Chương 4
“Your pressure’s okay. Heart rate’s high.”
“No kidding.”
A corner of Dana’s mouth moved.
Not a smile.
Almost.
Lauren hated that she noticed.
“Where’s my phone?” she asked.
Dana’s expression changed.
“I don’t know.”
“Was taking it part of the plan?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“What else was part of it?”
Dana removed the cuff.
“I was supposed to take Noah to the nursery when you fell asleep. A nurse from another unit was supposed to bring Claire’s baby down after the morning staffing change. The bands would be switched. Records were supposed to be corrected before discharge.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“That seems to be your favorite answer.”
“It’s the true one.”
Lauren stared at her.
“You expect me to trust true from you?”
“No.”
The simplicity of it stopped her.
Dana folded the cuff.
“I expect you to verify everything I say.”
Dennis knocked once before opening the door.
A woman in a gray suit stood behind him holding a hospital badge and a legal pad. Another man, younger, wearing a navy sweater over a collared shirt, held a phone in both hands.
The woman introduced herself as Rebecca Lang, chief nursing officer.
The man was hospital counsel.
Lauren almost smiled.
“Of course you brought a lawyer.”
Rebecca glanced at him.
“He came because of the seriousness of the allegation.”
“No. He came because Margaret Vale is standing in the hall.”
The lawyer began to answer.
Rebecca stopped him with one raised hand.
“Mrs. Mitchell, I’m not going to ask you to surrender your baby.”
“Good.”
“I am going to ask permission for a pediatrician who has not been involved in his care to examine him here in this room.”
“No one takes him anywhere.”
“Understood.”
“And I want my husband.”
“We’re trying to locate your phone.”
“Use yours.”
Rebecca immediately took her phone from her pocket.
Lauren gave Evan’s number.
Her hands shook while Rebecca dialed.
Evan answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
Lauren closed her eyes.
The sound of him nearly undid her.
“Evan.”
There was a pause.
“Whose phone is this?”
“I’m at the hospital.”
“I know you’re at the hospital. I was about to—Lauren, what’s wrong?”
“Come back.”
“What happened?”
She looked at the people around her.
Dana.
Rebecca.
The lawyer.
Dennis at the door.
“I need you here.”
“I’m leaving now.”
“Don’t stop anywhere.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t talk to anyone who calls you about Noah.”
Silence.
“What?”
“Just come.”
“I’m coming.”
She handed the phone back.
Rebecca sat in the chair Dana had vacated.
“Mrs. Mitchell, I need to know exactly what you found.”
Lauren slipped her hand into her cardigan pocket.
Then stopped.
Everyone watched.
She removed her hand empty.
“I have it.”
Rebecca looked at the pocket.
“I’d like to secure it as evidence.”
“No.”
“Mrs. Mitchell—”
“No one from this hospital gets it.”
The lawyer said, “It would help establish chain of custody.”
Lauren turned toward him.
“You had custody of my son.”
He closed his mouth.
Dana looked down.
Rebecca took a slow breath.
“All right.”
Lauren expected pressure.
Instead, Rebecca said, “Keep it.”
The lawyer looked at her.
She ignored him.
“Do not hand it to anyone until law enforcement arrives. We’ll document that you have it. We’ll preserve security footage and access records.”
Dana suddenly said, “Do it now.”
Rebecca turned.
“What?”
“Preserve the footage now. Before anyone has time to touch it.”
The lawyer stared at Dana.
Rebecca’s expression became careful.
“You’re speaking as if you have information.”
Dana said, “I do.”
Margaret’s voice came from the hall.
“She also has criminal exposure.”
Dana went pale.
Lauren looked toward the door.
Margaret stood behind Dennis, no longer pretending not to listen.
Rebecca rose.
“Ms. Vale, I need you to remain outside.”
Margaret’s gaze went to Lauren.
“Ask your nurse who took your phone.”
Dana looked confused.
Lauren’s hand tightened around the blanket.
“What do you mean?”
Margaret gave Dana a strange, almost pitying look.
“Tell her.”
Dana shook her head.
“I didn’t take it.”
“I know you didn’t.”
Rebecca said, “Ms. Vale.”
Margaret stepped backward.
But before Dennis closed the door, she said, “Lionel Pierce is not who she thinks he is.”
The latch clicked.
Lauren stared at Dana.
“Who is he?”
“I told you what I know.”
“You told me what he called himself.”
“Yes.”
“Who is he really?”
“I don’t know.”
Rebecca said, “We need law enforcement involved.”
The lawyer quietly objected that security was still determining whether an actual abduction attempt had occurred.
Rebecca looked at him as if he had said something obscene.
“A patient’s infant was removed from her room and given an unauthorized second identification band during a paid arrangement.”
“We have one employee’s statement.”
“We have enough.”
Lauren noticed the lawyer’s eyes move toward the door.
Toward Margaret.
Rebecca noticed too.
“Call them.”
He hesitated.
Rebecca held out her hand.
“I’ll do it myself.”
He left.
Dana leaned against the wall.
Lauren watched her.
“You knew Margaret would come.”
Dana shook her head.
“I thought Pierce might.”
“Why would Margaret know?”
“I don’t know.”
Lauren gave her a look.
Dana corrected herself.
“I don’t know for certain.”
“That’s different.”
“Yes.”
“Start doing that.”
Dana nodded.
Rebecca asked Lauren if she had eaten.
The question irritated her so much that she laughed.
“I’m sorry?”
“You delivered seven hours ago. You’re nursing. You’ve been awake most of the night. I’m going to have breakfast brought in.”
“I don’t care about breakfast.”
“I know.”
“Then why are we talking about toast?”
“Because your body doesn’t stop being a body because something terrible happened.”
Lauren looked at her.
The sentence was so unpolished and practical that she believed it.
“Fine.”
Rebecca called the desk and asked for food.
For the next ten minutes nothing happened.
May you like
That was almost worse.
Security kept the maternity floor restricted. Nurses whispered in the hall. Someone rolled a bassinet past the room, wheels squeaking. A baby cried two doors down, stopped, and began again. Lauren sat with Noah against her chest while Dana remained near the sink under Dennis’s instruction not to leave.
