Chapter 17: The Doctor Finally Tells the Truth
Martin kept his voice steady.
"Dr. Bell, listen carefully. Do not destroy anything.
Do not contact Laura. Tell me where you are.""
"I'm at my clinic.""
"Stay there.""
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"Because someone has been outside my building for the last hour.""
Dean immediately stood.
"Ask him for the address.""
Martin repeated the question.
Dr. Bell gave it.
Martin wrote it down.
"Do not leave. We're contacting the police.""
The doctor hesitated.
"Mr. Reeves, you don't understand. Laura has been threatening me for six years.""
Martin's expression hardened.
"Then you should have told the truth six years ago.""
"I know.""
"Did you alter Arthur's medical records?""
A long silence.
"Yes.""
"Did you administer unauthorized medication?""
"No.""
"Did you witness anyone else administer it?""
Dr. Bell's breathing became uneven.
"Yes.""
"Who?""
"Patricia.""
Mabel closed her eyes.
Martin continued.
"Did Laura instruct her?""
"Yes.""
"Why didn't you stop them?""
The doctor sounded close to tears.
"Because Laura told me Arthur had authorized the medication. She showed me a signed consent form.""
Martin looked at Arthur's statement on the table.
"Was that signature genuine?""
"No.""
"Did you know that?""
"Not at first.""
"And when you discovered it?""
"I should have reported it.""
Martin's voice hardened.
"But you didn't.""
"No.""
"Why?""
"Laura had photographs of documents showing I had accepted illegal payments from a patient's family years earlier. She threatened to expose me and destroy my career.""
Martin closed his eyes.
"You're telling me you helped conceal a possible crime because you wanted to protect yourself.""
"Yes.""
Mabel stepped closer.
"Ask him whether Arthur knew.""
Martin looked at her.
"Dr. Bell, did Arthur know Laura was planning something?""
The doctor paused.
"Yes.""
Mabel gripped the table.
"What?""
Martin repeated her question.
Dr. Bell answered quietly.
"Arthur confronted me the afternoon before he died. He said he knew Laura had been trying to obtain his insurance records. He told me he had evidence of financial fraud.""
"Did he threaten you?""
"No. He asked me to help him protect his wife.""
Mabel began crying.
Martin continued.
"Then what happened?""
"Laura arrived that evening with Patricia. She said Arthur was agitated and needed to rest. Patricia had a medication cup.""
"Did you authorize the medication?""
"No.""
"Did you know what was in it?""
"I saw the label afterward. It wasn't prescribed for him.""
Dean stepped forward.
"Then what did you do?""
Dr. Bell was silent.
Finally, he said, "I changed the medical record.""
Mabel covered her mouth.
Martin's voice became cold.
"You allowed a false record to replace the truth.""
"Yes.""
"Did Arthur die from that medication?""
"I can't determine that. The hospital's original samples were not preserved, and the official cause of death was recorded as cardiac arrest following complications from his underlying condition.""
Mabel looked devastated.
"Could he have survived?""
Dr. Bell didn't answer immediately.
"I don't know.""
"Could the medication have made him worse?""
"Yes.""
Mabel turned away.
Martin ended the call only after obtaining the location of the doctor's safe deposit box and confirming that he would remain at the clinic.
Then he contacted Helen Brooks.
Within minutes, the prosecutor had arranged for investigators to accompany them.
Dr. Bell's clinic was dark when they arrived.
Two police officers stood near the entrance.
A third officer was speaking with a security guard.
The doctor opened the door.
He looked exhausted.
"Mr. Reeves.""
Martin stepped inside.
"Where is the document?""
Dr. Bell led them to his office.
He opened a locked cabinet and removed a sealed envelope.
"This is the original.""
Martin examined the envelope.
It was addressed to him in Arthur's handwriting.
Mabel reached for it.
Martin gently stopped her.
"Let me document it first.""
He photographed the envelope, recorded its condition, and opened it with an investigator present.
Inside was Arthur's signed statement.
But there was another page.
A handwritten letter addressed to Mabel.
Martin read the first lines silently.
Then he handed it to her.
Mabel's hands shook as she unfolded it.
My darling Mabel,
If you are reading this, I may not have had the chance to explain what I discovered. I have made mistakes in trusting people, but I have never doubted you.
She stopped.
Dean placed a hand on her shoulder.
Mabel continued.
*Laura has been taking money from us. I confronted her. She denied it, then blamed Daniel.
I know Daniel is innocent. I know Patricia has helped her.*
Her tears fell onto the paper.
I have asked Martin to protect you. I have also asked him to protect Emily's future. Please do not let Laura convince you that you are helpless. You are stronger than you believe.
Mabel struggled to continue.
There is one thing I haven't told you. Laura came to me with an offer. She wanted me to change my insurance beneficiary and make her the sole heir. I refused.
Mabel's breath caught.
She said that if I refused, she would make sure you never controlled your own life again.
The final paragraph was short.
If I do not come home, remember that I loved you every day of our life together. None of this is your fault.
Mabel pressed the letter against her chest.
For a moment, the room disappeared.
There was only Arthur's handwriting.
His voice.
His love.
And the terrible knowledge that he had been frightened while she was still believing everything would be all right.
Dr. Bell lowered his head.
"I'm sorry.""
Mabel looked at him.
"Did you know he wanted me?""
"Yes.""
"Did you know he was asking for me?""
The doctor nodded.
"Yes.""
"Then why didn't you call?""
He couldn't answer.
Mabel stood.
"Six years.""
Her voice was barely audible.
"Six years, and I thought he died believing I wasn't there.""
Dr. Bell looked down.
"I can't undo that.""
"No," Mabel said.
"You can't.""
The investigators seized the documents and obtained Dr. Bell's formal statement.
He agreed to cooperate, but Helen Brooks made it clear that cooperation would not erase his role in altering medical records.
When they returned to Mabel's house, Daniel was waiting outside.
He had received a message from an unknown number.
Martin examined the phone.
The message contained a photograph.
It showed Patricia Collins sitting inside a parked car.
Beneath it were six words:
*You should have left me alone.*
Daniel looked toward the street.
"Where is she?""
Martin immediately contacted the police.
The photograph's metadata suggested it had been taken that afternoon, but the location was unclear.
Then Daniel received another message.
This time, it was an audio file.
He pressed play.
Patricia's voice sounded frightened.
"Daniel, if you hear this, I need you to understand something. Laura isn't the only person involved. There's someone in the bank who helped her move the money.""
The recording ended.
Martin frowned.
"Did she say which bank?""
Daniel shook his head.
Then the phone chimed again.
A second audio file appeared.
Patricia spoke in a whisper.
"His name is Thomas. He was the branch manager. He approved the transfers and helped Laura access the trust.""
Martin looked at Mabel.
"Thomas?""
Mabel nodded slowly.
"Thomas Greene. He used to visit Arthur at the bank.""
Dean's face tightened.
"Is he still there?""
Martin checked his contacts.
"According to the latest records, he's now regional operations director.""
Daniel stared at the phone.
"That means he could have helped Laura take the money from the trust.""
Martin nodded.
"And perhaps helped her forge the bank authorization.""
Mabel looked at the photograph of Arthur on the wall.
"How many people did she have helping her?""
Nobody answered.
Then Martin's phone rang.
It was Helen Brooks.
"Mr. Reeves, we've received a report from First County Bank.""
Martin stepped away.
"What happened?""
"The bank's internal security system detected an attempt to access Mrs. Whitmore's protected trust this morning.""
Martin went still.
"Who attempted it?""
Helen lowered her voice.
"Thomas Greene.""
Mabel heard the name.
"What did he try to take?""
Martin listened.
Then his face changed.
"How much?""
A pause.
"Understood.""
He ended the call.
Dean approached.
"What happened?""
Martin looked at Mabel.
"Thomas attempted to transfer the remaining trust balance.""
Mabel felt sick.
"How much is left?""
Martin answered.
"One hundred sixty-four thousand, three hundred dollars.""
Daniel clenched his fists.
"Did he succeed?""
Martin shook his head.
"The bank blocked it.""
Mabel exhaled.
May you like
Then Martin added:
"But Thomas has disappeared.""
