Chapter 7: The Nurse Who Knew Too Much
I turned around so quickly that my shoulder struck the doorframe.
Nobody was standing behind me.
The hallway was empty.
But Laura Bennett was still staring over my shoulder, her face drained of color.
"Who did you see?"" I demanded.
She swallowed.
"Not here. Please. Can we go somewhere private?""
I stepped aside.
Laura entered clutching the brown folder against her chest. She looked exhausted, with dark circles beneath her eyes and a small cut across her left cheek.
Officer Collins came in from the kitchen.
"Ma'am, identify yourself.""
"Laura Bennett. I was a registered nurse at Atlanta Memorial Hospital. I treated Sarah Reed during her final admission.""
Collins studied her identification.
"Why are you here?""
Laura looked directly at me.
"Because I helped someone hurt your wife.""
The words landed like a physical blow.
Noah appeared at the top of the staircase.
"Daddy?""
I immediately turned.
"Go to your room, buddy. I'll come get you in a minute.""
"But—"
"Please, sweetheart.""
He disappeared upstairs.
I faced Laura again.
"Tell me everything.""
She placed the folder on the dining table.
"I was assigned to Sarah's room during several overnight shifts. She was frightened because her medication kept making her dizzy. She repeatedly told us that someone was giving her something different from what her doctor prescribed.""
"Why didn't you report it?""
"I did. Twice.""
"Then what happened?""
Laura opened the folder.
She showed me printed medication logs.
"Both reports disappeared from the hospital system. My supervisor told me Sarah was confused and that I was jeopardizing my position by questioning the attending physician.""
I pointed to a signature.
"Is that Dr. Harrison's?""
"Yes. But look at this.""
She turned another page.
A medication authorization had been entered under my name.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
It looked almost perfect.
Except I had never signed it.
"I never authorized this.""
"I know," Laura whispered.
"I watched Vanessa bring the paperwork to the nurses' station.""
I stared at her.
"Why didn't you stop her?""
Laura lowered her eyes.
"Because she told me she was your legal representative. She showed me a document with your signature and said you had approved the changes.""
Officer Collins stepped closer.
"Do you still have the original records?""
Laura nodded.
"These are copies. The originals are stored in a secure archive. I also have photographs of the medication containers.""
"Why bring them now?""
Her hands began shaking.
"Because last night, someone broke into my apartment. They took my laptop, my phone, and every document I had.""
She opened the folder to the final page.
A photograph showed a man standing outside a hospital supply room.
Daniel.
I recognized his face immediately.
"Your brother came to the hospital three times during Sarah's final week," Laura said.
"He wasn't listed as a visitor. He used an employee access badge.""
I gripped the table.
"Who gave him the badge?""
Laura looked at me.
"Vanessa.""
Officer Collins took the photograph.
"Ma'am, you're going to need to provide a formal statement.""
"I will. But there's something else.""
Laura removed a small envelope.
"Sarah gave me this the night before she died.""
My chest tightened.
"She spoke to you?""
"Yes. She was lucid. She knew something was wrong.""
Laura slid the envelope toward me.
Inside was a handwritten note.
*Laura, if I don't make it home, please make sure Marcus knows that the first medication change was deliberate. The second was not. Someone is trying to make it look like an accident.*
I read it twice.
"The second wasn't deliberate?""
Laura shook her head.
"That's what Sarah believed. She told me someone had initially tried to alter her treatment, but another person had reversed it.""
"Who?""
Laura looked toward the staircase.
"I don't know. But Sarah said the person had access to the hospital records and was trying to protect her.""
Officer Collins frowned.
"Did Sarah identify this person?""
Laura hesitated.
"She said it was someone who had been watching her family for years.""
My phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
I opened the message.
*YOUR NURSE IS LYING. ASK HER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION.*
I showed Laura.
She went completely still.
Then she whispered, "They found me.""
"Who?""
Before she could answer, the lights went out.
A crash came from the kitchen.
Officer Collins drew his weapon.
"Everyone stay where you are!""
I heard footsteps running across the back porch.
Then a door slammed.
When the emergency lights came on, Laura was standing beside the dining table.
The brown folder was gone.
But something else was missing too.
The photograph of Daniel.
And Laura was staring at the empty space.
"That's impossible," she whispered.
I looked at her.
"What?""
She grabbed my arm.
"Mr. Reed, someone else has been inside this house.""
May you like
Then she pointed toward the staircase.
"Noah's bedroom door is open.""
