Chapter 11: The Baby in Room 214
I read Greg's message aloud.
Abigail immediately reached for her laptop.
"Which hospital room was Robert in?""
"Three hundred and twelve," I answered.
She searched the archived records.
"That doesn't make sense.""
"What?""
"According to the nursing logs, Robert was in room 312, but the medication order was entered under a patient in room 214.""
Caleb leaned over her shoulder.
"Who was in room 214?""
Abigail clicked through several documents.
Then she stopped.
"A newborn girl.""
My hands went cold.
"What was her name?""
Abigail enlarged the record.
The infant had been listed as Baby Girl Collins.
I looked at her.
"Your mother's name?""
Abigail nodded slowly.
"That can't be right.""
"Why not?""
"Because my mother was already dead by then.""
Caleb looked between us.
"Could it have been another woman with the same surname?""
"Possibly. But the medical record contains something else.""
She pointed to a line near the bottom.
*Emergency medication authorization — Dr. Samuel Reed.*
The same physician whose death had just been reported.
Abigail continued scrolling.
"The baby was admitted with respiratory distress. She received medication that should never have been administered to a newborn.""
I felt sick.
"What happened to her?""
Abigail opened another file.
"She survived. But she was transferred to another hospital the following morning.""
"Where?""
"There's no destination recorded.""
Caleb stood.
"This is bigger than Robert.""
I thought of the twelve veterans on the list.
The money.
The medical records.
The dead doctor.
Now a newborn.
"What did Greg mean when he said the baby received the same medication?""
Abigail opened the recording again.
"We need to hear the rest.""
She returned to the final portion of Robert's conversation with Greg.
This time, she slowed the audio.
There was a faint sound after Greg mentioned the medication.
Robert asked:
"What about the child?""
Greg replied:
"Franklin said she was fine.""
"That's not what I asked.""
"She's alive, Dad.""
"And her mother?""
Greg didn't answer.
Robert's voice became angry.
"Gregory, what did you do?""
"I didn't do anything!""
"Then why did you sign the transfer authorization?""
A chair scraped.
Greg whispered:
"Because Franklin said the baby couldn't stay there.""
Robert's voice was almost inaudible.
"Where did they take her?""
Greg answered.
"To a family in Oklahoma.""
Silence followed.
Then Robert said:
"You helped them steal a child.""
The recording ended.
Abigail covered her mouth.
"That poor baby.""
I looked at her.
"Could she be alive?""
"She would be about fifty-one now.""
Caleb pulled out his phone.
"Then we find her.""
Officer Brooks arrived shortly afterward.
We played the recording for him.
He listened without interrupting.
When it ended, he looked at Abigail.
"Do you have access to the original hospital records?""
"Some of them.""
"Can you identify the newborn's medical identification number?""
She typed rapidly.
A moment later, she wrote down a series of numbers.
Officer Brooks photographed the page.
"This may be connected to a missing-child investigation.""
I looked at him.
"Was a child reported missing?""
He nodded.
"Not necessarily from that hospital. We need to check adoption and custody records.""
Abigail suddenly looked up.
"Wait.""
She opened another database.
"There's something strange.""
"What?""
"The baby was transferred under a different surname.""
"Which one?""
Abigail enlarged the screen.
The name appeared.
*Collins.*
My heart stopped.
"That's your surname.""
Abigail shook her head.
"My mother never had another child.""
"Could she have adopted one?""
"Not that I know of.""
Officer Brooks leaned closer.
"Who authorized the transfer?""
Abigail scrolled down.
The signature appeared.
Franklin Mercer.
Caleb slammed his fist against the table.
"He was running a child-trafficking operation.""
"Careful," Officer Brooks warned.
"We don't know that yet.""
But Abigail had already opened another record.
A hospital transfer form.
The destination was a private children's home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The institution had closed in 1998.
Its records had been transferred to a state archive.
Officer Brooks immediately contacted investigators in Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, I called Greg.
He answered on the second ring.
"Mom?""
"Why didn't you tell me about the baby?""
He went quiet.
"So you found that record.""
"Who was she?""
"I don't know.""
"You signed the transfer papers.""
"Franklin told me it was an emergency placement.""
"Did you believe him?""
"I was twenty-eight, Mom. I was drowning in debt. Franklin had promised to help me.""
"You were old enough to know that a newborn child couldn't simply disappear.""
His voice rose.
"I didn't make the decision!""
"Then who did?""
"Franklin!""
I closed my eyes.
"Greg, I need you to tell the police everything.""
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"Because Franklin has something on me.""
"What?""
He hesitated.
Then he whispered:
"There's a second account. One Robert never found.""
I looked at Caleb.
"Where?""
"I don't know the account number. But I know where the documents are.""
"Tell me.""
"At Franklin's house.""
My stomach tightened.
"Greg, you need to go to the police.""
"Not yet.""
"Why?""
"Because I think the baby is still alive.""
Abigail leaned toward the phone.
"Greg, this is Abigail. Do you know who adopted her?""
He was silent.
Then he answered.
"Yes.""
Abigail's face went white.
"Who?""
Greg swallowed.
"Franklin's wife.""
Caleb stared at the phone.
"That's impossible. Franklin's wife never had children.""
"She didn't give birth to her," Greg replied.
"She raised her as her own.""
I looked at Abigail.
She seemed unable to breathe.
"What's the girl's name?"" she asked.
Greg hesitated.
Then he said:
"Victoria Mercer.""
Abigail dropped her phone.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Then she whispered:
"Victoria is my daughter.""
Nobody spoke.
Abigail began shaking.
She looked at me with an expression I will never forget.
"My mother told me I lost a baby when I was nineteen.""
I reached for her hand.
"What?""
Abigail struggled to breathe.
"She said the baby had died shortly after birth. She said there was nothing anyone could do.""
Caleb looked at the transfer records.
"Franklin didn't just steal money.""
He looked at Abigail.
"He stole your child.""
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And suddenly, the missing newborn wasn't a mystery anymore.
She was the woman who had grown up in the home of the man who destroyed our family.
