Chapter 4 - THE THIRD PERSON
The attempted deletion changed the investigation.
Until that moment, the evidence pointed toward Adrian and Vanessa.
Now we knew their operation extended beyond them.
Marcus ordered the information technology department to isolate the affected servers.
The deletion attempt failed because the foundation maintained an independent backup system.
Whoever tried to erase the records had used an administrator account belonging to Samuel Price, the hospital’s chief financial officer.
Samuel had worked at St. Catherine’s for sixteen years.
He controlled budgets, vendor payments, and financial compliance.
He was also one of Adrian’s closest professional allies.
Richard called him personally.
Samuel answered on the fourth ring.
He claimed he was attending a conference in Boston.
Marcus checked travel records.
Samuel’s plane ticket had been canceled that morning.
His car was still inside the hospital parking garage.
Security officers searched his office.
It was empty.
His computer was running.
A half-finished cup of coffee sat beside the keyboard.
Marcus found a service elevator recording showing Samuel leaving the administrative floor less than ten minutes before the attempted deletion.
He carried a black laptop case.
He never exited the building.
“He is still here,” Marcus said.
St. Catherine’s covered more than two city blocks.
It contained surgical wings, research laboratories, administrative offices, underground tunnels, and mechanical spaces.
Finding one man inside the complex could take hours.
The hospital could not be fully evacuated without endangering patients.
Marcus distributed Samuel’s photograph to security officers.
Then he ordered a controlled search.
While the search continued, Richard moved the emergency board meeting to a secure conference suite.
I sat at one end of a long table surrounded by trustees, lawyers, auditors, and department leaders.
Adrian was brought in with his own attorney.
Vanessa received separate counsel.
She wore a hospital blanket over her ivory dress.
The confidence she had shown in the atrium was gone.
Adrian looked at me as though I had ruined his life.
I reminded myself that he had tried to ruin mine first.
The board chair opened the meeting.
“Doctor Cross, your clinical authority is suspended pending investigation.”
Adrian’s attorney objected.
The chair continued without acknowledging him.
“You are also prohibited from entering any foundation facility without written authorization.”
Adrian leaned forward.
“My patients need me.”
“Your patients will be assigned to qualified physicians.”
“No one here can manage my surgical schedule.”
Richard’s voice was cold.
“This institution existed before you arrived.”
“It will continue after you leave.”
Vanessa interrupted.
“He planned everything.”
Adrian turned toward her.
“You should listen to your lawyer.”
“You told me Claire would be arrested.”
Her lawyer whispered for her to stop talking.
She ignored him.
“You said once the vial was found, security would search her phone and discover the financial files.”
Every person at the table looked at Adrian.
He stared straight ahead.
Vanessa continued.
“You said she would look like an angry wife trying to destroy your career.”
Adrian’s attorney stood.
“This meeting is over.”
“No,” Richard said.
“It is finally becoming useful.”
Vanessa pointed at Adrian.
“He said Samuel would erase the payment logs before anyone could verify them.”
A security officer entered and whispered to Marcus.
Marcus immediately stood.
“Samuel Price has been located.”
“Where?” Richard asked.
“In the pediatric research wing.”
“Why was he there?”
Marcus looked toward me.
“He was found inside the records archive.”
“He had foundation documents, cash, and a passport.”
“He also had a photograph of Claire’s car.”
A chill moved through me.
Richard’s face hardened.
“What kind of photograph?”
Marcus placed a printed image on the table.
May you like
It showed my car parked outside my home.
A red circle had been drawn around the brake line beneath the rear wheel.
