Chapter 10 - Evelyn Bennett's Last Night
Twenty-six years earlier, Evelyn Bennett had arrived at St. Catherine's Hospital alone.
She was twenty-four.
She worked as a bookkeeper.
She lived in a small apartment in Queens.
And she was terrified.
Not of childbirth.
Of the Whitmore family.
Three months earlier, Adrian Whitmore had ended their relationship.
He had promised marriage.
Promised a home.
Promised that his mother would eventually accept her.
Then Eleanor discovered the pregnancy.
Everything changed.
Evelyn received a letter from Margaret Vale informing her that Adrian denied paternity.
A week later, someone offered her money to leave New York.
Evelyn refused.
She had no intention of selling her child.
On June 16, she called Adrian.
The conversation was recorded on an answering machine in her apartment.
Hannah's mother eventually recovered the tape.
Now, twenty-six years later, investigators played it inside a conference room.
Evelyn's voice came first.
"Adrian, I'm going to the hospital tomorrow."
Adrian sounded exhausted.
"Evelyn, please."
"I need you there."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"My family—"
"Your family doesn't get to decide whether our daughter has a father."
Silence.
Evelyn's voice broke.
"I don't want your money."
"I know."
"I want you to look at your little girl."
Adrian whispered, "I'm trying."
"No."
She began crying.
"You're hiding."
The recording ended.
Daniel listened without moving.
Hannah sat beside Claire.
Adrian stood opposite them, his hands folded.
When the tape stopped, Claire looked at him.
"That was my mother?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
Claire swallowed.
"Did you go?"
Adrian lowered his eyes.
"No."
"Why?"
"I was afraid."
Claire stared at him.
"Of your mother?"
"Yes."
She shook her head.
"You let her give birth alone because you were afraid of your mother."
Adrian began crying.
"I know."
Claire stood.
"I used to imagine my biological father."
Her voice trembled.
"I imagined someone who didn't know I existed."
Adrian looked up.
"Claire—"
"I thought maybe he was dead."
He said nothing.
"I never imagined he was sitting in an office a few miles away, helping people pretend I didn't exist."
Adrian covered his face.
Claire walked toward the door.
Before leaving, she stopped.
"One question."
Adrian looked up.
"Did you know my mother died?"
His eyes filled.
"Yes."
"Did you attend her funeral?"
"No."
Claire nodded slowly.
"That's what I needed to know."
She left.
Later that evening, Hannah met Samuel Mercer at the district attorney's office.
He had agreed to cooperate with investigators in exchange for consideration during sentencing.
Hannah wasn't interested in his legal strategy.
She wanted answers.
Mercer sat behind a table.
His hands trembled.
"You look like your mother."
Hannah stared at him.
"Don't talk about her."
He lowered his eyes.
She placed a photograph of Evelyn Bennett on the table.
"Tell me what happened."
Mercer stared at the picture.
For a long moment, he couldn't speak.
Then he began.
"Evelyn developed severe bleeding after delivery."
"Why wasn't she treated immediately?"
"There were delays."
"What kind of delays?"
Mercer swallowed.
"The operating team had been redirected."
"By whom?"
He looked away.
Hannah leaned forward.
"Samuel."
He closed his eyes.
"By me."
"Why?"
"Because Eleanor wanted the Whitmore child transferred before Daniel returned."
Hannah stared.
"You diverted doctors from a bleeding woman to help kidnap a baby?"
Mercer began crying.
"I didn't understand how serious her condition had become."
Hannah's voice turned cold.
"You were a physician."
"I know."
"You knew what hemorrhage could do."
"Yes."
"You knew she was dying."
Mercer lowered his head.
"I know."
Hannah stood.
"You don't get to cry your way out of that."
Mercer covered his face.
She placed another photograph in front of him.
Her mother.
"Did you threaten her?"
Mercer shook his head.
"No."
"Who did?"
"Margaret Vale."
Hannah sat down slowly.
"What did Margaret do?"
Mercer hesitated.
"She discovered your mother had copied the original records."
"And?"
"She hired someone to retrieve them."
Hannah felt cold.
"Six weeks before my mother died?"
Mercer looked at her.
"Yes."
Hannah pressed her hands against the table.
"Did Margaret have her attacked?"
Mercer's voice dropped.
"I don't know."
"Then tell me what you do know."
He swallowed.
"Your mother wasn't killed because she had the hospital bracelets."
Hannah stared.
"Then why?"
Mercer looked toward the investigator seated beside the door.
"Because she discovered who authorized the first falsified death certificate."
Hannah shook her head.
"We already know Eleanor gave the order."
Mercer looked up.
"She gave the order to move Grace."
"What's the difference?"
Mercer's voice trembled.
"Someone else prepared the certificate before Eleanor knew Caroline was in labor."
Hannah felt her chest tighten.
May you like
"Who?"
Mercer whispered, "Margaret Vale."
