Chapter 3 - THE LEAK
Rebecca had the article removed within two hours.
That did not erase the screenshots spreading across social media.
The story described Lily’s injury, my emergency petition, and the contents of the clinic report.
Only seven people had access to those documents.
Rebecca contacted the court clerk, the clinic, and the judge’s chambers.
I called Dr. Howard.
He sounded genuinely alarmed.
“Our system shows that someone accessed Lily’s file at 2:13 this afternoon.”
“Who?”
“I can’t disclose that until our privacy officer investigates.”
“Was it you?”
“No.”
“Was it someone from your clinic?”
A long silence followed.
“The login belonged to a temporary billing contractor.”
My blood turned cold.
Jason worked in health-care technology.
His company provided software services to several Chicago clinics.
“Can you preserve the access records?”
“They have already been locked.”
“Please do not warn the person who opened them.”
“I understand.”
When the call ended, Rebecca was watching me.
“You think Jason arranged it.”
“I think he knew the exact clinic before I told anyone.”
“Your location may have been visible through your phone.”
“I disabled location sharing six months ago.”
Rebecca stood.
“Then we examine every possible connection between Jason’s company and that clinic.”
That evening, Lily and I stayed at a furnished apartment Rebecca maintained for clients in immediate danger.
The building used private elevators and twenty-four-hour security.
Lily refused to sleep unless every light remained on.
Whenever footsteps passed in the hallway, she covered her cheek.
“Grandma mad?” she whispered.
“No, sweetheart.”
“Grandma find us?”
“No.”
It was the first promise I gave her that I was not entirely sure I could keep.
At midnight, my phone rang from an unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then a teenage boy spoke.
“Mrs. Bennett?”
“Yes?”
“This is Mason.”
Mason was Brooke’s seventeen-year-old son.
He had been upstairs during the birthday party.
“I’m not supposed to call you.”
“Are you safe?”
“Yes.”
His voice trembled.
“My mom said you’re trying to put Grandma in jail.”
“I’m trying to protect Lily.”
“I know.”
There was a pause.
Then he whispered, “The livestream didn’t end when Mom put the phone under the table.”
I sat upright.
“What do you mean?”
“She thought she stopped it, but the app kept recording for another four minutes.”
“Do you have it?”
“I downloaded the replay before she deleted it.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“What does it show?”
“Everything.”
He inhaled shakily.
“Grandma saying she should have hit Lily harder.”
I closed my eyes.
“What else?”
“Uncle Jason telling everyone to say you pushed her.”
Rebecca was already reaching for a legal pad.
“Mason, do not send the file through ordinary text or email.”
“Why?”
“Because your family may be monitoring your accounts.”
He went silent.
Then he said, “They already took my laptop.”
“Where is the video?”
“On a memory card.”
“Where are you?”
“At Grandma’s condo.”
A door opened in the background.
Mason stopped breathing.
A woman’s voice called his name.
Brooke.
“Mason?” I whispered.
He spoke quickly.
“The card is taped beneath the bottom drawer in the guest bathroom.”
Then the line disconnected.
I called back.
The number had already been blocked.
Rebecca wrote down every word.
“We need that memory card.”
“The order of protection prevents me from going there.”
“You will not go.”
“Then who will?”
May you like
Rebecca looked toward the rain-darkened window.
“Someone Diane Bennett will never suspect.”
