Chapter 6 - THE WOMAN WHO SIGNED THE ORDERS
Mrs. Fairbanks had worked at Ravenswood for twenty-eight years.
She had served Alexander's grandfather.
His father.
And then Alexander.
Everyone assumed she was loyal to the family.
Nobody had asked which member.
Investigators questioned her after discovering her signature on several medical supply orders.
She denied wrongdoing.
She said Dr. Voss had authorized the treatments.
She said Richard had approved the expenses.
She said she had merely followed instructions.
Then investigators showed her a photograph.
A sealed container recovered from the west wing.
Her initials were written on the label.
Mrs. Fairbanks went silent.
Her attorney requested a break.
Meanwhile, Alexander's condition began improving.
The tremor lessened.
His heart rhythm stabilized.
Some sensation returned to his fingers.
But recovery was uneven.
There were mornings when he could hold a spoon.
Afternoons when he could barely button his shirt.
Sophie visited whenever she could.
She brought books.
Newspapers.
And once, a ridiculous puzzle featuring a thousand pieces of nearly identical blue sky.
Alexander stared at the box.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
She laughed.
“Apparently your uncle already tried that.”
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Silence.
Then Alexander began laughing.
Not politely.
Not carefully.
He laughed until tears gathered in his eyes.
Sophie covered her mouth.
“I'm sorry.”
He shook his head.
“Don't be.”
When the laughter faded, he looked at her.
“I haven't laughed like that in months.”
The moment stayed with her.
Two days later, Dr. Ortiz confirmed that further testing supported a diagnosis of repeated toxic exposure.
The medical team was treating the consequences and monitoring his recovery.
Investigators were still determining the precise circumstances.
Alexander asked whether the exposure could have caused his memory problems.
“Yes,” Dr. Ortiz said. “It may explain some of them, although we need to continue evaluating you.”
He looked at Sophie.
She saw relief and anger fighting across his face.
He had not imagined everything.
He had not simply become weak.
That evening, Miriam arrived with news.
Mrs. Fairbanks had changed her account.
She admitted that Richard had ordered her to keep Alexander isolated from outside physicians.
She admitted helping schedule private treatments.
And she admitted that staff members who questioned the arrangement were dismissed.
But she insisted she had not known the treatments were harmful.
Miriam looked at Alexander.
“There's more.”
He waited.
“Mrs. Fairbanks says Dr. Voss was paid through a company controlled by your cousin.”
Alexander frowned.
“My cousin?”
“Julian Whitmore.”
Alexander stared.
Julian was twenty-nine.
Charming.
Popular.
And the only person in the family who had visited Alexander regularly during his illness.
Sophie watched Alexander's expression change.
Richard had been the obvious threat.
But the conspiracy might be larger.
Then Miriam placed a photograph on the table.
It showed Julian entering the west wing.
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In his hand was a silver medication case.
The same case Sophie had been accused of stealing.
