Chapter 8: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
Marcus reached the hospital in less than thirty minutes.
By the time he arrived, two security officers were standing outside my room, and my uncle was speaking with Detective Reed over the phone.
I was sitting upright in bed, pale and furious.
“Someone tried to access my medical records,” I told Marcus as soon as he entered.
“They also asked a nurse whether I was taking medication that could affect my memory.””
His expression darkened.
“Who asked?””
“The nurse said it was a woman wearing a hospital visitor badge. She claimed she was working with the foundation's legal team.””
Marcus looked at my uncle.
“Was anyone from legal authorized to visit?””
“No,” Dr. Brooks replied.
“I checked with Evelyn. She sent no one.””
Detective Reed entered moments later.
“We've reviewed the visitor records. The badge was issued to a contractor who was scheduled to attend the gala, but the contractor says she never came to the hospital.””
“Was the badge stolen?”” Marcus asked.
“We don't know yet. Security is reviewing the access logs and speaking with the staff who saw the visitor.””
I gripped the blanket.
“Why would someone want my medical records?””
My uncle answered carefully.
“Medical information can be misused to challenge someone's credibility, particularly when a public accusation has already been made. But we don't yet know the visitor's motive.””
I looked at Marcus.
“Isabella?””
“We don't know.””
He sat beside me.
“But whoever it was won't be allowed to access your records without authorization.””
I shook my head.
“I don't want another promise. I want to know who's doing this.””
Marcus took my hand.
“So do I.””
Detective Reed stepped closer.
“Mrs. Thorne, did the visitor speak directly to you?””
“No. I never saw her. A nurse told me what happened after security intervened.””
“Did anyone mention Isabella Rossi?””
“The nurse said the visitor asked whether I had become confused or aggressive since the attack.””
The detective wrote something down.
“Thank you. We'll obtain a formal statement from the staff involved.””
When he left, Marcus remained beside me.
I could see that he was trying to hide something.
“What happened at the estate?”” I asked.
He looked at my uncle.
Dr. Brooks nodded.
“Tell her.””
Marcus took a breath.
“Richard admitted he was with my father at the clinic when he died.””
I stared at him.
“He was there?””
“Yes. He also admitted that my father arranged a meeting with Isabella three days before his death.””
My stomach tightened.
“Why?””
“We don't know. But my father left a letter saying Isabella knew why she'd come to the clinic.””
I remembered the photograph.
The date.
The handwritten note.
The anonymous messages.
Everything seemed to point toward a secret that had survived eleven years because the people who knew about it had either remained silent or disappeared.
“Did Richard say anything else?””
Marcus hesitated.
“He claimed the clinic was conducting confidential medical research funded through a private trust. Isabella was involved in the financial arrangements through her family's investment office.””
I looked at him.
“Could that explain the payment?””
“Possibly. But we still don't know what the payment covered, why the records were altered, or why someone is sending us these messages now.””
My uncle folded his arms.
“We need to keep the questions separate. The attack against Khloe is supported by the hospital footage. The attempt to access her medical records is being investigated. The allegations about Charles's death require independent evidence.””
Marcus nodded.
“I know.””
I leaned back against the pillows.
“Then find the doctor.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Helena Voss?””
“Yes. If your father believed she knew something important, she may be the only person who can explain what happened.””
“The detective is checking her records.””
“Good. But don't assume the death certificate proves she died.””
Marcus studied me.
“You think she's alive?””
“I think someone is going to extraordinary lengths to keep us from finding out what happened. That makes me reluctant to accept any document at face value.””
My uncle smiled faintly.
“You're thinking like an investigator.””
“No. I'm thinking like someone who has been lied to too many times.””
A nurse entered to check my condition, and Marcus moved aside so she could examine me.
When she finished, she confirmed that the medical team wanted to continue observing me and would discuss the next steps after reviewing the latest results.
Marcus listened carefully, asking questions without interrupting.
When the nurse left, he sat beside me again.
“I have to attend the board meeting this afternoon,” he said.
I looked at him.
“Go.””
“I don't want you thinking I'm choosing the company over you.””
“I don't.””
He lowered his eyes.
“I just don't know how to fight on two fronts without letting one of them collapse.””
I touched his cheek.
“You don't have to solve everything today. You need to make sure Isabella is held accountable for what she did, protect the foundation, and find out what happened to your father. Those are three separate problems.””
He smiled sadly.
“You make it sound simple.””
“It isn't simple. But panicking won't make it easier.””
He kissed my forehead.
“I'll be back before the meeting ends.””
After he left, my uncle stayed with me while Detective Reed continued investigating the attempted medical-record access.
At one thirty, Patricia Greene arrived with an update.
“The visitor used a badge assigned to a contractor named Melissa Grant,” she explained.
“Ms. Grant has confirmed that she left her badge with the event staffing office after the gala. She says she did not authorize anyone to use it.””
“Can you identify who took it?”” my uncle asked.
“Not yet. The staffing office is reviewing its records.””
I looked at Patricia.
“Did the visitor manage to access my medical records?””
“No. The access attempt was blocked, and your records remain restricted. We have also strengthened the authorization requirements for anyone requesting information about your care.””
I exhaled.
“Thank you.””
Patricia nodded.
“We'll continue investigating.””
When she left, I closed my eyes.
I was tired of being watched, discussed, and treated like a problem to be managed.
For years, people had told me how fortunate I was to be married to Marcus Thorne. They had assumed his wealth protected me from ordinary fears.
They didn't understand that wealth could make a person a target for people who believed every relationship had a price.
And now someone was trying to use my pregnancy, my medical condition, and my marriage to manipulate the truth.
At three forty, Marcus called.
“Khloe, I need you to listen carefully.””
I sat up.
“What happened?””
“The board meeting has been postponed.””
“Why?””
“Because Evelyn discovered that the altered succession agreement was submitted using an electronic signature linked to a device registered to Richard's administrative office.””
I stared at the phone.
“Does that prove Richard altered it?””
“No. It establishes a connection that needs to be investigated. The office is used by several people, and the device may have been shared.””
“What did Richard say?””
“He denies authorizing the submission. He says someone could have used his credentials.””
I rubbed my forehead.
“Another shared account.””
“Exactly.””
“Marcus, do you believe him?””
He was silent for a moment.
“I believe he knows more than he's telling us. Whether he altered the agreement himself is another question.””
“What happens next?””
“The independent counsel will review the document and the access records. Until then, the board has agreed not to vote on my authority.””
I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders.
“At least that's one problem paused.””
“For now.””
He lowered his voice.
“There's something else. The clinic's former records manager has agreed to speak with Detective Reed.””
“Does she know what happened to Dr. Voss?””
“She says she handled the doctor's personnel file before leaving the clinic.””
“Can she tell you where Dr. Voss went?””
“She believes the doctor may have changed her name after leaving Switzerland.””
My heart began beating faster.
“Why would she do that?””
“I don't know. The records manager says Dr. Voss received a payment shortly before she disappeared from the clinic's records.””
“From the family trust?””
“Yes.””
I thought about the anonymous message asking who had paid for the clinic.
“Can they trace the payment?””
“Evelyn is coordinating with the trust's administrators. But the transfer was made through an intermediary company, and its ownership records are incomplete.””
“Someone planned this carefully.””
“That's what it looks like.””
I heard a knock at Marcus's end of the call.
“Khloe, I have to go. I'll call you as soon as I know more.””
“Be careful.””
“I will.””
He ended the call.
Less than five minutes later, my uncle received a message from Detective Reed.
The former records manager had supplied a possible address for Dr. Helena Voss.
It was a small residential property outside Boston, registered under the name Helen Vaughn.
The detective had not yet confirmed that the address belonged to the same woman, but the records manager believed the connection was credible.
My uncle contacted Marcus immediately.
By six o'clock, Marcus and Detective Reed had arranged to visit the property the following morning.
I wanted to go with them.
Marcus refused.
“You're still receiving medical care, and we don't know what we'll find.””
“I'm not asking to confront anyone. I want to hear the truth.””
“And you will. But you need to recover first.””
I glared at him.
“Don't start treating me like I'm fragile because I'm pregnant.””
He looked startled.
“That's not what I'm doing.””
“Then don't make decisions about what I can handle without asking me.””
He sat down beside the bed.
“You're right. I'm sorry.””
I took a breath.
“I know you're trying to protect me. But I can't spend the rest of this investigation waiting for someone to decide what I'm allowed to know.””
He nodded.
“I understand.””
We agreed that Detective Reed would update us after the visit and that I would participate in any interview that could safely be conducted remotely.
It wasn't everything I wanted, but it was a reasonable compromise.
At eight fifteen that evening, my phone rang from an unfamiliar number.
I almost ignored it.
Then I remembered how many unanswered questions remained.
“Hello?””
A woman's voice answered.
“Mrs. Thorne?””
“Yes.””
“My name is Helena Voss.””
I sat completely still.
“Dr. Voss?””
“Please don't say my name too loudly.””
My heart began pounding.
“Are you the physician who treated Charles Thorne?””
“Yes.””
“Are you alive?””
A strained laugh came through the phone.
“Apparently, someone has been telling people I am not.””
I glanced at my uncle, who had just entered the room.
I put the call on speaker.
Dr. Brooks leaned forward.
“Dr. Voss, this is Nathaniel Brooks. I'm Khloe Thorne's uncle and chief medical officer at the hospital where she's receiving care. Are you in a safe location?””
“I think so.””
“Why did you contact Khloe?””
“Because I saw the photograph circulating among people connected to the Thorne family. I knew someone would eventually come looking for me.””
“Can you tell us what happened at the clinic?””
“No. Not over the phone.””
I swallowed.
“Dr. Voss, my husband believes his father died eleven years ago. We have reason to think the records surrounding that death may have been altered.””
Silence.
Then she said, “Your husband is right to question the records.””
My uncle's face hardened.
“Are you saying Charles Thorne's death was falsified?””
“I'm saying the documents that were presented to his family did not tell the whole story.””
I gripped the blanket.
“What happened to him?””
“I can't explain it without showing you the original records. And I won't risk sending those documents electronically.””
“Where are you?””
“I'll meet Detective Reed tomorrow morning. But I need a guarantee that Richard Thorne won't be present.””
My uncle exchanged a look with me.
“Detective Reed can arrange a neutral location.””
“No police station,” she said quickly.
“Too many people know how to find me there.””
I heard a faint sound in the background, like a door closing.
Then her voice dropped.
“Mrs. Thorne, listen carefully. I have spent eleven years trying to forget what happened in that clinic. I changed my name because I believed it was the only way to survive.””
“Survive what?””
“The people who wanted the records destroyed.””
My mouth went dry.
“Who wanted them destroyed?””
She hesitated.
Then she said, “Isabella Rossi wasn't the person who frightened me most.””
“Who was?””
Before she could answer, the call abruptly disconnected.
I stared at the phone.
My uncle immediately called Detective Reed and relayed everything Dr. Voss had said.
Marcus arrived twenty minutes later.
When I told him about the call, he looked as though someone had struck him.
“Dr. Voss is alive?””
“Yes.””
“And she says the records were altered?””
“She says they didn't tell the whole story.””
Marcus sat heavily in the chair.
“Then tomorrow we finally learn what happened to my father.””
I reached for his hand.
“We learn what Dr. Voss is willing and able to prove.””
He looked at me.
“You're right.””
For a moment, we sat in silence.
Then his phone vibrated.
An email had arrived from an unknown address.
The subject line contained only one word.
*HELENA.*
Marcus opened it cautiously, without clicking any attachments.
The message contained a photograph of a woman standing outside a residential building.
She looked older than the woman in the clinic photograph, her hair now streaked with gray.
But the face was unmistakable.
Dr. Helena Voss.
Beneath the photograph was a sentence.
If you meet her tomorrow, ask why she signed the death certificate of a man who was still breathing.
Marcus stared at the screen.
I felt the room tilt around me.
May you like
Then another message appeared.
And ask her who the body belonged to.
