Chapter 9: The Clinic With No Records
The clinic stood on the outskirts of town, hidden behind a row of commercial buildings.
Its sign had been removed.
The windows were covered with dark film.
From the street, it looked abandoned.
Detective Morgan arranged for officers to accompany us.
I wanted to go inside immediately, but he stopped me.
“Mr. Carter, we need to do this properly. If there's evidence of criminal activity, we don't want to compromise it.””
I nodded.
Lila sat beside me in the back of the police vehicle.
She hadn't spoken since Evelyn showed us the photograph.
Finally, she whispered, “I thought Vanessa had destroyed that place.””
I turned toward her.
“What happened there?””
Lila stared through the window.
“After the accident, Vanessa brought me there.””
“Why?””
“She said the hospital was overcrowded. She told me I needed a quieter place to recover.””
My stomach tightened.
“Were you conscious?””
“Sometimes.””
“What do you remember?””
She pressed her fingers together.
“A white room. A clock that never worked. A nurse with a red scarf.””
I looked at her.
“Anything else?””
“A baby crying.””
I felt a chill.
“Amara?””
“I don't know.””
She looked at me.
“But I remember Vanessa standing beside the crib.””
The officers entered the building first.
We waited outside until Detective Morgan returned.
“There's evidence that the property was used as a medical facility,” he said.
“We're requesting additional authorization before searching the records room.””
“Is anyone inside?””
“No.””
He looked at Evelyn.
“Are you certain this is where you were taken?””
She nodded.
“I remember the entrance.””
He pointed toward a side door.
“There's a reception area inside. Does that look familiar?””
Evelyn stared at it.
Then she began trembling.
“Yes.””
She stepped closer.
“This is where they told me my daughter had died.””
Lila moved beside her.
“Evelyn—”
“Don't.””
Evelyn turned.
“You had years with a child I was told was dead.””
Lila lowered her head.
“I didn't know.””
“You never looked for me.””
“I was locked away.””
“You were alive.””
Lila's eyes filled.
“So were you.””
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
Then Detective Morgan approached.
“We've found something.””
He led us inside.
The reception area contained an old desk, several filing cabinets, and a broken wall clock.
The air smelled of dust and damp carpet.
An officer opened a cabinet.
Inside were folders arranged by year.
Detective Morgan pulled out a thick file.
The name on the cover was:
*HART / CARTER — MATERNITY TRANSFER.*
My heart started racing.
He opened it.
The first document was a medical record showing Evelyn's delivery.
The second was a transfer authorization.
The third was a birth registration.
I leaned forward.
The child's name was Amara Hart.
The mother was Evelyn Hart.
The father's name was blank.
I looked at Lila.
She had gone pale.
Detective Morgan turned the page.
Another birth registration appeared.
This one listed Lila Carter as the mother.
The child's name was also Amara.
Same date.
Same hospital.
Different identification number.
“Two birth certificates?”” I whispered.
The detective nodded.
“That's what it appears to be.””
Evelyn covered her mouth.
“So one of them was changed.””
An officer entered carrying a sealed envelope.
“Detective, we found this in the locked filing cabinet.””
Morgan opened it carefully.
Inside were several photographs and a handwritten letter.
The first photograph showed Vanessa holding a newborn baby.
The second showed Lila holding another newborn.
The third showed Richard Hayes standing beside a hospital employee.
On the back of the third photograph were three words:
Transfer completed successfully.
I felt nauseated.
“Who was transferred?””
The detective continued reading the letter.
It was addressed to Vanessa.
The handwriting was unmistakably hers.
Everything is arranged. Evelyn's daughter will be registered under Lila's name. Lila will be told the child is hers. Daniel will never know there were two deliveries.
I stared at the paper.
“Who wrote this?””
Detective Morgan pointed to the signature.
Richard Hayes.
I felt my hands shaking.
“He knew.””
The detective nodded.
“And he appears to have coordinated the paperwork.””
Evelyn began crying.
“Where is my daughter?””
Nobody answered.
Then Lila reached into her coat pocket.
She pulled out a small folded paper.
“I kept this,” she whispered.
I turned toward her.
“What is it?””
“The original hospital identification tag.””
She unfolded it.
The faded plastic tag carried a handwritten number.
Detective Morgan examined it.
His expression changed.
“Mrs. Carter, where did you get this?””
“Vanessa gave it to me the day she told me Evelyn's baby had died.””
“Why did you keep it?””
Lila looked at me.
“Because I never believed her.””
She swallowed.
“I thought if I kept this, one day I could prove what happened.””
The detective compared the number to the records.
Then he looked toward the officers.
“We need to preserve everything.””
An officer hurried away to arrange transport of the documents.
I looked at Lila.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
She began crying.
“Because I was afraid you'd think I had something to do with it.””
I couldn't answer.
The detective returned with another document.
“This may explain the second transfer.””
It was a list of names, dates, and medical identification numbers.
Several entries had been crossed out.
One name remained untouched.
*Daniel Carter.*
Beside it was a handwritten note:
Biological confirmation required before final custody hearing.
I stared at the words.
“Final custody hearing?””
Detective Morgan nodded.
“Someone was planning to use a DNA test as part of a custody proceeding.””
My phone vibrated.
An email from the hospital laboratory.
The preliminary results were ready.
I opened the attachment.
The first line read:
*PARENTAGE ANALYSIS — PRELIMINARY FINDINGS.*
My eyes moved down the page.
Then I stopped.
The probability of biological paternity between me and Amara was less than one percent.
I read it again.
And again.
Evelyn began sobbing.
Lila gripped the edge of the desk.
I couldn't breathe.
But before I could say anything, Detective Morgan's phone rang.
He listened for several seconds.
Then his face hardened.
“What do you mean she's gone?””
He looked directly at me.
“Mr. Carter, Vanessa has disappeared.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“She was released from questioning earlier while officers verified the medical records. She left her residence before we could return.””
My stomach dropped.
Then he added something worse.
“The adoption agency has confirmed that the newborn boy is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow morning.””
I looked at the document again.
Vanessa hadn't been planning to replace Amara someday.
She was already preparing to bring another child into the house.
And according to the hospital's preliminary findings, the little girl I had raised for seven years might never have been biologically mine.
But I wasn't going to abandon her.
Not now.
Not ever.
I looked at Evelyn.
“Find Vanessa.””
May you like
Then I turned toward the detective.
“And find out where my daughter really came from.””
Related Stories
