Chapter 6 - The Nurse From Wing C
Anna Vale was alive.
And hiding.
Investigators found old tax address but not current residence.
Then Victor remembered Sophie’s reaction.
“Mommy?”
Could Anna resemble Claire?
Old staff photo answered.
No.
Anna had dark hair.
Claire blonde.
Different face.
Different build.
Sophie should not mistake them visually.
Unless woman at dinner was not Anna.
Invitation name could be stolen.
St. Adrian personnel records showed Anna worked with Dr. Miriam Cross, director of pediatric respiratory research funded partly by Ashford Foundation.
Cross died eighteen months earlier from cancer.
No conspiracy there.
But her archived notes were preserved.
One entry:
ASHFORD INFANT — REMOVE FROM OBSERVATIONAL COHORT IMMEDIATELY. MATERNAL CONSENT WITHDRAWN.
Date:
October 13.
One day before Claire’s hospital event.
Sophie had been enrolled in observational research?
Victor had never consented.
Claire apparently had initially consented to noninvasive monitoring.
Then withdrew.
Why?
Dr. Cross discovered medication kit distributed to Sophie had incorrect vial batch.
Not experimental drug.
Manufacturing mix-up.
At first.
Then laboratory comparison showed wrong batch could not have entered Sophie’s kit through ordinary supply chain.
Someone manually relabeled it.
Claire suspected deliberate tampering.
She took blue vial.
She sampled tiny amount herself.
Her severe reaction was unexpected because Claire had a rare sensitivity to one stabilizing compound.
So vial could indeed have triggered her initial collapse.
But it was not designed as poison.
Someone had manipulated Sophie’s medication for another purpose.
What?
To make her breathing episodes appear more severe.
Why?
Research data.
If Sophie met “high-risk respiratory phenotype” threshold, she qualified for long-term monitoring program.
That program came with funding.
Not millions per child.
About $180,000 annually per high-risk case across clinical network.
Too little to justify murder.
But aggregate program was enormous.
$96 million grant portfolio.
Now motive widened.
Someone might manipulate patient classification to preserve funding.
Victor looked at Eleanor.
“You were on foundation board.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know?”
“No.”
“Michael did.”
Likely.
His logistics audit could have discovered relabeling.
That may explain disappearance.
Then investigator found Anna Vale.
She had changed surname after marriage.
Anna Mercer.
She agreed to meet.
Victor showed dinner footage.
Anna shook head.
“That's not me.”
“Did you know Claire?”
“Yes.”
“Was she alive after 11:43?”
Anna’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
“Did she leave hospital?”
“Yes.”
“With Michael?”
“No.”
Victor leaned forward.
“Then who?”
May you like
Anna whispered:
“With me.”
