Chapter 9: The Doctor's Secret
Dad looked as though someone had struck him.
“Dr. Helen Morris has been my doctor for fifteen years.””
Laura carefully examined the prescription image.
“Does she know anything about this?””
“I'll call her.””
Laura raised a hand.
“Not yet. Let's verify the document through her office first. We don't want to compromise any investigation.””
Dad reluctantly put his phone down.
I stared at the photograph.
The prescription had my name, my date of birth, and an address I hadn't used in two years.
But I had never visited that clinic.
I had never received that prescription.
And I had certainly never signed the form.
“Why would Vanessa involve our doctor?”” I asked.
Laura looked at the document.
“If someone wanted to create a false medical history, using a legitimate provider's identity would make the paperwork appear more convincing.””
Dad's face hardened.
“She was trying to make it look like Emily had a psychiatric problem.””
“Possibly. But we need to know whether the doctor was involved or whether her credentials were misused.””
Laura contacted the clinic through its official number.
She explained that a document bearing the doctor's name had been submitted as evidence in a disputed family matter.
The clinic administrator agreed to arrange an urgent verification.
While we waited, Dad called his company's financial director.
He asked him to investigate every recent transaction connected to Vanessa.
Then he asked for a full audit of the construction company's administrative records.
“I want every document she ever accessed,” he said.
“Every login. Every transfer. Every authorization.””
His voice was steady.
But I could see the anger in his eyes.
A few minutes later, the clinic called back.
Laura answered.
She listened carefully.
Then she asked the administrator to send an official written statement.
When the call ended, she turned toward us.
“Dr. Morris says she never prescribed medication to Emily.””
Dad exhaled.
“Then how did her signature get on the document?””
“The clinic believes someone copied it from an older prescription form.””
I frowned.
“Could Vanessa have obtained one?””
Dad looked at the paper.
“She had access to some of my medical files when she helped organize the insurance paperwork.””
Laura nodded.
“That may explain how she obtained the signature image. But we need the clinic to preserve its original records and confirm that the prescription was never issued.””
She turned toward me.
“Emily, did you ever give Vanessa access to your personal medical information?””
“No.””
“Did you ever leave any identification documents in the house?””
“My passport and some old paperwork were in my bedroom.””
Dad looked at me.
“Where?””
“In the desk drawer.””
He immediately stood.
We went upstairs.
My bedroom door was open.
I hadn't noticed anything unusual when I came home earlier, but now I began examining the desk.
The drawer containing my old documents was slightly open.
I pulled it out.
My passport was there.
So was my birth certificate.
But a small folder containing photocopies of my identification was missing.
I looked at Dad.
“Someone took these.””
He called Laura.
She told us not to disturb anything else until the security company could document the room.
Dad checked the hallway camera.
At 2:17 p.m. the previous day, someone had entered the upstairs hallway.
The image showed Vanessa.
She had used her old house key.
She walked directly toward my bedroom.
She remained inside for seven minutes.
Then she left carrying a thin folder.
Dad stared at the recording.
“She came back into the house.””
I felt sick.
“She took my documents.””
Laura watched the footage twice.
“That's important. We'll preserve the original recording and include it in the report.””
Dad changed the locks immediately.
He also arranged for a locksmith to secure the office and the remaining storage areas.
By midnight, our home had become a place of locked doors, security checks, and unanswered questions.
I barely slept.
At seven the next morning, Laura called.
She had received the clinic's written statement.
The statement confirmed that no appointment had ever been booked under my name.
No examination had taken place.
No prescription had been issued.
And the signature on the document had been copied from an old prescription belonging to my father.
I looked at Dad.
“So Vanessa used your medical records to fake mine?””
Laura nodded.
“It appears that way.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“Why would she go to this much trouble?””
Laura answered quietly.
“Because she may have believed that if Emily appeared unstable, it would be easier to challenge her credibility and influence decisions concerning the property.””
I stared at the report.
“Could she use it to make me leave?””
“An allegation alone doesn't establish anything. But it could be used to pressure your father or create a misleading record. That's why it's important to establish that the document is false.””
Dad stood.
“I'm going to the police.””
Laura nodded.
“I've already prepared the supporting material. We'll submit it properly.””
Later that morning, we went to the station.
An investigator named Detective Harris met with us.
He was a broad-shouldered man in his late forties with a calm manner and a habit of listening without interrupting.
He reviewed the pool footage first.
Then the hidden camera recordings.
Then the financial documents, the property authorization, and the medical report.
He took notes throughout.
When he finished, he looked at me.
“Emily, I want to ask you something about the afternoon of the incident.””
I nodded.
“Go ahead.””
“Did Vanessa say anything immediately before pushing you?””
I described the argument.
I told him about the room upstairs, my mother's belongings, and the way Vanessa had grabbed my wrist.
I repeated the words she had spoken beside the pool.
Detective Harris listened carefully.
“Did you believe she intended to seriously hurt you?””
I looked down.
“I don't know what she intended. But she watched me struggle. She had time to help me, and she chose not to.””
He nodded.
“That's important.””
Dad leaned forward.
“What happens now?””
“We'll review the available evidence and determine what additional investigative steps are appropriate. We also need to examine the financial and property-related allegations separately.””
Detective Harris asked whether Vanessa had contacted us since leaving the property.
Dad told him about the envelope and the medical report.
The detective made another note.
Then he asked about the threatening messages.
Dad showed him the photographs.
Detective Harris studied the one showing Vanessa outside our gate with the unidentified man.
“Do you recognize the person beside her?””
Dad shook his head.
“No.””
The detective enlarged the image.
He looked at it for several seconds.
Then he asked for a copy.
“There's something familiar about this vehicle,” he said.
“What?”” I asked.
He pointed toward the dark sedan.
“We've seen it near another property-related complaint.””
Dad frowned.
“What complaint?””
Detective Harris hesitated.
“I can't discuss another investigation in detail. But I can tell you we'll be looking into whether the incidents are connected.””
The meeting continued for another twenty minutes.
Before we left, Detective Harris asked us to preserve all communications and avoid contacting Vanessa.
He also arranged for the original security recordings to be transferred through an approved evidence process.
Outside the station, Dad looked exhausted.
“Let's go home.””
But when we reached the driveway, we found something waiting at the gate.
A large cardboard box.
There was no return address.
Dad stopped the car.
“Don't touch it.””
He called the police.
Officers arrived shortly afterward and inspected the package.
There was no dangerous material inside.
Instead, the box contained a collection of old photographs, documents, and a small USB drive.
The photographs showed Vanessa with different people.
Some were taken at restaurants.
Others were taken outside office buildings.
One photograph showed her standing beside a man in a gray suit.
Dad recognized him.
“That's Gregory Shaw.””
I looked at him.
“Who?””
“An attorney who handled some of my company's contracts years ago.””
Dad picked up another photograph.
This one showed Vanessa outside a bank.
She was holding a folder.
The date was from nearly a year earlier.
Then he found a printed email.
The message was addressed to Gregory.
It read:
*The authorization needs to be completed before Richard becomes suspicious. If the transfer goes through, the remaining documents will be easier to handle.*
Dad stared at the page.
“Gregory was helping her?””
Laura arrived shortly afterward.
She examined the box and its contents.
“We need to verify where this came from. Don't assume the sender is trustworthy.””
She had the USB drive copied and analyzed.
Several files appeared.
One was a spreadsheet listing payments made from an account associated with Vanessa.
Another contained scanned legal documents.
The third was an audio recording.
Laura played it.
Vanessa's voice filled the room.
“Gregory, I don't care what you have to do. I need the property authorization to look legitimate.””
A man's voice answered.
“You need to be careful. If Richard discovers this, it could become a serious problem.””
Vanessa laughed.
“He won't. He's too busy worrying about his daughter.””
The man replied:
“And the insurance beneficiary?””
“Already handled.””
I felt cold.
Dad leaned closer.
The recording continued.
“Once the house is transferred, I'll have enough money to leave. I never intended to spend the rest of my life pretending to love that man.””
Dad looked away.
Laura paused the recording.
Nobody spoke.
Then she opened the spreadsheet.
There were several transfers to an account associated with Gregory Shaw.
The total was more than $60,000.
Dad's face tightened.
“He was my attorney.””
Laura nodded.
“Then we need to determine whether he acted in a professional capacity, whether he had any legitimate reason to receive these payments, and whether he participated in preparing the documents.””
I stared at the screen.
The man who had helped Vanessa prepare the transfer might have been someone Dad had trusted with his business for years.
But there was another file.
A photograph of a handwritten page.
It contained a list of names and amounts.
At the bottom was a short note.
*After the transfer, close the accounts and move the money offshore.*
Dad sat down.
Laura looked at him.
“Richard, we may be dealing with a coordinated financial scheme rather than a single unauthorized document.””
He nodded slowly.
Then he looked at me.
“I thought this was about getting you out of the house.””
I swallowed.
“So did I.””
Laura opened the final audio file.
The timestamp was dated two days before Vanessa pushed me into the pool.
She pressed play.
Vanessa's voice came through again.
“Emily is becoming a problem. If she stays, Richard will keep delaying everything.””
The man answered.
“Then make sure she doesn't have a reason to stay.””
Vanessa replied:
“I've already arranged that.””
The recording ended.
Dad stood abruptly.
“That's enough.””
But Laura wasn't finished.
She checked the file information.
The recording had been created on a phone registered to Vanessa.
And the other participant was identified in the audio metadata.
Laura turned the laptop toward us.
The name appeared on the screen.
*Gregory Shaw.*
Dad stared at it.
Then his phone rang.
He answered.
“Richard Carter.””
A man's voice spoke.
“Richard, this is Gregory. I heard you've been asking questions about some old paperwork.””
Dad's expression hardened.
“Where did you get my number?””
There was a pause.
Then Gregory said something that made Laura immediately reach for her notebook.
“Because Vanessa told me you found the recordings.””
Dad looked at me.
“How do you know about the recordings?””
Gregory laughed quietly.
“Richard, I think we should meet. There's something you need to understand about your wife.””
Dad's voice dropped.
“She is no longer my wife in any way that matters.””
Gregory ignored the comment.
“Then perhaps I should tell you what she was planning to do after the property transfer.””
Dad froze.
“What?””
Gregory lowered his voice.
“She wasn't planning to leave you with the house, Richard.””
A pause.
“She was planning to leave you with nothing.””
Then he hung up.
Laura immediately contacted Detective Harris.
Dad sat down, staring at his phone.
I reached for his hand.
He squeezed it.
For the first time, I understood that the pool incident had only been the beginning.
Vanessa hadn't simply wanted me gone.
She had wanted the house, the money, and the freedom to disappear.
And now someone who had helped her was beginning to turn against her.
May you like
But why?
What had Gregory Shaw discovered that made him suddenly decide to contact my father?
