Chapter 8: The Missing File
For one impossible second, nobody moved.
The woman standing in the hospital hallway looked exactly like the photograph.
Same eyes.
Same cheekbones.
Same short natural hair.
Same small scar above her left eyebrow.
Derek stared at her as though he'd seen a ghost.
“Natalie?””
The woman swallowed.
“Derek.””
His face drained of color.
“No.””
She looked at him.
“I know.””
“You're dead.””
Her expression tightened.
“That's what they wanted everyone to believe.””
Rose gripped my arm.
“Who is she?””
Derek couldn't answer.
The woman looked at me.
“You're Maya.””
I stepped forward.
“How do you know my name?””
“Because your father gave it to me.””
My stomach twisted.
Arthur.
Again.
“What does my father have to do with you?””
Natalie looked toward the security camera.
“We can't talk here.””
Derek stepped closer.
“You need to explain.””
“I will.””
“Now.””
“No. Not here.””
She pointed toward a stairwell.
“Come with me.””
We followed.
The stairwell door closed behind us, muffling the sounds of the hospital.
Natalie leaned against the wall.
“I didn't steal your money.””
“I didn't say you did.””
“You were thinking it.””
“I don't know what to think.””
She looked at Derek.
“Arthur told me you were dead.””
Derek's eyes narrowed.
“He told me you were arrested.””
Natalie gave a bitter smile.
“He lies very well.””
Rose spoke softly.
“Why would my son say you're dead?””
Natalie looked at her.
“Because I found out what he was doing.””
“What was he doing?””
She looked at me.
“Using your grandmother's insurance.””
I felt my chest tighten.
“How?””
“Your father discovered a flaw in the hospital billing system.””
Derek shook his head.
“What flaw?””
“Refunds could be redirected when multiple payments were processed through certain patient accounts.””
Jordan frowned.
“So he could make it look like Maya paid the bill, then redirect the refund?””
Natalie nodded.
“Exactly.””
I felt sick.
“But why?””
“Because your father wasn't stealing from the hospital.””
She paused.
“He was stealing from people.””
The words landed hard.
“He would identify patients with large balances. He'd convince family members to pay immediately. Then he'd manipulate the refund.””
Derek stared at her.
“How many?””
Natalie looked down.
“I don't know.””
“How many?”” he repeated.
“Dozens.””
Rose covered her mouth.
I shook my head.
“No.””
Natalie looked at me.
“Your grandmother wasn't the first.””
I stepped backward.
The stairwell seemed suddenly too small.
“Then why me?””
“Because your father needed a clean account.””
“What does that mean?””
“Your account had no history of suspicious activity. No debt. No disputes.””
Jordan's face tightened.
“So he used Maya as the clean account.””
“Yes.””
I thought about the secret savings account.
My name.
My date of birth.
His phone.
His email.
“How did he open it?””
Natalie hesitated.
“Your grandfather's estate paperwork.””
I stared at her.
“What?””
“Your father had access to the original documents.””
Rose whispered,
“I gave them to him.””
Natalie nodded.
“He used them to establish the account.””
I looked at Grandma.
She began crying.
“I trusted him.””
“I know.””
“No,” Rose said.
“You don't know.””
Her voice shook.
“I raised that boy.””
Natalie looked away.
“I know.””
Jordan suddenly pulled out his phone.
“Wait.””
He opened the bank alert.
“The transfer is still pending.””
Natalie looked at the screen.
“That's not the important part.””
“What is?””
“The $47,000 isn't all of it.””
My heart stopped.
“What do you mean?””
“Your account contains more.””
“How much?””
Natalie looked at me.
“Eighty-two thousand dollars.””
I couldn't breathe.
“What?””
Derek stepped forward.
“Where did that come from?””
“Other refunds.””
Jordan stared at the screen.
“That's why he needed the account.””
Natalie nodded.
“He was moving money into it for months.””
I shook my head.
“I never saw any of it.””
“Of course not.””
“Then where was it going?””
Natalie looked at me.
“Different accounts.””
“Whose?””
“Shell companies.””
“Controlled by who?””
She hesitated.
“That's what I was trying to prove.””
A loud knock struck the stairwell door.
Everyone froze.
Another knock.
Then a voice.
“Maya?””
Arthur.
I felt my heart sink.
“How did he know we're here?””
Natalie whispered,
“He's been tracking your phone.””
Jordan immediately turned his phone off.
The door handle moved.
Arthur's voice came again.
“Maya, open the door.””
I looked at Natalie.
“You said he was using my account.””
“Yes.””
“Then why is he here?””
Natalie's eyes filled with fear.
“Because he knows what I found.””
The handle jerked again.
“Open the door!””
Rose stepped toward it.
“Arthur, stop!””
Silence.
Then Arthur said something that made my blood run cold.
“Mom, if you open that door, they will kill all of us.””
Rose froze.
Jordan looked at me.
Derek stared at Natalie.
I whispered,
“Who?””
Arthur's voice came through the door.
“The people I owe.””
Then the lights in the stairwell went out.
May you like
And someone on the other side of the door whispered,
“Too late.””
