremely difficult. He watched as Adam brushed his teeth in the bathroom.

He did it meticulously. Apparently, his mother had taught him well. Michael desperately wanted to tell him that she was alive, that tomorrow they would all go see her, but he remained silent.

The next day, Michael took Adam and Sophia to the address provided. Fortunately, the journey wasn’t too long. They arrived within a few hours….