Chapter 12: My Father's Final Decision
I didn't remember leaving the interview room.
I only remembered James catching my arm when my knees weakened.
"Olivia, sit down.""
I stared at him.
"Nathan signed the hospital authorization.""
"We don't know exactly what that means yet.""
"Daniel said he did.""
"Daniel is trying to shift blame.""
I shook my head.
"Why would Nathan do that?""
James didn't answer.
Detective Hill returned several minutes later.
"We've contacted the hospital's former records administrator. The authorization document is being located.""
"Can you question Nathan?""
"He's already being interviewed separately.""
I looked toward the door.
"I want to see him.""
The detective hesitated.
"Not yet.""
"He's my brother.""
"He's also a potential witness in an investigation involving your father's death.""
I sat down.
For the first time since the ballroom, I felt completely helpless.
My father had been gone for eleven years.
I couldn't ask him what happened.
I couldn't hear his explanation.
All I had were pieces of paper, recordings, and people who had spent years lying to me.
James sat beside me.
"Olivia, there's something I should have told you earlier.""
I turned.
"What now?""
He looked exhausted.
"Your father contacted me three days before his death. He asked me to prepare a new will.""
I stared at him.
"What did it say?""
"He wanted to remove Nathan from the inheritance.""
My stomach tightened.
"Why?""
"Because he'd discovered Nathan had been involved in unauthorized financial transactions with Thomas.""
"How much money?""
"Approximately two million dollars.""
I closed my eyes.
The amount Nathan had admitted borrowing.
James continued.
"Your father intended to leave the entire family trust under your control, with a provision that Nathan would receive a smaller inheritance only if he cooperated with the investigation.""
I looked at him.
"Did Nathan know?""
James nodded.
"Your father told him.""
Everything suddenly made sense.
Nathan had been desperate.
He had borrowed money from Thomas. He had been threatened with exposure. And my father had been preparing to cut him out of the inheritance.
But there was still something I couldn't understand.
"Why would Nathan sign a hospital authorization?""
James lowered his voice.
"Perhaps he believed he was helping your father.""
"Helping him do what?""
"That's what we need to establish.""
At 7:30 a.m., Detective Hill returned with a document.
"We found the authorization.""
He placed it on the table.
I recognized Nathan's signature immediately.
It was dated the night my father died.
The document authorized Dr. Adrian Mercer to administer a medication outside the standard treatment plan.
I looked up.
"Was that medication dangerous?""
"We're having it reviewed by a medical examiner. The original hospital records suggest the dosage was unusual.""
James examined the page.
"Was the order verified by the attending physician?""
"No.""
"Then how was it administered?""
Detective Hill pointed to a second signature.
"Someone entered the order under the consulting physician's identification.""
Dr. Mercer.
I felt sick.
"Where is he now?""
"His medical license was suspended several years ago. He currently lives outside Atlanta.""
"Can you find him?""
"We already have officers on their way.""
I looked at the authorization again.
Nathan had signed it.
But beneath his signature was a handwritten note.
Patient consent unavailable. Family representative approves.
I remembered my father's final hours.
I'd been standing beside his bed, begging him to wake up.
Nobody had asked me to approve anything.
I turned toward Detective Hill.
"Was Nathan the only family member there?""
He checked the records.
"According to the hospital, yes.""
I stood.
"I want to speak to him.""
This time, the detective agreed.
Nathan entered the room escorted by an officer.
His face was pale. His eyes were red.
He looked at me and immediately began crying.
"Olivia.""
I remained seated.
"Tell me the truth.""
He pulled out the chair opposite me.
"I was trying to help Dad.""
"By signing a medication authorization?""
He looked down.
"Thomas told me it was necessary.""
"Necessary for what?""
"He said Dad was suffering. He said the medication would make him comfortable.""
I stared at him.
"Did you know what was in it?""
"No.""
"Did you ask?""
He shook his head.
"Thomas said the doctor had already approved it.""
"Then why did you lie about who visited Dad?""
Nathan covered his face.
"Because I was afraid.""
"Of Thomas?""
He nodded.
"And Daniel.""
I felt my stomach tighten.
"Daniel was involved?""
Nathan looked up.
"Daniel was waiting outside the hospital.""
I couldn't breathe.
"What?""
"He and Thomas had been arguing about the company. Dad had threatened to expose their financial arrangement.""
"Why would Daniel be at the hospital?""
Nathan hesitated.
Then he said:
"Because Dad had called him there.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
Nathan reached into his jacket and removed a folded paper.
"Because Dad wanted to make one final offer.""
I unfolded it.
It was a letter addressed to Daniel.
I know what you have done. I know what Thomas has promised you. If you want to save yourself, tell Olivia the truth and walk away from the company.
At the bottom, my father had written:
Otherwise, I will make sure neither of you ever touches my daughter's inheritance.
I looked at Nathan.
"Did Daniel accept?""
Nathan shook his head.
"No.""
"Then what happened?""
Nathan's voice broke.
"Thomas called me into the hallway. He said Dad would destroy all of us if he woke up and started talking.""
I gripped the paper.
"What did you do?""
"I signed the authorization.""
I closed my eyes.
"And afterward?""
Nathan began sobbing.
"I left the hospital. Thomas told me Dad was stable. I believed him.""
"Did you know Dad died?""
"Yes.""
"Did you know the medication had caused it?""
"I didn't know.""
I stared at him.
"Then why didn't you tell anyone?""
He lowered his head.
"Because the next morning, Thomas showed me a document.""
"What document?""
Nathan reached into his pocket and placed a small photograph on the table.
It showed my father lying in his hospital bed.
But beside him stood another person.
A woman.
Someone I recognized from our family photographs.
My mother.
Except my mother had died when I was sixteen.
I looked at Nathan in confusion.
"Who is that?""
He whispered:
"That's not Mom, Olivia.""
I leaned closer.
The woman was wearing my mother's necklace.
The same necklace Daniel had given Vanessa.
Nathan continued.
"Thomas told me she was the only person who knew what really happened that night.""
My heart began racing.
"Who is she?""
Nathan looked directly at me.
"Her name is Catherine Bennett.""
I shook my head.
"There's nobody in our family named Catherine.""
He swallowed.
"There is. And Dad had been secretly supporting her for twenty years.""
Before I could ask another question, Detective Hill entered holding a new report.
"Olivia, we just received confirmation from the medical examiner.""
He looked at the photograph.
Then at Nathan.
"Your father's death may not have been caused by the medication alone.""
I stood.
"What does that mean?""
The detective placed another document on the table.
"The hospital's original monitoring records show that your father's oxygen supply was interrupted for approximately fourteen minutes.""
My blood ran cold.
"How?""
He looked at Nathan.
"Someone manually disconnected the emergency backup.""
Nathan began shaking his head.
"No. No, I didn't touch anything.""
Detective Hill turned the page.
"We also recovered a security photograph from the hospital corridor.""
He placed it in front of me.
The person standing outside my father's room at 2:03 a.m. was wearing a dark coat.
But the face was clear.
I knew that face.
Because it belonged to the man who had just promised to help me uncover the truth.
James Whitmore.
My attorney.
May you like
My father's oldest friend.
And the man who had been sitting beside me throughout this entire investigation.
