Chapter 12: The Doctor Who Was Already Dead
The next morning, Marcus and I met Detective Harris at the hospital where Isaiah had been born.
The building had changed considerably since that day. The old maternity wing had been renovated, the reception desk had moved, and a new security system covered the main entrance.
But the medical-records department still occupied the same corridor.
Detective Harris showed his identification and explained that we were seeking information relevant to an investigation involving potentially fraudulent identity documents.
The records supervisor, a woman named Linda Foster, listened carefully.
"Dr. Samuel Price worked here for many years," she said.
"But he retired shortly before his death.""
"Do you know when he died?"" Marcus asked.
"Six years ago, I believe.""
Detective Harris wrote that down.
"Was he involved in Isaiah Johnson's birth?""
Linda checked the available records.
"Yes. He signed the delivery summary.""
She printed a copy of the original record and placed it on the desk.
The document listed Renee as the mother and Marcus as the father. Isaiah's date of birth, weight, and other details matched our records.
But the signature at the bottom was not Dr. Price's.
Detective Harris examined it.
"Who signed this copy?""
Linda frowned.
"It appears to be a certified duplicate produced three years ago.""
"By whom?""
She checked the notation in the corner.
Then her expression changed.
"That's unusual.""
"What is?"" I asked.
"The original record was certified by a staff member who had already left the hospital.""
She turned the page toward us.
The certification bore the name Rebecca Lane.
Marcus stared at it.
"Rebecca worked here?""
Linda searched the personnel database.
"She was a temporary records clerk for approximately four months, about eight years ago.""
I felt a chill.
"Was she employed when Isaiah was born?""
"No. She joined the hospital years later.""
"Then how did she certify his birth record?""
Linda looked troubled.
"I can't explain that without examining the archived records. I'll need to notify our compliance department.""
Detective Harris photographed the document and requested that the hospital preserve all related records.
As we left the department, Marcus stopped in the corridor.
"Rebecca had access to the hospital's records. She knew Isaiah's identity. She knew Renee.""
"And she knew where to find you," I said.
He looked at me.
"What if she was involved from the beginning?""
I thought of Renee's warning about Rachel, the forged trust documents, and the suspicious birth certificate used to open the second account.
"Then we need to find out what happened during those four months.""
Detective Harris contacted the hospital's compliance office and arranged for the relevant records to be reviewed. He also requested assistance tracing the source of the disputed birth certificate.
We were still discussing the case when my phone rang.
It was Isaiah's school.
The principal, Mrs. Whitmore, sounded concerned.
"Mrs. Johnson, I need to speak with you about Isaiah's enrollment records.""
My heart lurched.
"Is he all right?""
"He's safe. But someone contacted the school yesterday asking to change his emergency contact information.""
"Who?""
"The caller identified herself as Renee Johnson.""
I closed my eyes.
"What did she ask for?""
"She requested that Isaiah be released early today to attend a family appointment. She also asked us to confirm his date of birth and home address.""
"Did you release him?""
"No. The request raised concerns because the caller's information didn't match the records we had on file. We contacted you instead.""
I exhaled shakily.
"Thank you. Please do not release Isaiah to anyone unless Marcus or I have explicitly authorized it and your procedures have been followed.""
"Of course. We've flagged the record for additional verification.""
When I ended the call, Detective Harris was already taking notes.
"Did the caller leave a number?""
"Yes. The school has it.""
He contacted the principal and asked her to preserve the call log and any available recordings.
Then Marcus turned toward me.
"They're still trying to get access to him.""
I nodded.
"And now we know they're willing to use Renee's name to do it.""
We drove straight to the school.
Isaiah was sitting in the principal's office when we arrived, looking frightened.
As soon as he saw Marcus, he jumped from his chair.
"Dad!""
Marcus wrapped him in a hug.
"Hey, buddy. You're okay.""
Isaiah clung to him.
"Someone called and said Mom was coming to get me.""
Marcus held him tighter.
"Your mother isn't coming to get you, son. She can't. And no one will take you anywhere without the proper checks.""
Isaiah looked up.
"Then why do people keep saying she's alive?""
I knelt beside them.
"Because some people are pretending to be someone they're not.""
He swallowed.
"Is it because of the money?""
I glanced at Marcus.
He nodded slowly.
"Yes, buddy. Some adults have made bad choices involving money and documents. But the police are helping us figure it out.""
Isaiah looked down.
"Did I do something wrong?""
Marcus's voice broke.
"No. Nothing. None of this is your fault.""
The principal gave us copies of the relevant enrollment records and confirmed that Isaiah would remain protected by the school's existing release procedures.
Before we left, she handed me another document.
It was a request to update Isaiah's student information.
The form listed a new guardian.
*Rachel Johnson.*
I stared at the name.
Rachel had been at my house the previous night, claiming she wanted to protect Isaiah.
Now someone was using her name to request access to him.
Detective Harris examined the form.
"Did anyone at the school authorize this change?""
"No," Mrs. Whitmore replied.
"We rejected it because the supporting documents were incomplete.""
The detective photographed the form.
"Please preserve the original and all related communications.""
We left the school with Isaiah between us.
On the drive home, he was unusually quiet.
Finally, he asked, "Grandma, if someone pretends to be my mom, does that mean they can pretend to be me, too?""
I glanced at him in the rearview mirror.
"Some people may try to lie about who they are, sweetheart. That's why we check the facts and ask for help when something doesn't feel right.""
He nodded.
"Then I want to learn how to check facts.""
Marcus looked back at him.
"That's a good idea.""
At home, Eleanor called with an update.
The hospital had located an archived personnel file for Rebecca Lane. Her employment had ended abruptly after a complaint involving unauthorized access to patient records.
The complaint had been investigated internally, but the file contained no final determination.
More troublingly, the records showed that Rebecca had requested access to several birth records during her final weeks at the hospital.
One of them belonged to Isaiah.
Eleanor continued.
"There's also a reference to a missing page from the original file.""
"What page?"" I asked.
"A page documenting the correction of an administrative error in the newborn registry.""
Marcus frowned.
"What kind of error?""
"They haven't identified it yet. The hospital is searching the archives.""
I looked toward Isaiah, who was doing homework at the kitchen table.
"Could the missing page explain the second birth certificate?""
"It might. We need the original records to determine that.""
After the call, Marcus paced the living room.
"First the trust. Then the false account. Then the fake guardian forms. Now someone is trying to change Isaiah's school records.""
He stopped in front of me.
"Mom, what if they were planning to take him somewhere?""
I felt a cold weight settle in my chest.
The plane ticket. The fake identity. The woman pretending to be Renee.
It was possible that the money was only one part of the scheme.
But I refused to jump to conclusions without evidence.
"We keep him safe, and we let the investigators establish what happened.""
That evening, Detective Harris called.
The hospital had located the missing registry page.
It showed that a correction had been requested shortly after Isaiah's birth, but the request had been rejected because the supporting documents were insufficient.
The person who submitted it was listed as Rebecca Lane.
And the person who countersigned the request was Dr. Samuel Price.
I sat down.
"That's impossible. Dr. Price was already dead when Rebecca certified the later record.""
"Correct," Detective Harris replied.
"Which means we need to determine whether the signature is genuine, whether the date was altered, or whether the document was created later and backdated.""
Marcus leaned closer to the phone.
"What was the correction supposed to change?""
The detective paused.
"The mother's identifying information.""
I looked at Marcus.
He had gone completely still.
"The mother's information?"" he repeated.
"Yes. The original record identifies Renee Johnson as Isaiah's mother. The disputed correction appears to have attempted to associate the birth record with another woman.""
My mouth went dry.
"Who?""
Detective Harris took a breath.
"The name on the rejected request is Tasha Reed.""
For several seconds, no one spoke.
Then Marcus whispered, "Tasha tried to change Isaiah's birth record before she married me?""
"That's what the document appears to indicate," the detective replied.
"We still need to authenticate it.""
I stared at the kitchen table.
Renee had known someone was trying to interfere with Isaiah's identity.
She had written warnings, preserved documents, and established a trust with safeguards.
But why would Tasha have tried to change his mother's identity years before the financial scheme began?
And why had she been so determined to place herself in control of his records?
Detective Harris promised to contact us when the hospital's forensic review was complete.
After we hung up, Marcus sat beside Isaiah and watched him write his spelling words.
I went upstairs and opened Renee's original letter one more time.
At the bottom, beneath the paragraph about protecting the trust, I noticed a sentence I had overlooked.
If anyone ever tries to change Isaiah's identity, don't assume the goal is money. Find out who they need him to become.
I read the sentence again.
Then I heard a sound from downstairs.
Marcus was calling my name.
I hurried into the kitchen.
He stood beside the front window, staring at a black sedan parked across the street.
A woman sat behind the wheel.
Even from that distance, I recognized her.
Rebecca Lane.
She wasn't looking at our house.
She was looking at Isaiah.
Then she lifted her phone, took a photograph of our front door, and drove away.
My own phone rang a moment later.
Detective Harris was calling.
"We've just received the preliminary forensic results on the disputed birth record," he said.
I gripped the counter.
"What did they find?""
"The document was altered after it was originally created.""
"Who altered it?""
"We're still working on that. But there's a detail you need to know immediately.""
I held my breath.
"The original record contains a notation that was removed from the altered copy.""
"What notation?""
Detective Harris lowered his voice.
"It identifies a second infant registered at the hospital on the same date as Isaiah's birth.""
My knees weakened.
"Another infant?""
"Yes. The records suggest that two newborns were involved in an administrative discrepancy that was never properly resolved.""
I stared toward the window where Rebecca's car had been.
Then the detective said the words that shattered every assumption I had made about our family.
May you like
"Mrs. Johnson, we believe the person who attempted to alter Isaiah's birth record may have been trying to conceal a connection between your grandson and another child.""
And somewhere in the city, a woman who looked like my dead daughter-in-law knew exactly what that connection was.
