Chapter 10: The Hospital Room Nobody Told Me About
For eleven years, I had believed my father died in a hospital bed surrounded by doctors.
I remembered the white walls.
The smell of disinfectant.
The nurse who brought me a paper cup of water because I couldn't stop crying.
I remembered my mother holding my shoulders and whispering that everything would be okay.
But I had never questioned what happened before the doctors entered the room.
Now someone was telling me that my mother knew something.
Something she had taken to her grave.
“Evelyn,” I whispered, “I need my father's hospital records.””
The lawyer placed the photograph on the conference table.
“We'll need to request them through the appropriate channels.””
“Then do it.””
The financial investigator, Marcus, studied the photograph again.
“There's something unusual about this image.””
“What?””
He pointed toward the medical bag Richard was holding.
“That's not an ordinary doctor's bag. It appears to be a portable medical equipment case.””
I looked closer.
There was a small white label on its side.
A hospital logo.
Marcus enlarged the image.
“St. Catherine's Medical Center.””
My father's hospital.
I felt the room become smaller.
“Richard wasn't a doctor.””
“No,” Marcus replied.
“But he may have had access to someone who worked there.””
Sophie stood near the window.
“My mother used to say Richard knew people everywhere. Police officers, lawyers, doctors. She said he could make problems disappear.””
Vanessa shook her head.
“He was my uncle. I never knew any of this.””
I looked at her.
“Did your mother ever talk about my father?””
“Sometimes. She said Robert had been trying to make things right before he died.””
“Did she ever mention my mother?””
Vanessa hesitated.
“She said your mother came to see her once.””
“When?””
“A few months before Robert died.””
I turned toward her.
“Why?””
“I don't know. My mother wouldn't explain. She only said the two women had made an agreement.””
I closed my eyes.
My mother.
My father.
Elaine Reed.
Three people connected by a secret I had never known existed.
Evelyn interrupted my thoughts.
“Nia, I think we should speak with the hospital before drawing conclusions.””
She made several calls.
An hour later, she had arranged an appointment with the hospital's records department for the following morning.
Marcus also agreed to examine the photograph and the suspicious financial records.
Before we left, Evelyn gave each of us a copy of the trust agreement.
“From this moment forward, nobody signs anything without independent legal advice. If Richard or Daniel contacts you, preserve the messages and don't agree to meet privately.””
I nodded.
Then I looked at Vanessa.
“We need to talk about something.””
She understood immediately.
Daniel.
We stepped into the hallway.
“I know you were involved with him,” I said.
Vanessa looked down.
“I know.””
“I don't want another apology. I want to know whether you knew he was married when it started.””
She closed her eyes.
“He told me you were separated.””
“And you believed him?””
“He showed me messages.””
“What messages?””
“He showed me conversations where you supposedly told him you wanted a divorce. He said you were only waiting for the inheritance to become available.””
I stared at her.
“I never sent those messages.””
“I know that now.””
“Did he ever tell you he loved me?””
Vanessa swallowed.
“He said he felt trapped.””
I laughed bitterly.
“That's interesting. He told me he felt lucky.””
She began crying.
“I didn't know he was using your name to steal the property.””
“But you knew he was sleeping with you while I was trying to get pregnant.””
She looked away.
I couldn't forgive her.
Not yet.
Perhaps not ever.
But I was beginning to understand that Daniel had carefully constructed different versions of himself for different people.
And every version served the same purpose.
Getting what he wanted.
That evening, Olivia drove me back to her apartment.
I sat on the sofa with my father's photograph in my lap.
My phone rang.
The caller ID showed an unknown number.
I answered.
“Nia Carter?””
A woman spoke softly.
“Yes?””
“My name is Dr. Helen Morris. I used to work at St. Catherine's.””
I sat upright.
“How did you get my number?””
“Your lawyer contacted the hospital about your father's records. I recognized the name.””
My heart began racing.
“What do you know?””
There was a long silence.
Then she said, “Your father didn't arrive at the hospital alone.””
I gripped the phone.
“Who brought him?””
“Your mother.””
I swallowed.
“That doesn't sound unusual.””
“It wasn't. But there was another person with her.””
“Who?””
Dr. Morris lowered her voice.
“Richard Reed.””
I stood.
“What was he doing there?””
“He claimed he was a family friend. He told the attending physician that your father had suffered a cardiac episode at home.””
“Was that true?””
“I don't know. I wasn't the attending physician.””
“Then what are you trying to tell me?””
Dr. Morris hesitated.
“Your father was conscious when he arrived. He kept asking for his daughter.””
My eyes filled.
“Me?””
“Yes. He was asking for Nia.””
I covered my mouth.
“I was there.””
“I know. But you weren't allowed into his room immediately.””
I remembered waiting in the corridor.
My mother had told me the doctors were preparing him.
Dr. Morris continued.
“Your mother and Richard entered the room first. They stayed with him for almost twenty minutes.””
“What happened?””
“I heard shouting.””
My legs weakened.
“What did they say?””
“I couldn't hear everything. But I heard your father say, 'You promised me you would leave her alone.''”
I felt sick.
“Who was he talking to?””
“I believe he was talking to Richard.””
“And my mother?””
“She was crying.””
The call crackled.
“Dr. Morris, please. I need to know what happened.””
“I kept a copy of the original nursing report. There was something unusual about the medication recorded that night.””
“What medication?””
“Your father was prescribed a heart medication, but the amount documented during admission didn't match the amount in the ambulance report.””
My hand went cold.
“Are you saying someone gave him too much medication?””
“I'm saying the records were inconsistent. I reported it at the time.””
“What happened?””
“Nothing. The attending physician said the discrepancy was a clerical error.””
I closed my eyes.
“Can I see the report?””
“Yes. But I need to meet you.””
“Where?””
“Tomorrow. St. Catherine's medical records office.””
Before hanging up, she added:
“There's one more thing, Nia.””
“What?””
“Your mother returned to the hospital after your father died.””
“When?””
“Three days later.””
“Why?””
Dr. Morris's voice dropped.
“She wanted to know whether the original medication record had been destroyed.””
The call ended.
I stood motionless.
Olivia came out of the kitchen.
“What happened?””
I told her everything.
She immediately called Evelyn.
Within minutes, Evelyn had arranged for Marcus to accompany us to the hospital the following morning.
I barely slept.
At seven thirty, I received another message.
This time, it came from Richard.
*Your mother made a promise. Don't destroy what she spent years protecting.*
A second message followed.
*If you continue investigating your father's death, the truth about your mother will hurt you more than the truth about me.*
I stared at the screen.
Then I noticed a third message.
It contained a photograph of my childhood home.
My mother stood in the garden.
Beside her was a woman holding a baby.
I zoomed in.
The woman was Elaine Reed.
And the baby was Sophie.
My mother had known Sophie.
Not just known about her.
She had held her.
May you like
And on the back of the photograph was a handwritten message:
*For the girls. One day, they'll understand why we had to protect them.*
