Chapter 3 - THE LETTER MARA LEFT BEHIND
Mara Rossy had been twenty-six when she died.
She worked as a financial compliance analyst at St. Catherine's Medical Center, a private facility specializing in long-term rehabilitation.
According to Gabriel, Mara discovered that patients were being billed for treatments they never received.
Then she found something worse.
Properties connected to the medical center were being purchased through shell companies, refinanced, and sold at inflated values.
The patients were real.
The treatments often weren't.
And the money was disappearing into accounts controlled by people who never visited the hospital.
Paige listened without interrupting.
Gabriel unfolded Mara's letter.
“She sent this to me the week before the fire.”
He handed it over.
The paper had been folded so many times that the creases were nearly transparent.
Gabriel, if anything happens to me, don't believe the official story. The money isn't the worst part. Ask what happened to the patients transferred out of Wing C. Someone has been signing their names after they die.
Paige read the sentence twice.
“After they die?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Mara believed medical identities were being used to create fraudulent insurance claims and property transactions.”
“Did she report it?”
“She tried.”
“What happened?”
“The investigator assigned to her complaint resigned. Three days later, the building burned.”
Paige looked down at the letter.
“Who was the investigator?”
Gabriel's jaw tightened.
“Thomas Vane.”
The name struck her.
“Wait.”
Gabriel looked up.
“Do you know him?”
“Colin mentioned a Thomas Vane. He said the man handled difficult compliance issues for his father.”
Gabriel went still.
“When?”
“Last winter.”
“Where?”
“At Richard's house. Colin was drunk. He said Vane had been paid enough to forget an entire hospital.”
Gabriel stared.
“Did he say anything else?”
Paige closed her eyes, searching her memory.
“He said something about a basement.”
Gabriel leaned forward.
“What basement?”
“I don't know.”
“Try.”
She opened her eyes.
“Don't do that.”
He stopped.
“Do what?”
“Talk to me like I'm a witness you're interrogating.”
Gabriel exhaled.
“You're right.”
He stepped back.
“I'm sorry.”
Paige studied him.
It was the first apology she'd heard from a powerful man that didn't immediately come with an excuse.
That evening, Paige called her former roommate, June.
They had shared a cramped apartment during the two years Paige lived under a different surname.
June answered on the third ring.
“Paige?”
“Hi.”
A pause.
Then:
“Oh my God. Are you safe?”
Paige closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Your wedding is everywhere.”
“I know.”
“There's video of some man throwing Colin onto church steps.”
Paige glanced toward the window.
“It's complicated.”
“Is he holding you somewhere?”
“No.”
“Can you leave?”
“Yes.”
June exhaled.
“Then come here.”
Paige looked down.
She wanted to.
She wanted her old apartment, her old coffee shop, and the ordinary comfort of a woman who knew she hated mushrooms.
But Colin knew where June lived.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because he might come looking.”
June was quiet.
Then she said, “You know you can stay with me anyway.”
Paige's throat tightened.
“I know.”
After the call, Paige found Gabriel in the library.
“I want my identification back.”
He looked up.
“Colin has it?”
“Yes. He took my wallet the day before the wedding.”
Gabriel nodded.
“I'll have my attorney help you replace everything.”
“Not one of your men?”
“An attorney.”
Paige considered that.
“Good.”
She started to leave.
“Paige?”
She turned.
Gabriel held up Mara's letter.
“You don't have to help me with this.”
She looked at the envelope.
Then thought of Colin's hands around her throat.
Of Arthur's silence.
Of all the people who had looked away.
May you like
“I know,” she said.
“But I want to.”
