Chương 7
“According to the clinic’s records, two remain in storage.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“Could Vanessa have used one?”
“We don’t have evidence of that.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“I know.”
“She says Andrew is the father.”
“I know.”
“So test her.”
“That requires her consent or legal process, and her medical information has privacy protections. We don’t get to take blood because a family has an argument about inheritance.”
“She used a fake report.”
“That changes things. It doesn’t eliminate procedure.”
Claire leaned against the cart.
A toddler nearby was trying to convince his father that a watermelon was a ball.
The father said, “I’m not buying you a fifteen-pound ball.”
The child screamed.
Claire almost envied the simplicity.
“What do we know?” she asked.
“We know your test result was duplicated.”
“Yes.”
“We know Melissa accessed records connected to both you and Vanessa.”
“Yes.”
“We know Vanessa submitted the false report.”
“Yes.”
“We know Andrew and Vanessa had stored embryos.”
“Yes.”
“We do not yet know whether Vanessa’s pregnancy resulted from one of them.”
Claire stared at the oranges.
“Would that matter?”
“To probate?”
“To me.”
Ruiz was quiet.
“That isn’t a police question.”
Claire wished she had not asked.
That evening, Vanessa called.
Claire watched the screen ring until it nearly stopped.
Then she answered.
“What?”
Vanessa’s voice was low.
“You always were gracious.”
“You shoved me into furniture.”
“I’m aware.”
“You didn’t apologize.”
“I’m not calling to discuss the chair.”
“Then we may have nothing to discuss.”
“Melissa has been arrested.”
Claire sat up.
“What?”
“For unauthorized access and falsification of records. Not because of the DNA report alone. There are billing records.”
Claire looked toward the kitchen where Nora was washing dishes.
“How do you know?”
“My attorney.”
“Did you tell her to do it?”
“No.”
“Then why did she?”
Vanessa breathed out.
“I need to talk to you.”
“You are.”
“In person.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“No.”
“Please.”
The word stopped her.
Vanessa Hale did not say please.
Claire lowered her voice.
“Why?”
“Because some of what she did, she did for me.”
There it was.
Claire stood.
Nora turned from the sink.
Claire held up one finger.
“What did she do for you?”
“I’m not discussing this on the phone.”
“You called me.”
“Because I don’t trust Richard and I don’t trust the police to understand what happened before they decide what it means.”
“Police are annoying that way.”
“Claire.”
“Did you tell Melissa to copy my DNA report?”
“No.”
“Did you know she did it?”
Silence.
Claire’s heart began pounding.
“Vanessa.”
“I knew the report wasn’t from my blood.”
Nora shut off the faucet.
Claire’s voice dropped.
“You submitted it anyway.”
“Yes.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“You stood at Andrew’s memorial with that report in your purse.”
“Yes.”
“You told me he fathered your baby.”
“I believe he did.”
“Believe?”
“I need to explain.”
“Then explain now.”
Vanessa made a small sound of frustration.
“The pregnancy is Andrew’s.”
“How do you know?”
“Because the embryo was ours.”
Claire sat down slowly.
Nora came closer.
Vanessa continued.
“Andrew and I created four embryos before his treatment. Two were transferred during our marriage. Neither resulted in a viable pregnancy. Two remained frozen.”
Claire already knew that.
Hearing Vanessa say it made the information feel different.
“Andrew signed papers after the divorce requiring both our consent for any future transfer,” Vanessa said. “You know that?”
“I know now.”
“He changed his mind.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“When?”
“Last year.”
“You were divorced.”
“Yes.”
“He was married to me.”
“Yes.”
The second yes was quieter.
Claire pressed her fingertips against her forehead.
“Did you have an affair?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie now.”
“I’m not.”
“He agreed to have a child with you while he was married to me, but you weren’t sleeping together?”
“It wasn’t like that.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“Every person who has ever cheated says that.”
“We did not have sex.”
“That is not comforting.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Andrew and I lost a child together.”
The sentence came out with no performance.
Claire said nothing.
Vanessa’s voice roughened slightly.
“After the miscarriage, everything in our marriage became about what we’d done wrong. He blamed my father. I blamed him. He blamed himself. We stopped being married long before we divorced.”
“What does that have to do with last year?”
“He called me on the anniversary.”
Claire looked at the window.
“What anniversary?”
“You know which one.”
She did.
The miscarriage.
Andrew had never mentioned the date.
Claire hated him again.
“He asked if I ever thought about the embryos,” Vanessa said. “I said every day.”
“And he told you to use one?”
“Eventually.”
“Where is the consent?”
“He signed a clinic form.”
“Then why fake a paternity test?”
Silence.
Claire’s hand tightened around the phone.
“Vanessa.”
“Because the form disappeared.”
Claire looked at Nora.
Nora mouthed, What?
Claire shook her head.
“Forms don’t disappear.”
“They do in that family.”
“Stop talking about the Hales like you aren’t one.”
Vanessa ignored that.
“Andrew signed consent. Melissa saw him sign it.”
“Melissa, your friend who falsified my medical records?”
“Yes.”
“That’s convenient.”
“I know.”
“Did anyone else see it?”
“Richard.”
Claire stopped breathing for a second.
“What?”
“Ask him.”
“Why would Richard hide it?”
“Because Andrew asked him to.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It will when you see what else Andrew signed.”
Claire stood abruptly.
Nora reached toward her, then stopped.
“What else?”
Vanessa did not answer.
“Vanessa.”
“I’m at the apartment on Congress Street.”
Claire knew it.
Vanessa had kept it after the divorce.
“Come alone.”
“No.”
“You want answers or witnesses?”
“Both.”
“Then bring Nora. She hates me enough to be useful.”
Nora, hearing her name, raised both eyebrows.
Claire almost laughed.
She did not go that night.
For once, she listened to Ruiz.
Instead she called the detective and repeated the conversation word for word as best she could.
Ruiz swore softly when Claire reached the part about Andrew’s alleged consent.
May you like
“You recorded the call?”
“No.”
