Gallassi's Secret

PROLOGUE

It was 2 o'clock in the morning yet John took his time walking through the forest on the return trip to his car. He had the small infant tucked safely in his arms as he picked his way through the woods, the light from a full moon helping to guide his way.

He wasn't a bit tired. In fact, he was bubbling with excitement, if a grown man can bubble with excitement, he mused. At times like this, he thought, and then amended his thought to especially at times like this, he knew he was unlike most people. He loved his job. And this was the best part.

He looked down at the baby's sleeping face and envied the couple who would shortly be raising this lovely little girl. In fact, he would only go home to catch a few hours sleep before delivering his charge that morning to Dan and Chris Savant.

They were good people. They had come to him earlier in the year seeking to adopt a child. And he was able to promise them one of his special babies. Not that they knew this little girl was special. They didn't have to. But it was important to him, the child's birth parents, and the rest of the group that he had absolute confidence in his choice of adoptive parents.

John was sure--just like he was sure of the other fifty plus couples he had given babies to. Dan and Chris would love this baby as if it were their own. He had no doubt.

As he neared the edge of the woods, he saw his car off in the distance, the bright moon lighting up the rear window making his car more visible than he cared to. But he had no choice. Every effort was made to do this when the moon was full, both for his benefit as well as theirs. But it didn’t always work out that way. It was just one of the chances they had to take.

He paused before stepping out of the woods to make sure no one else was around. After all these years, he still hadn't come up with a good reason why he was in the woods with a baby should a diligent police officer or good Samaritan ever be waiting by his deserted car, wondering where the driver was.

All clear, he thought, as he walked briskly toward his car. He opened the rear passenger door and secured the infant in the infant carrier. Before starting the car he checked on the baby one last time to make sure she was secure and sleeping comfortably.

He gently eased his car back onto the road and headed toward the first exit so he could turn around and head back home. He drove carefully, sneaking a peak at the little cherub's face often.

John's only thoughts as he drove home that night were how happy the Savants would be when they finally met their new baby. He was very pleased all had gone well that night.

CHAPTER ONE

Celeste was standing in front of the college bulletin board looking at the announcement for the astronomy lecture to be given the next day in the auditorium by Dr. Rayburn. South Central College was fortunate to have Dr. Rayburn accept this speaking engagement. He had an excellent reputation in the field and had authored a dozen books on the subject. After announcing his retirement from UCLA in 1985, he had moved to the Scarsdale area to be near his daughter and her family. He seldom accepted speaking engagements--this was the first time he was speaking at SCC.

Celeste had lived in Scarsdale all her life. Or, more accurately, from the time her parents adopted her. Her parents had told her she was adopted when she was ten years old. She loved the Carstairs; they were the only parents she ever knew. Celeste decided early on to never inquire about her birth parents. She reasoned that if they didn't want her, she didn't want them. The Carstairs had always been good to her. She never thought of them as not being her real parents.

John Carstairs was a foreman at a machine tool factory in town. He worked the day shift but shared as much in Celeste's upbringing as his wife did. John was tall, at least six feet two inches, with thick black hair that was still very full for his 48 years. He grew up on a farm in the same county as Scarsdale, but his widowed mom had sold it to land developers when it became apparent all the surrounding farms would soon be gone.

Both of Celeste's parents had spent a lot of time with Celeste while she was growing up. Both attended Parent-Teacher days when she was in grade school, and her dad had always made a point of doing something with her every weekend, even if it was just a trip to the car wash or to sneak an ice cream cone on Sunday afternoon. Because Celeste was adopted, they cherished her more than most natural parents do of their own offspring. As with most adoptive couples, John and Carrie hadn't planned on adopting, but after four years of marriage and no babies, they underwent a barrage of tests only to discover that Carrie was not capable of bearing children. The decision to adopt was not difficult for them. Their family doctor suggested they contact a local lawyer who arranged adoptions, and after only a few months, they were fortunate to get Celeste.

Carrie was the shortest member of the family, barely topping 5'4". She liked to wear her hair off her face and either pulled it back into a bun or, when she was going someplace other than shopping or around town, would arrange it in a French twist that was very becoming on her. Carrie had been a music major in college and now taught piano in their home to the latest round of sixth to eighth graders that were learning to play at the urging of an unfulfilled parent. Every year one or two students dropped out and a few more were added, becoming weekly guests of the Carstair residence.

The Carstairs' home was located in the eastern part of Scarsdale. The homes were modest, but the neighborhood had a lot of charm. Most of the houses were brick ranches built in the 1950s and were situated on large lots with plenty of trees. The parkways were lined with maples and elms that kept the homes cool in summer.

All in all, Scarsdale was a pleasant small town located in northern Indiana. As with most towns in Indiana, it was incorporated in the early 1800s, 1831 to be exact. It was originally a small farm town, but as in most cities and towns of the northern United States, progress came to Scarsdale in the mid-1900s and the town began to grow.

It had only been over the last decade that Scarsdale's population began to slow. With approximately 45,000 people, Scarsdale was large enough to support three grade schools, two junior highs, and two high schools. The town was close to a small lake where the local fisherman could satisfy their fishing needs without having to spend a day or two traveling. Two small docks and a launch area near the southern tip of the lake allowed leisure crafts to make use of the lake also.

Downtown Scarsdale was much like other downtown areas of villages its size. It was centrally located within the village and had an array of shops that satisfied most of the citizens' everyday needs as well as a few antique stores for passing tourists and guests. Also, the post office, the police station, the village hall and other local services were located in or near the downtown area. While some of the residents were able to make a living working in these shops and services, the majority of the employed residents work at either Prodders, a machine tool manufacturer, or Halleys, a subsidiary of a major food processing plant.

Life in Scarsdale was as ordinary as in most Midwest towns, or so most people thought.

*****

Celeste had just turned twenty this year. Her shiny blonde hair was worn shoulder-length and had a natural tendency to turn under. Her eyes were grayish green, and, at 5'10", she was closer in height to her dad than her mom. She had always been rather thin and her height made her look more so. She didn't like to wear jeans, as did most of the other kids her age, because they were unflattering to her slender form. Instead, she wore loose-fitting jumpers or oversized sweaters with full skirts.

She had just begun her second year at South Central College, the area's largest junior college. She was planning on getting an associate's degree in journalism, with hopes of getting a job with the Scarsdale Register. She had written several pieces for the school paper when she was in high school, and really enjoyed the challenge of taking an idea and putting it on paper for others to read. She was basically shy, and writing was her way of communicating with other people. She had graduated in the top ten of her high school class, and while college was a challenge, she was able to maintain a perfect 4.0 average. Her parents were encouraging her to consider going on to get a bachelor's degree, but she felt that she should try her hand at her chosen field before committing any more time to the study of it.

Celeste had a few friends from high school that she still sometimes did things with. She would occasionally go out to a movie or go bowling on Saturday night with a group of two or three people, but she didn't really mind staying home at night and studying or watching TV with her parents. Her two dogs demanded a fair amount of attention too. Dixie and Star were black Labrador retrievers that were never too tired to play. She enjoyed taking them for their nightly walk after dinner. It was part of their daily routine. As soon as the table was cleared the dogs would head for the front door and wait for Celeste to come with their leashes. She had started this routine when they were only a few months old. Now, five years later, they could practically walk themselves.

Celeste was looking forward to the lecture tomorrow. As soon as she saw the poster on the campus bulletin board, her interest had been peaked. She had loved astronomy ever since her dad had bought her an inexpensive telescope when she was nine and the two of them spent at least one night a week in the back yard looking up at the stars. Celeste could still name every constellation, and enjoyed tracking the changing night sky throughout the year. She thought the lecture tomorrow would be fun--she didn't normally indulge in extracurricular activities, but this was something she knew she would really enjoy.

CHAPTER TWO

Skye was working on a computer science assignment that was keeping him at the computer lab later than normal. He was one of those people with a knack for computers and was adding extra touches to his program that was beyond the regular class assignment. He had hoped to wrap up his changes an hour ago when his shift ended, but he had thought of another, more efficient way of incorporating his enhancements and was in the process of testing it. He was planning on attending the astronomy lecture the next day and didn't want to be too tired to enjoy the lecture. Not that that was really possible. He had read all of Dr.Rayburn's books and thought the man was a genius. Skye had always been fascinated with astronomy. His parents had a cottage in Wisconsin and he had spent many summers on the porch gazing up at the stars.

Skye was a good student, easily able to maintain a 3.8 average. The girls at SCC noticed him much more than he noticed them. His nearly platinum hair was an eye catcher and his pale green eyes were a perfect complement. He dated occasionally, but he wasn't ready to get involved with anyone. He just didn't need the hassles that normally came with dating.

Because he loved working with computers and helping people with computer issues, he worked at a local Copy & Print shop near the school. His hours at the store varied, but since he didn't mind working the evening shift, the store supervisor usually scheduled him for that shift two or three nights a week. The store closed every night at ten, so he still had time when he got home to work on any outstanding school assignments.

Skye grew up in Scarsdale. At one time his family had lived in the east part of town, but when a new development was built near the southern edge of town, the Parrishs decided they wanted to build their dream home there. The subdivision where they lived now was in the newest section of Scarsdale, and was the last development to encroach on the area's remaining farmland. Even so, most of the homes were over 10 years old. The Parrish's home was a red brick colonial, set on a quarter-acre of land. Because the area was formerly farm land, most of the trees in this part of town were just starting to be large enough to provide shade and relief from the hot summer sun.

Skye's father, Neil, was a veterinarian. His mother, Julie, helped around the office. Dr. Parrish's practice consisted mainly of domestic animals--dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, and other house pets, but Neil occasionally filled in for Dr. Goren, who took care of the area's last remaining farm animals.

Neil had wanted Skye to become a veterinarian also, but Skye had other plans. Although he enjoyed helping take care of the occasional pet that had to spend the night at the clinic, he didn't cherish the thought of working with his father. Neil had been hard on Skye growing up, always pushing him to do better. Skye couldn't see spending his adult life in the same situation.

Skye had attended the same high school as Celeste but didn't know her except in passing. He saw her once or twice around the college campus, but as far as he knew, they didn't have any classes together. He had thought at one time of introducing himself to her because he had heard from another classmate that she was adopted too, but he thought she might be sensitive about it and had decided against it.

In junior high, Skye had been a fairly good baseball player, but once he entered high school he lost interest in playing. His first computer science course captured his interest more than baseball ever had.

Skye didn't think of himself as being shy, he just didn't mind spending time alone. His computer work kept him busy--there were always new ideas to explore. And when he wasn't busy on the computer, he enjoyed reading, everything -- fiction and non-fiction. In addition, his school work kept him busy. He was considering getting a master's degree in computer science and he wanted to be as well prepared as he could. The more classes he took as an undergraduate, the less he would have to take in graduate school. His parents had offered to pay for his first four years, but graduate school would be his own responsibility.

Skye was looking forward to the lecture tomorrow. He hoped he would