Chapter 7 - Nathan at the Door
Leah pushed the bassinet behind her.
Nathan stepped into the room.
“Don’t.”
His face looked terrible.
“Leah, listen.”
“You knew.”
“I didn’t know all of it.”
“You asked what happens after seventy-two hours.”
His eyes closed.
“I was scared.”
“So you planned to have me locked in a psychiatric unit?”
“I thought it would be temporary.”
“And Caleb?”
Nathan looked toward the bassinet.
“Mom said you needed rest.”
“Your mother said the baby would leave with family.”
“She said you’d get him back.”
Leah laughed once.
It hurt her incision.
“She also said temporary becomes permanent.”
Nathan’s face collapsed.
“You heard that?”
“I heard everything.”
She lifted her phone.
For the first time, real fear entered his eyes.
“You recorded it?”
“Yes.”
“Leah, give me the phone.”
“No.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
He lowered his voice.
“My mother.”
Leah stared at him.
“You brought her here.”
“I know.”
“You authorized the evaluation.”
“I know.”
“You helped create the story that I was unstable.”
“I didn’t understand where she was taking it.”
“You asked about the trust.”
Nathan looked away.
There it was again.
Shame.
Money.
Fear.
The three things controlling him.
Leah moved closer to Caleb.
“What trust?”
Nathan sat against a shelf.
“My grandfather created it.”
Leah waited.
“It was supposed to transfer when the first male great-grandchild was born.”
“So Caleb.”
“Yes.”
“Who controls it?”
“The legal guardian designated by the Carver family trustee.”
“Your mother.”
Nathan nodded.
Leah felt sick.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Mom said it would complicate things.”
“Eight point two million dollars complicated things?”
“She said the money belonged to the family.”
“I am your family.”
Nathan looked at the floor.
“Not to her.”
The door suddenly opened again.
Mae entered with a hospital security officer and Dr. Vale.
Mae looked at Nathan.
“How did you get that key?”
Nathan held it up.
“My mother gave it to me.”
Mae’s expression hardened.
Only staff had access to that key.
Which meant Doreen had help inside the hospital.
Dr. Vale looked at Leah.
“I’ve formally documented that I found no basis for an involuntary psychiatric hold.”
Relief nearly buckled her knees.
Then he added.
“But someone has already entered a second request under another physician’s name.”
“Who?”
Mae answered.
“Dr. Celia Rusk.”
Nathan stood.
Mae stopped him.
“Security is locking down the maternity unit.”
Nathan looked through the doorway.
“Where is my mother?”
Nobody answered.
Then every light in the supply room went dark.
A second later, the entire maternity ward lost power.
Emergency lights flashed red.
Somewhere outside, a newborn security alarm began screaming.
Mae turned toward Caleb’s bassinet.
May you like
His identification transmitter was no longer blinking.
Someone had just disabled the infant tracking system.
