Chapter 5: The Nurse’s Secret
Sarah Mitchell had not been assigned to Emily by accident.
Three years earlier, Sarah’s younger brother, Jacob, had received a scholarship from the Montgomery Foundation.
At least, that was what his acceptance letter claimed.
The money never reached his university.
Jacob was forced to withdraw after one semester.
He later learned that the foundation had reported paying him nearly one hundred thousand dollars.
He had received less than five thousand.
Sarah spent two years asking questions.
Each time, the Montgomery Foundation sent polite letters promising a review.
Then Jacob died in a car crash on a rain-soaked highway.
Police called it an accident.
Sarah never believed them.
“He told me someone was following him,” she said quietly inside Emily’s hospital room. “A black town car.”
Emily’s eyes moved toward the photograph of Gerald Pike’s vehicle.
“Did he describe the driver?”
“Gray gloves.”
Daniel and Ortiz exchanged a look.
Sarah continued.
“Jacob had gathered records from other scholarship recipients. Many had the same problem. The foundation claimed enormous payments. The students received almost nothing.”
“Where are the records?” Emily asked.
“Jacob hid them.”
“Do you know where?”
Sarah shook her head.
“He said he left them somewhere rich people never look.”
Ethan sat in the corner, pale and hollow-eyed.
“My family’s foundation helped thousands of people.”
Sarah turned toward him.
“Your family used thousands of people.”
He flinched.
Emily almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Detective Ortiz’s phone rang.
She answered, listened, then stepped toward Daniel.
“They found Gerald Pike.”
“Alive?” Daniel asked.
Ortiz’s expression changed.
“In a private care facility outside Albany. He’s been there for eleven months under another name.”
“Why?”
“According to the facility, he suffered a severe head injury.”
Emily felt cold despite the blankets covering her.
“What caused it?”
Ortiz looked at her.
“A car accident.”
The same month Jacob Mitchell died.
The detectives prepared to leave for Albany.
Before Ortiz reached the door, Sarah spoke again.
“There’s something else.”
She opened a drawer and removed a plastic evidence bag.
Inside was a small vial.
“This was delivered to the nursing station this morning. It was labeled as Emily’s pain medication.”
Daniel examined it.
“Was it prescribed?”
“No.”
Sarah’s face had lost all color.
“If I had injected it without checking the medication code, she might not have survived.”
Emily looked toward Ethan.
May you like
He stared at the vial.
The third plan had arrived.
