Chapter 8: The Hospital Had Its Own Secret
Rachel immediately asked the technician to preserve the video and extract every available frame.
Emily sat motionless.
"Dr. Price's wife was responsible for patient records?"" I asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"Her name is Laura Price. She supervised the department responsible for maintaining medical charts, prescription records, and patient access logs.""
Rachel leaned forward.
"Could she have altered your father's records?""
Emily nodded.
"She had administrative access. But that doesn't mean she did.""
I appreciated that distinction.
We had spent months listening to people make accusations without evidence.
I wasn't going to become one of them.
Rachel contacted the investigator assigned to the hospital allegations and provided the information about Laura Price.
Within an hour, we received confirmation that the hospital had been instructed to preserve its electronic records.
But there was another problem.
The hospital claimed that several archived files had been corrupted during a system migration.
My father's medication records were among them.
Rachel stared at the email.
"That's convenient.""
Emily looked sick.
"They weren't corrupted when I last saw them.""
"Do you have a copy?""
"I have photographs of two pages and a handwritten medication log.""
She opened her handbag and removed a small notebook.
The pages were filled with dates, times, medication names, and initials.
Rachel examined them carefully.
"Why did you keep this?""
Emily's eyes filled.
"Because I knew something wasn't right.""
She pointed to an entry.
"Look at this. At 11:45 p.m., your father was supposed to receive his regular medication. But the medication administered was different.""
I leaned closer.
"What was the difference?""
"One was prescribed for his heart condition. The other wasn't listed in his treatment plan.""
"Could it have been a mistake?""
"Possibly. But look at the following three nights.""
She turned the pages.
The same initials appeared repeatedly.
L.P.
Rachel photographed every page.
"Who does L.P. belong to?""
Emily looked at me.
"Laura Price.""
I sat back.
The woman in the reflection had been inside my father's room shortly before his death.
And her initials appeared beside medication entries that didn't match his prescribed treatment.
Rachel called the investigator again.
This time, she requested an urgent review of the hospital's medication administration system.
Then Emily remembered something.
"There's a storage room.""
Rachel looked up.
"What storage room?""
"The old medical records department. Before the hospital upgraded its system, they kept paper copies of medication changes in locked cabinets.""
"Are those records still there?""
"I don't know. But Laura used to complain about them. She wanted everything destroyed after the digital transfer.""
Rachel made another note.
We spent the next two hours answering questions and organizing the documents.
When I finally stepped outside, my phone vibrated.
Vanessa.
I stared at her name.
Rachel noticed.
"Don't answer unless we have a good reason.""
But another message appeared.
*Vanessa: We need to talk about Lily.*
Then another.
*Vanessa: I know what Emily told you. She's lying.*
I showed Rachel.
She shook her head.
"Save everything.""
A third message arrived.
*Vanessa: Daniel made me do things I didn't want to do. You don't understand what he threatened me with.*
I felt a bitter laugh rise in my throat.
For months, Vanessa had told everyone I was dangerous.
Now she was suddenly presenting herself as a victim.
I typed one response.
*Marcus: If you have something to say, tell the investigators.*
Her reply came instantly.
*Vanessa: You don't know what Daniel is capable of.*
Then:
*Vanessa: He has the original recording.*
I stared at the message.
Rachel read it.
"What recording?""
Before I could answer, another message appeared.
*Vanessa: The one showing who actually changed your father's medication.*
My hands went cold.
"She says Daniel has another recording.""
Rachel immediately forwarded the messages to the investigator.
"Don't respond again.""
But the next message wasn't from Vanessa.
It was from an unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
It showed Lily sitting at a kitchen table with Vanessa.
The date stamp was from two weeks earlier.
On the table was the black smartphone Lily had brought to court.
Beneath the photograph were six words.
*YOUR DAUGHTER KNOWS MORE THAN YOU THINK.*
I felt my stomach drop.
Rachel called the police.
She also contacted the court-appointed child representative to ensure Lily's temporary safety arrangements were reviewed immediately.
We drove to the protected residence where Lily was staying.
When I entered, she ran toward me.
"Daddy!""
I hugged her tightly.
"Are you okay?""
She nodded.
Then she noticed my face.
"Did something happen?""
I hesitated.
"Someone sent me a photograph of you.""
Lily went pale.
"Was it the kitchen?""
I looked at her.
"Yes.""
She stepped backward.
"Mommy took that picture.""
"Why?""
Lily looked down.
"Because she wanted me to remember what she told me.""
"What did she tell you?""
My daughter began crying.
"She said if I ever showed Daddy the phone, Uncle Daniel would go to jail.""
I knelt.
"Sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong.""
"But Mommy said it would be my fault.""
I held her hands.
"Adults are responsible for their own choices. Not children.""
Lily nodded, but she wasn't finished.
"There was another thing, Daddy.""
"What?""
"Mommy showed me a video on her computer. It was Grandpa talking to Uncle Daniel.""
My heartbeat quickened.
"Do you remember what Grandpa said?""
She wiped her cheeks.
"He said, 'You have until Friday to return what you stole.''"
Rachel looked at me.
"When was this?""
Lily thought carefully.
"Before Grandpa went to the hospital.""
I swallowed.
"Did Daniel answer?""
She nodded.
"He said Grandpa would never get the chance to tell anyone.""
The room went silent.
Then Lily reached into the pocket of her little backpack.
She pulled out a folded piece of paper.
"I took this from Mommy's desk.""
I opened it.
It was a printed calendar.
One date had been circled in red.
The date of my father's stroke.
Beside it, someone had written:
*FRIDAY — FINAL TRANSFER.*
But underneath that handwriting was another note.
May you like
A different name.
*LAURA — CONFIRM THE DOCTOR.*
