Chapter 11: The Nurse Wasn't Telling Us Everything
I couldn't stop looking at the photograph.
Susan Miller standing beside Daniel.
The woman who claimed my mother had trusted her.
The woman who had supposedly risked everything to protect us.
The woman who had just sent me a message accusing my father of involvement in my mother's death.
"She's been lying," I whispered.
Detective Harris placed the photograph inside an evidence sleeve.
"Possibly. But we need to establish why.""
My father paced the room.
"Where is she now?""
"Under police supervision.""
"Then bring her here.""
"Michael, that's not how this works.""
"She knows something about my wife!""
Detective Harris looked at me.
"Ryan, you said Susan contacted you directly?""
I nodded.
"She asked me to meet her at an old church tomorrow.""
"Did you agree?""
"No.""
"Good. Don't respond to any more messages.""
But I had already made up my mind.
If Susan knew what happened to my mother, I wanted answers.
That evening, Detective Harris arranged a controlled meeting at the police station.
Susan arrived wearing a gray sweater and no makeup.
She looked older than the woman in the hospital photograph.
Her hands trembled as she sat across from us.
My father immediately leaned forward.
"Why were you meeting Daniel?""
Susan lowered her eyes.
"Because I was trying to get something back.""
"What?""
"The original recording.""
Detective Harris opened her notebook.
"What original recording?""
Susan looked at me.
"Your mother knew she was being watched. She started recording conversations whenever Daniel visited the hospital.""
My father shook his head.
"Why didn't she tell me?""
"Because she didn't trust you.""
He flinched.
Susan continued.
"Claire believed Daniel had access to your phone and email. She was afraid he could monitor anything she told you.""
I looked at the nurse.
"Then why did you meet Daniel?""
"Because he had the recording.""
My father slammed his palm against the table.
"Why would he give it to you?""
"He wouldn't. I was trying to steal it.""
Detective Harris leaned forward.
"Where is it now?""
Susan swallowed.
"I don't know.""
"You're telling us you met a suspected criminal to recover evidence, and you don't know where it is?""
"I know where he kept it.""
"Where?""
"Inside a storage locker.""
Detective Harris exchanged a glance with her partner.
"Which one?""
Susan hesitated.
"Locker 204.""
My father leaned closer.
"Why should we believe you?""
Susan looked at him.
"Because I was there the night Claire died.""
The room went silent.
My father stopped moving.
"What?""
Susan began crying.
"I was working the night shift. Your wife was terrified. She kept asking me to call you.""
"I was there!""
"No, Michael. You weren't.""
My father stood.
"I visited her every day!""
Susan wiped her face.
"During the day, yes. But that final night, the man who entered her room wasn't you.""
"Then who was it?""
Susan looked directly at me.
"Daniel.""
My father gripped the table.
Susan continued.
"He wore your jacket. He had your identification. He told me you had authorized a change in Claire's medication.""
My father's voice broke.
"I never authorized anything.""
"I know that now.""
"Why didn't you stop him?""
Susan began sobbing harder.
"Because he showed me a document with your signature. He said Claire was suffering and that the medication was approved by her family.""
Detective Harris asked sharply, "What medication?""
Susan named a drug.
She explained that the medication had been administered under an emergency order that later appeared to have been altered.
The detective wrote everything down.
"Did you administer it?""
Susan shook her head.
"No. Another nurse did. I only discovered the discrepancy afterward.""
"Who?""
Susan looked toward the door.
Then she whispered a name.
"Margaret Lewis.""
I frowned.
"That's our accountant.""
Susan shook her head.
"No. There's another Margaret Lewis. She was the hospital's administrative coordinator.""
Detective Harris stopped writing.
"Same name?""
"Yes. Daniel used her identity to access the hospital's administrative system. I only discovered it when I checked the records.""
My father looked confused.
"But why would he use the accountant's name?""
Susan leaned forward.
"Because the two women were connected.""
"How?""
"They were sisters.""
I felt the room tilt.
Our accountant.
The hospital administrator.
Two people with the same surname.
Both connected to Daniel.
Susan reached into her handbag.
Detective Harris immediately raised a hand.
"Slowly.""
Susan removed a small envelope and placed it on the table.
Inside was a photograph of a hospital computer screen.
It showed a list of medication orders.
One had been entered under Michael Carter's authorization.
Another had been approved by Margaret Lewis.
But the most disturbing part was the timestamp.
The medication had been ordered at 11:56 p.m.
Seven minutes after Daniel had entered Claire's hospital room.
My father stared at the screen.
Then Susan said something that made him cover his face.
"Claire woke up after the medication was administered.""
I looked at her.
"What did she say?""
Susan took a shaky breath.
"She asked me to call you. She said she needed to tell you the truth about Ryan.""
My father looked up.
"About Ryan?""
Susan nodded.
"She told me that you weren't Ryan's biological father.""
I stopped breathing.
My father slowly turned toward me.
"What?""
Susan looked devastated.
"Claire said she had been keeping a secret for eighteen years. She said Daniel knew about it and had been using it to blackmail her.""
I couldn't speak.
My father stood frozen.
"That's impossible.""
Susan reached into the envelope again.
She removed a photocopy of a handwritten note.
It was my mother's handwriting.
Only one sentence was visible.
*Ryan's biological father must never discover what Daniel did.*
I stared at the paper.
Then Detective Harris closed her notebook.
"We need to verify this before drawing conclusions.""
But my father was already shaking his head.
"No. Claire would have told me.""
Susan looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"She was trying to.""
Then she turned toward me.
"Ryan, there's something else. Daniel didn't just want your father's money.""
"What did he want?""
May you like
Susan hesitated.
"He wanted to make sure you never learned who your biological father really was.""
