Chapter 13 - The Nurse With the Missing File
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Sophie Cole was twenty-nine, worked in the hospital's records department, and had never met Nora before the accident.
When Raphael's attorney contacted her, she agreed to speak with the investigators.
She arrived at the apartment carrying a small envelope and looking frightened.
"I don't know what my father did," she said. "But I know he was afraid of someone."
Nora invited her to sit.
Sophie explained that her father had resigned from the accounting firm after discovering a series of transactions he could not verify. He had refused to approve the final report and had taken copies of the relevant documents home.
A week later, someone broke into his apartment.
Nothing valuable was stolen.
Only the documents were missing.
"My father left town the next morning," Sophie said. "He told me not to contact him until he was sure it was safe."
"Do you know where he went?" Raphael asked.
"No. He sends messages through an old email account, but he never gives me an address."
Nora leaned forward carefully.
"Why did you come here?"
Sophie looked down at the envelope.
"Because someone asked me to access your hospital records."
The room went still.
"Who?" Raphael asked.
"A man who said he worked for the hospital's security contractor. He told me there had been a billing discrepancy and that the request was urgent."
"Did you access the records?"
Sophie nodded, ashamed.
"I opened the file. I didn't send it to him, but I saw that your room assignment had been changed and that a visitor inquiry had been made under a false name. I reported it to my supervisor the next morning."
"Why didn't you tell the police?"
"I was afraid. I thought I had violated patient privacy rules, and I didn't know whether the man was legitimate."
Nora's expression softened.
"You did the right thing by coming forward."
Sophie opened the envelope.
Inside was a handwritten note from her father.
If anything happens to me, give this to someone independent. Do not give it to Peter. Do not give it to anyone who claims Raphael has already approved it.
Beneath the note was a small storage card.
Raphael's attorney arranged for the card to be examined by an independent forensic specialist. It contained scans of financial records, internal emails, and an audio file.
The audio was short.
A man's voice, later identified provisionally as Peter Sloane, spoke in a low, impatient tone.
"You have signed the report. The money has moved. If you make this a problem now, you will lose more than your job."
Another voice answered.
"I didn't authorize the transfers."
"Your signature is on the paperwork."
"Because you told me it was a routine reconciliation."
The recording ended.
The investigators authenticated the file and compared it with other evidence. The recording did not prove every element of the scheme, but it supported Henry's claim that the transactions had been misrepresented.
Nora felt a strange mixture of relief and sadness.
Henry had tried to stop the fraud.
He had been frightened into silence.
Now his daughter was taking the risk he had been unable to take himself.
Raphael looked at Sophie.
"You're going to need protection."
She shook her head.
"I don't want to be involved in this."
"I understand. You can give your statement through your attorney and let the investigators handle the rest."
Sophie looked at Nora.
"Will they hurt my father?"
Nora answered honestly.
"I don't know. But the evidence may help them find him and protect him."
After Sophie left, Raphael stood by the window.
"Peter has been building this for a long time."
"Yes."
"And Henry was the first person who tried to stop him."
Nora looked at the storage card.
"No. I think Henry was the first person we know about."
Raphael turned.
"What do you mean?"
She pointed to a file in the archive.
It was a list of internal employees who had resigned, been dismissed, or transferred departments during the previous year.
Beside several names were notes about financial discrepancies.
May you like
One name was marked in red.
NORA PELL — ACCESS REVIEW PENDING.
