Chapter 14 - THE NURSE WHO REMEMBERED

Adam returned to Victor’s hospital room before sunrise.

The photograph lay inside his coat pocket.

Victor was awake.

He looked at Adam’s face and understood that the archive had been found.

“You saw the files,” he said.

“Yes.”

“And Mercer?”

“Federal custody.”

Victor nodded.

“That is progress.”

Adam placed the photograph on the bed.

Victor looked at it.

His expression remained still.

“What is phase two?” Adam asked.

“I do not know.”

“Mercer wrote that you approved it.”

“Mercer wrote many lies.”

“You met Judge Wren.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To learn what Evelyn was preparing.”

“Did you know about the guardianship petition?”

“I learned about it during the meeting.”

“Did you approve my arrest?”

“No.”

“Did you arrange for Ortiz’s removal?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know the trust names you temporary protector?”

Victor looked toward the door.

“Yes.”

Adam felt anger spread through him.

“You said you did not know who controlled the trust.”

“I said I did not know the permanent recipient.”

“You knew you would control two billion dollars temporarily.”

“If both parents were incapacitated.”

“You watched Evelyn create exactly that situation.”

“I was trying to prevent it.”

“By allowing Mercer into my home?”

Victor’s voice sharpened.

“I did not approve an attack on Lily.”

“What did you approve?”

“A confrontation.”

“With a doctor carrying medication?”

“I believed Mercer intended to frighten her into surrendering the copied files.”

“You believed what was convenient.”

“Yes.”

Adam hated how easily Victor admitted guilt.

It made accusation feel useless.

“What was phase two?”

Victor closed his eyes.

“Removing Evelyn.”

“How?”

“By forcing her into an act she could not explain.”

“You used Lily as bait.”

“I believed she would be threatened, not physically harmed.”

“You keep separating the threat from the harm.”

Victor looked at him.

“I was wrong.”

“You were ambitious.”

“Yes.”

“You wanted the trust.”

“I wanted the ability to dismantle what Evelyn built.”

“You wanted to be the man controlling the dismantling.”

“Yes.”

Adam took the signet ring from his finger.

He placed it on the bedside table.

“You do not deserve to see this on my hand.”

Victor looked at the ring.

“No.”

“You will testify.”

“Yes.”

“You will surrender every account, record, and private communication.”

“Yes.”

“You will resign from every Carter entity.”

“Yes.”

“And you will never ask Lena, Grace, Lily, or me to forgive you.”

Victor’s voice became quiet.

“I understand.”

Adam turned toward the door.

“Phase two included one more person,” Victor said.

Adam stopped.

“Who?”

“Alice Ward.”

“The nurse who tested my paternity.”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

“Mercer found her two months ago.”

“Is she alive?”

“She was when he found her.”

“Where?”

“A town called Marlow, Wisconsin.”

“Why does she matter now that the DNA test confirmed Jonathan?”

“She witnessed Jonathan’s murder.”

Adam turned back.

“She was at the dinner?”

“She was working as his private nurse after a minor surgery.”

“Why did she disappear?”

“Mercer threatened her family.”

“Do you know the address?”

Victor wrote it on a hospital notepad.

“Adam.”

“What?”

“Evelyn knows about Alice.”

Adam folded the page.

“Then I leave now.”

Ortiz insisted on coming.

Grace wanted to go as well.

Dr. Kim refused to discharge her.

Lily remained in bed with the baby stable.

Adam gave her Anne Donovan’s recording.

He sat beside her while she listened.

When her mother’s voice said that Brennan wanted her, Lily covered her mouth.

Adam held her through the final minutes.

“My whole life, I thought he chose silence because I did not matter,” she whispered.

“He chose silence because he was afraid.”

“That does not make it right.”

“No.”

“But it makes the truth different.”

Adam nodded.

“Do you want to meet Rebecca Brennan?”

“Eventually.”

“What do you want now?”

“For you to find Alice.”

Adam kissed her forehead.

Marlow was a small town near the Wisconsin border.

Alice Ward lived in a white farmhouse surrounded by bare apple trees.

No one answered the door.

Ortiz found fresh tire tracks beside the barn.

Adam looked through a kitchen window.

A kettle steamed on the stove.

The back door stood open.

They entered.

A chair had been knocked over.

A broken cup lay near the table.

Ortiz drew her weapon.

“Alice?”

A sound came from the cellar.

They found an elderly woman sitting on the bottom step.

Her hands were tied.

She had a bruise on her forehead but remained alert.

Ortiz cut the ropes.

“Are you Alice Ward?”

The woman looked at Adam.

“You have Jonathan’s eyes.”

Adam knelt.

“Who did this?”

“A woman.”

“Evelyn?”

“No.”

“Who?”

“Claire Donovan.”

Adam stared at her.

“Claire tied you?”

“She came asking about Lily.”

“Where is she now?”

“She took my evidence.”

“What evidence?”

“A vial containing Jonathan’s blood.”

“Why did you keep it?”

“Because Mercer changed the death samples.”

“You knew he poisoned Jonathan.”

“I saw him inject something into the whiskey bottle.”

“Did you tell the police?”

“The police report was written before they interviewed me.”

“By Lieutenant Ellis’s father.”

Alice nodded.

“Claire said she needed the vial to prove the murder.”

“Why tie you?”

“She said I would call Evelyn.”

“Would you?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

Alice looked frightened.

“Claire is not working alone.”

“With whom?”

“She received a call.”

“Did you hear the voice?”

“A man.”

“What did he say?”

“He told her phase two was complete.”

Adam and Ortiz exchanged a look.

“Did she use a name?” Ortiz asked.

“Yes.”

“What name?”

“Victor.”

Adam closed his eyes.

Victor had confessed part of the truth while continuing to direct events.

Alice grabbed his sleeve.

“There is something else.”

“What?”

“The baby is not safe at the hospital.”

Adam’s chest tightened.

“Why?”

“Mercer trained another doctor.”

“Who?”

Alice swallowed.

“Rachel Kim.”

Adam stood so quickly that the chair behind him fell.

Ortiz reached for her phone.

There was no signal inside the farmhouse.

They ran outside.

Adam called Lily.

No answer.

He called again.

The call went directly to voicemail.

Then Dr. Kim answered Lily’s phone.

Her voice sounded calm.

“Adam.”

“Where is my wife?”

“She is resting.”

“Put her on.”

“I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because Lily went into labor twenty minutes ago.”

Adam stopped beside the car.

“She is only thirty-two weeks.”

“I know.”

“Is the baby coming?”

“Yes.”

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Dr. Kim lowered her voice.

“And someone has locked the entire maternity floor from the outside.”