Chapter 8: The Woman With the Wrong Medical Records
The woman in the hospital uniform looked ordinary.
Mid-forties.
Blonde hair tied into a neat bun.
White shoes.
A blue identification badge.
She could have been any nurse working a night shift.
But Claire saw her and immediately stepped behind me.
“That's her.””
I turned.
“Who?””
“The woman who used to give me medication at Bellhaven.””
The nurse glanced in our direction.
Then she smiled.
“Claire? There you are.””
Claire's fingers dug into my arm.
“Don't let her near me.””
The police officer stepped forward.
“Can I help you?””
The woman showed him her badge.
“I'm here to arrange Ms. Whitmore's transfer.””
The officer frowned.
“Transfer?””
“Yes. Mr. Whitmore authorized it.””
I stepped between them.
“Claire isn't going anywhere.””
The woman looked at me.
“And you are?””
“Her sister.””
Her smile tightened.
“I'm afraid the patient's legal guardian has already signed the necessary documents.””
“Daniel isn't her guardian anymore.””
The woman looked toward the office.
Daniel was no longer visible.
That was when I realized something.
He had disappeared.
“Where's Daniel?”” I asked the officer.
He turned toward the office.
The door was open.
The room was empty.
My stomach dropped.
The officer immediately reached for his radio.
“Control, this is Officer Harris. Subject has left the interview room. Confirm his location.””
The woman in the uniform took a step backward.
I grabbed her wrist.
“Who are you?””
She pulled away.
“Please don't touch me.””
“You're not taking my sister.””
She raised her voice.
“Security!””
Two men appeared from the hallway.
Not hospital security.
They wore dark suits.
One grabbed Claire's arm.
I screamed.
“Let her go!””
The officer moved toward them, but the second man blocked his path.
Everything happened at once.
A nurse shouted.
Someone knocked over a trolley.
Claire struggled against the man's grip.
“NI A!””
I grabbed a metal chair and swung it toward the man's legs.
He stumbled.
Claire broke free.
We ran.
The police officer shouted for backup.
I pulled Claire down the corridor toward the emergency exit.
Behind us, someone yelled:
“Stop them!””
We burst into the parking area.
Rain struck my face.
Claire was breathing hard.
“Where are we going?””
I looked at my phone.
Marcus had sent another message.
*West entrance. Black car. Three minutes.*
I grabbed Claire's hand.
“Come on.””
We reached the west entrance.
A black sedan was parked beside the loading bay.
The driver lowered the window.
A man in his late fifties leaned across the passenger seat.
“Nia Bennett?””
“Yes.””
“Marcus sent me.””
I opened the rear door.
“Who are you?””
“Peter Collins. I used to work with Marcus.””
We climbed in.
Peter locked the doors and pulled away.
“Where are we going?”” I asked.
“Somewhere safe.””
Claire looked at me.
“I don't like this.””
“Neither do I.””
Peter glanced at us through the rearview mirror.
“Marcus said you might have questions.””
“I have a few hundred.””
He nodded.
“Fair enough.””
We drove for twenty minutes before entering a residential neighborhood.
Peter stopped outside a small detached house.
“Stay inside until Marcus arrives.””
I frowned.
“Where is he?””
“Not far.””
He handed me a key.
Then he looked at Claire.
“I'm glad you're alive.””
Claire stared at him.
“Do I know you?””
Peter hesitated.
“No. But your mother once helped my daughter when nobody else would.””
He stepped out.
I watched him walk around the house and disappear through a side gate.
Inside, the house was simple.
Two bedrooms.
A small kitchen.
A living room with old photographs on the mantel.
I noticed one photograph immediately.
Marcus.
Younger.
Standing beside Peter.
Both were smiling.
I picked it up.
“Claire, look.””
She approached.
“That's Marcus?””
“Yes.””
She studied the photograph.
Then frowned.
“There's someone else.””
I turned it over.
Written on the back were three names.
*Marcus Reed. Peter Collins. Rachel Morgan.*
Rachel.
The missing nurse.
I pulled out my phone.
“Marcus said Rachel was missing.””
Claire nodded.
“She helped me escape Bellhaven.””
“Do you know where she went?””
Claire shook her head.
“No. But she told me something before she disappeared.””
“What?””
“She said the hospital had been keeping two sets of records.””
I sat down.
“What does that mean?””
“One for the real patients. Another for the people who were supposed to exist on paper.””
I frowned.
“Why?””
“So money could be transferred without anyone noticing.””
I looked at the photographs on the mantel.
“Was my mother involved?””
Claire shook her head.
“No. She was trying to expose it.””
My phone rang.
Marcus.
I answered immediately.
“Where are you?””
“I'm safe. Claire is with me.””
“Thank God.””
“Marcus, Daniel escaped.””
“I know.””
“Who were those people at the hospital?””
“Daniel's security team.””
“They were dressed as nurses.””
“He has people inside the medical system.””
I closed my eyes.
“Marcus, I need answers.””
“You'll get them.””
“Not later. Now.””
He went quiet.
Then he said, “Nia, there's something I didn't tell you about your mother's death.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
“Your mother contacted me two days before she died.””
I sat down.
“You said she was afraid of Daniel.””
“She was. But she also told me she had discovered something about you.””
“What?””
“She believed Daniel had changed your medical records when you were born.””
I looked at Claire.
“What records?””
“Your birth records. Your blood type. Your father's details. Everything.””
I felt cold.
“Why would he do that?””
“Because he needed to make sure nobody could challenge his claim to you.””
I stared at the wall.
“Marcus, what does that mean?””
“It means your mother might not have known the full truth about your birth either.””
I heard a car pull up outside.
Headlights swept across the curtains.
I stood.
“Someone's here.””
“Don't open the door until you know who it is.””
Three knocks followed.
Then a familiar voice.
“Nia?””
Marcus.
I rushed toward the door.
But Claire caught my arm.
“Wait.””
I looked at her.
She was staring at the window.
“That's not Marcus.””
I froze.
“What?””
She pointed toward the curtains.
A shadow stood outside.
Then another.
The door handle moved.
A man's voice called again.
“Nia, it's me.””
Claire shook her head.
“Marcus never knocks three times.””
My heart stopped.
“Why?””
“Because when we were little, Mom taught us a secret signal.””
She looked toward the door.
“Two knocks. A pause. Then one.””
The man outside knocked again.
Three slow knocks.
Then my phone vibrated.
Marcus.
*Don't open that door. I'm still ten minutes away.*
I stepped backward.
The person outside tried the handle again.
Then a voice came through the door.
This time, it wasn't Marcus.
It was Daniel.
“Nia, sweetheart.””
I covered my mouth.
“I know you're in there.””
A metallic scraping sound followed.
Claire grabbed my hand.
“He has a key.””
I looked toward the back of the house.
“Run.””
We raced toward the kitchen.
A second later, the front door opened.
Daniel's voice echoed through the living room.
“There's no point hiding.””
I pushed Claire into the laundry room and locked the door behind us.
Footsteps crossed the hallway.
Then silence.
A phone rang.
Daniel answered.
“Yes?””
He listened.
Then laughed.
“No. I found them.””
A pause.
His voice dropped.
“Both daughters.””
I looked at Claire.
She was crying silently.
Daniel continued.
“Don't worry. I'll bring them in.””
May you like
Then he said the sentence that made me understand this was much bigger than Marcus's disappearance.
“Your people can have the older one. I only need Nia.””
