Chapter 3: The Ultrasound
Nobody moved.
Tessa's envelope sat between us.
White.
Sealed.
Ordinary.
It looked absurdly harmless for something that had just turned my entire life upside down.
I pointed at it.
"What is that?""
"Proof.""
"Of what?""
"Why I came to you.""
Dr. Mason looked at Tessa.
"Start talking.""
She shook her head.
"Not here.""
"Then where?""
Tessa looked at the locked door.
"Somewhere Roy can't hear us.""
My anger flared.
"Don't involve him in another secret.""
She looked at me.
"You still don't understand.""
"No. I understand perfectly. You walked into my office yesterday and told me to divorce my husband.""
"I had to.""
"Why?""
"Because I needed you to look at something.""
"What?""
"My ultrasound.""
She pulled a tablet from her purse.
Her hands were shaking.
She opened a file.
The screen showed a grainy ultrasound image.
I stepped closer.
My professional instincts took over.
I studied the image.
The gestational age.
The measurements.
The fetal position.
Then I noticed something.
"Where was this performed?""
"St. Catherine's.""
"Who was the sonographer?""
"I don't know.""
"Who ordered it?""
"Daniel Mercer.""
I looked at Mason.
He whispered, "D.M.""
Tessa nodded.
"Daniel Mercer doesn't exist.""
"Then who ordered your ultrasound?""
"I don't know.""
I turned back to the image.
"How did you get pregnant?""
Tessa's eyes filled with tears.
"I was trying to have a baby.""
"With Roy?""
"No.""
"Then why are you saying it's his?""
She took a breath.
"Because the hospital told me it was.""
My stomach tightened.
"Explain.""
Tessa sat.
"Six months ago, I started fertility treatment.""
Mason frowned.
"Where?""
"At a private clinic connected to the hospital.""
I knew the clinic.
I'd consulted there before.
Tessa continued.
"They told me my chances were low. Then one day, they called and said they had a donor match.""
"A donor?""
"Yes.""
"Anonymous?""
She nodded.
"I signed everything.""
I looked at the ultrasound again.
"When was the embryo transferred?""
"Twenty-two weeks ago.""
My mind calculated.
Twenty-two weeks.
Exactly what she'd told me.
"And the paperwork listed Roy as the biological father?""
"No.""
She looked at me.
"That's what was strange.""
"Then why did you say the baby was his?""
"Because three days ago, someone sent me a message.""
She pulled out her phone.
The message was short.
*Your donor is Roy Callahan.*
Under it was a photograph.
A medical consent form.
Roy's signature appeared at the bottom.
My breath caught.
I knew that signature.
I'd watched him sign thousands of charts.
"That's impossible.""
Tessa nodded.
"That's what I thought.""
I took the phone.
The consent form listed Roy as the sperm donor.
But something bothered me.
The date.
I stared at it.
"Where was Roy on this date?""
Tessa looked confused.
"I don't know.""
I did.
I remembered.
It was the day Roy had taken me to my sister's birthday dinner.
He had left work at 4:30.
We'd eaten together at 7:00.
I'd been beside him all evening.
Unless—
I stopped.
"Give me the original.""
"What?""
"The document.""
"I only have this photograph.""
"Who sent it?""
"Unknown number.""
"Call it.""
Tessa hesitated.
"I tried.""
"What happened?""
"It was disconnected.""
Mason walked to the door.
"We need to leave.""
"Why?""
"Because whoever created this document knows you're investigating.""
I looked at him.
"How do you know?""
He pointed at Tessa's phone.
"Because that message wasn't sent to her by accident.""
My own phone vibrated.
I pulled it from my pocket.
Unknown number.
One message.
*You should have listened to your husband.*
Then another.
*Stop digging.*
My hands went cold.
Tessa saw my face.
"What is it?""
I showed her.
She started crying.
Mason locked the office door again.
"Vanessa, listen to me carefully.""
"I'm listening.""
"Roy has been trying to expose someone inside the hospital.""
"I know.""
"No. You don't.""
He took a breath.
"The altered surgical charts aren't about one dead patient.""
"What are they about?""
"Organ procurement.""
The word hung in the air.
I stared at him.
"That's impossible.""
"I wish it were.""
"You're saying someone is falsifying surgical records?""
"And patient identities.""
"Why?""
Mason looked at Tessa.
"Because some patients aren't who the hospital says they are.""
Tessa wiped her eyes.
"My fertility records were changed too.""
I turned.
"What?""
"They told me the donor was anonymous. But after I received the message, I requested my original file.""
"And?""
"It didn't exist.""
Mason's expression tightened.
"That's because it was replaced.""
My mind raced.
A fake donor.
A fake consent form.
Altered medical records.
A nonexistent man.
And my husband secretly investigating all of it.
I suddenly understood why Roy had looked terrified when I'd said D.M.
He hadn't been afraid I'd discover an affair.
He'd been afraid I'd discover the investigation.
But there was still one question.
Why had Tessa been sent to me?
She looked at me as though she could read my thoughts.
"Because they knew you would believe a pregnant woman.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"They knew you're a gynecologist.""
"So?""
"They knew I'd be the most convincing person to put in front of you.""
Mason stepped closer.
"They wanted you distracted.""
"From Roy?""
"From the investigation.""
Tessa nodded.
"And it worked.""
I thought about the previous night.
My anger.
My suspicion.
My decision to leave Roy alone.
They had almost succeeded.
Then Tessa said, "There's something else.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
"The baby isn't the reason they chose me.""
"What is?""
She looked down at her stomach.
"The baby is evidence.""
Before I could respond, the office door handle moved.
Once.
Twice.
Then someone spoke from the other side.
"Dr. Mason?""
We all froze.
It was Roy.
"Vanessa?""
I looked at Tessa.
Her face drained of color.
Mason whispered, "Don't open it.""
Roy knocked again.
"Vanessa, I know you're in there.""
I stepped toward the door.
Then Tessa grabbed my wrist.
Her fingers were ice-cold.
"Don't.""
"Why?""
May you like
She looked straight into my eyes.
"Because the man outside isn't alone.""
