Chapter 8 - The Wrong Hospital
University Medical Center was twelve minutes away.
Claire made it in nine.
The contractions were real now, sharp and close together. Nurses rushed her into labor and delivery while Maya stayed on the phone with federal authorities and Rosa gave a statement to hospital security.
A resident examined Claire and frowned.
"You're thirty-four weeks. We need to slow this down if we can."
"Can the baby survive?"
"Yes. But we want every hour we can get."
Claire gripped the bed rails. "Nobody named Bennett gets access to me or my records."
The resident nodded. "We can flag your chart."
"And no Dr. Celia Rusk."
That got his attention.
He left to find the attending physician.
Twenty minutes later, Maya entered wearing a visitor badge. "Federal agent named Tessa Ward is on the way. She wants the full video and Rosa's statement."
"What about Miguel?"
"Columbus police went to the greenhouse. He's gone."
Claire closed her eyes.
"He was there because he helped me."
"This is not on you."
A nurse entered pushing medication.
"Something to help with the contractions," she said.
Claire looked at the syringe.
"What is it?"
The nurse named a drug Claire did not recognize.
Maya frowned. "The doctor said she was waiting on labs."
The nurse hesitated.
Claire's body went rigid.
"What's your name?"
The woman's badge read K. MILLER.
But the photograph on the badge was not her.
Maya saw it too.
"Step away from the IV."
The woman bolted.
Maya grabbed the rolling tray and shoved it sideways, blocking the doorway. Security tackled the woman in the hall.
Inside her pocket they found a prepaid phone.
The last outgoing call had gone to Daniel.
Claire stared at the screen while another contraction rolled through her.
Agent Tessa Ward arrived forty minutes later, compact and unsmiling, with a federal badge and zero interest in the Bennett family name.
"We have enough to open a corruption inquiry," she said. "But attempted murder is still local unless we can tie it to the financial conspiracy."
"Mercer is local," Maya said.
"I noticed."
Ward watched Charles's second video.
At the end, Charles gave an account number tied to Eleanor's shell company and then said something no one expected.
"If I die before I can expose them, speak to Evelyn."
Claire looked at Rosa.
"Who's Evelyn?"
Rosa's face changed.
"Daniel's sister."
"Daniel told me both his sisters live overseas."
"One does," Rosa said. "Evelyn does not."
"Where is she?"
Rosa swallowed.
"In a psychiatric facility outside Dayton."
Claire stared at her.
May you like
Rosa's voice dropped.
"Eleanor put her there twelve years ago."
