Chapter 5 - The Doctor’s Notes
Dr. Elaine Porter had delivered babies for wealthy San Francisco families for twenty-eight years.
Cassidy chose her because Margaret recommended her.
That fact now felt poisonous.
Mara called the clinic.
Porter was unavailable.
Daniel checked Halcyon payments.
Three consulting invoices appeared.
Porter Medical Advisory.
Total.
Nine hundred thousand dollars.
Cassidy stared.
“My obstetrician was being paid by Halcyon?”
“Not officially.”
Daniel said.
“The payments were routed through Holloway Family Wellness.”
Margaret looked toward the window.
Cassidy noticed.
“You knew.”
Margaret turned.
“Knew what?”
“That she was being paid.”
“She advised our family for years.”
“On what?”
Margaret hesitated.
“Private health matters.”
Cassidy felt anger rise.
“Did she falsify my medical records?”
“No.”
Too fast.
Mara opened the actual notes Cassidy had requested months earlier.
Routine pregnancy.
Normal blood pressure.
No psychiatric concern.
Then the Project Heir file.
Different notes.
Patient demonstrates irrational suspicion toward spouse.
Possible prenatal anxiety.
Difficulty regulating emotion.
Mara looked at Cassidy.
“These are not the same records.”
Brendan sat slowly.
Even he looked shaken.
“Victor told me the doctor had concerns.”
Cassidy turned.
“You never asked me?”
“We were separated.”
“You were still planning my child’s guardianship.”
Brendan looked ashamed.
“I thought you were keeping me out.”
Cassidy laughed without humor.
“You were living with Serena.”
He looked away.
Mara ordered preservation of the clinic records.
Then Daniel found another payment.
One hundred fifty thousand.
Victor Lang.
Personal consulting entity.
The insider was not hiding very well now.
Cassidy asked.
“Where is Victor?”
Mara checked.
“He left the office this morning.”
“When?”
“Twenty minutes after Protocol 7.”
Cassidy’s face hardened.
“He knew what Protocol 7 meant.”
Only twelve people inside Halcyon did.
Victor was one.
That meant he had time to destroy evidence.
Maybe move money.
Maybe warn others.
Cassidy looked at Mara.
“Lock his credentials.”
“Already done.”
“Travel alerts?”
“Corporate only.”
“Notify outside counsel.”
“Done.”
Then Cassidy’s phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
A photograph appeared.
Victor Lang standing inside an airport lounge.
Beside him.
Cassidy’s executive assistant.
Naomi Pierce.
Cassidy stared.
Naomi had worked for her for seven years.
She knew Cassidy’s schedule.
Medical appointments.
Trust meetings.
Protocol activation codes.
The message beneath the photograph said.
YOU TRUSTED THE WRONG WOMAN.
May you like
Cassidy’s hand went cold.
The insider was not one person.
