Chapter 9: The Man Who Entered My Mother's Hospital Room
Detective Harris called Richard Hale that afternoon.
He didn't answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
Then he sent two officers to the hotel where Marcus's investigator had last located him.
Richard had checked out that morning.
Nobody knew where he had gone.
For the first time, Daniel looked genuinely worried.
"Marcus told me Richard was prepared to cooperate.""
Alexander stood near the study window.
"Perhaps someone warned him.""
The detective nodded.
"That's possible.""
I sat on Grandpa's sofa, holding my mother's letter.
I couldn't stop thinking about the hospital visitor log.
Richard Hale had followed my mother.
He had accessed her car.
And somehow, he had entered her hospital room after the accident.
Why?
I looked at Daniel.
"Did Grandpa know Richard went to the hospital?""
Daniel checked the letter.
"He knew Richard had been near the hospital. He didn't know exactly what happened inside.""
"Then how did he find out?""
"Dr. Whitmore mentioned an unidentified visitor during one of their conversations.""
I frowned.
"Why didn't the doctor tell us yesterday?""
"He may not have recognized Richard's name.""
The detective closed his notebook.
"We'll need the hospital's archived visitor records.""
Alexander looked at him.
"Can we go there?""
"Yes. But I want to speak with Dr. Whitmore first.""
Daniel called the doctor.
He agreed to meet us at the hospital the following morning.
Before we left, Detective Harris asked me to remain with Alexander.
He also made arrangements to have another officer check the property.
Grandma had been escorted to her lawyer's office for further questioning.
I didn't know whether she would return.
And, strangely, I wasn't sure whether I wanted her to.
That night, Alexander sat beside me in the hotel room.
He had bought a small notebook and a set of colored pencils.
"I thought you might like these," he said.
I looked at them.
"Why?""
"Because your mother loved drawing.""
I opened the notebook.
The first page was blank.
Alexander smiled.
"She used to draw little houses and trees. She said every picture needed somewhere safe for people to come home to.""
I picked up a pencil.
"Did she draw you?""
"Frequently.""
"Were you handsome?""
He laughed.
"Apparently, she thought so.""
I smiled.
Then I drew a small house.
It had a blue roof and yellow windows.
Alexander watched quietly.
"That's lovely.""
"It's Grandpa's house.""
He nodded.
"I thought so.""
I added a little tree beside it.
Then I drew three people standing in front.
One was Grandpa.
One was Alexander.
And one was me.
I looked at the drawing.
"I don't know where to put Mom.""
Alexander's eyes filled.
"She can be wherever you want her to be.""
I drew a yellow sun above the roof.
Then I wrote four names beneath the picture.
Marcus.
Elizabeth.
Alexander.
Maya.
The next morning, we returned to the hospital.
Dr. Whitmore was waiting in his office.
He looked more tired than the day before.
"Thank you for coming," he said.
Detective Harris placed the visitor log on the desk.
"Doctor, we need to discuss Richard Hale.""
The doctor's face changed.
"Richard?""
"Do you remember him?""
Dr. Whitmore removed his glasses.
"Yes.""
Alexander leaned forward.
"What did he do?""
The doctor opened an old notebook.
"Richard came to the hospital shortly after Elizabeth was transferred from emergency care.""
"Why?""
"He said he worked for Mrs. Bennett.""
Daniel frowned.
"Did he have permission to enter her room?""
"He claimed he had authorization from the family.""
Alexander shook his head.
"Claire had no right to authorize that.""
The doctor nodded.
"I was uncomfortable with it. But Elizabeth was conscious at the time, and she agreed to speak with him.""
I gripped Alexander's hand.
"Did Mom know him?""
"Apparently.""
"What did they talk about?""
Dr. Whitmore checked his notes.
"I wasn't present for the entire conversation. But I remember Elizabeth becoming extremely distressed.""
Alexander's voice tightened.
"What did he say to her?""
The doctor looked toward the detective.
"He told her that the accident had happened because she wouldn't listen.""
Silence.
I felt cold.
"What did Mom say?""
"She asked whether her daughter was safe.""
My eyes filled.
"Did he answer?""
The doctor nodded.
"He told her that Maya was alive and that she should cooperate with Claire if she wanted the child protected.""
Alexander stood.
"Cooperate with her about what?""
The doctor shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Daniel leaned forward.
"Was there any further contact?""
Dr. Whitmore opened another page.
"Richard returned approximately thirty minutes later.""
"Alone?""
"No.""
The doctor hesitated.
"He was accompanied by Claire Bennett.""
Alexander's face tightened.
"What happened?""
Dr. Whitmore looked at me.
"Maya, this part may be difficult to hear.""
I swallowed.
"Please tell me.""
He nodded.
"Your mother asked Claire to promise that she would not separate you from your father.""
I felt tears slipping down my cheeks.
"Did Grandma promise?""
The doctor looked down.
"She said she would do whatever was necessary to keep you safe.""
Alexander shook his head.
"That doesn't answer the question.""
"No. It doesn't.""
Dr. Whitmore turned to the detective.
"After that conversation, Claire asked me to leave the room.""
"Did you?""
"For several minutes.""
Daniel looked alarmed.
"Why?""
"I thought she wanted to speak privately with her daughter.""
Alexander's voice became almost inaudible.
"How long were you gone?""
"Approximately twelve minutes.""
"And when you returned?""
The doctor looked at the floor.
"Elizabeth was crying. Claire was standing beside the bed.""
I stared at him.
"Was Mom still alive?""
"Yes.""
"What did she say?""
Dr. Whitmore swallowed.
"She asked me to call Marcus.""
Daniel immediately sat forward.
"Did you?""
"I tried. But Claire said she would contact him.""
Alexander looked sick.
"She didn't.""
The doctor shook his head.
"No. She didn't.""
I looked at him.
"Did Mom die that night?""
"Yes.""
"Was my father there?""
"No.""
Alexander closed his eyes.
I reached for his hand.
He squeezed mine.
Detective Harris asked another question.
"Doctor, do you know why Richard returned to the hospital?""
The doctor hesitated.
Then he removed a small document from his notebook.
"I kept this because I thought it might be important.""
It was a photocopy of an old hospital incident report.
The report stated that a visitor had attempted to remove a personal item from Elizabeth's room.
Daniel read it.
"What item?""
The doctor pointed to the description.
"A small leather folder.""
Alexander frowned.
"Was it recovered?""
"Yes. A nurse noticed the visitor leaving with it and reported the incident.""
The detective studied the report.
"Who was the visitor?""
The doctor turned the page.
The name was written clearly.
Richard Hale.
I looked at Daniel.
"What was inside the folder?""
The doctor shook his head.
"I don't know.""
Daniel examined the hospital record.
"Was it returned to Elizabeth?""
"Yes.""
Alexander leaned forward.
"Did she tell you what was inside?""
The doctor nodded.
"She said it contained financial documents.""
I remembered my mother's letter.
I was going to tell Marcus everything.
The money.
The person following them.
The accident.
It was all connected.
Detective Harris took the report.
"Do you still have the original incident file?""
Dr. Whitmore nodded.
"I believe the hospital archive does.""
The detective stood.
"We'll request it.""
Before we left, the doctor turned toward me.
"Maya, there is something else.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
He opened a drawer and removed a small envelope.
"I found this among the documents Marcus sent me before he died.""
Daniel looked surprised.
"Why didn't you mention it yesterday?""
"I didn't realize what it was until I read Elizabeth's letter.""
He handed it to me.
My name was written on the front.
I opened it.
Inside was a photocopy of a bank transfer.
The date was one week before the accident.
The recipient was a company called Reed Development.
Alexander frowned.
"That's my company.""
I looked at him.
"What does that mean?""
He studied the document.
"Elizabeth and I were preparing to buy a small house. I had arranged a transfer from my business account to pay the deposit.""
Daniel examined the page.
"How much?""
"Two hundred thousand dollars.""
I looked at Alexander.
"Was that a lot?""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
"Did you get the money?""
"No.""
He examined the bank reference number.
Then he went completely still.
"That's impossible.""
"What?"" I asked.
Alexander turned the page.
"The money was transferred out of my account the day before Elizabeth's accident.""
Daniel looked at the recipient information.
The money had gone into a private account.
An account belonging to Bennett Property Holdings.
The company Claire controlled.
I stared.
"Grandma took Dad's money too?""
Alexander nodded slowly.
"Apparently.""
Daniel checked the date.
"This was the original deposit for your mother's house.""
The detective took a photograph of the document.
"That gives us another financial connection.""
Alexander looked at the transaction.
"Elizabeth must have discovered it.""
Daniel nodded.
"Which explains why she wanted to speak to Marcus.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"Did Grandma know Mom found out?""
Dr. Whitmore looked at me.
"Yes.""
I turned.
"How do you know?""
The doctor pointed to a handwritten note in the medical file.
"Elizabeth told me Claire had taken money from both her father and Alexander. She said she had proof.""
Alexander covered his face.
"She was trying to protect us.""
Dr. Whitmore nodded.
"She was.""
I looked down at the bank statement.
My mother had been preparing to expose Grandma.
Then the accident happened.
And afterward, Grandma had hidden the letters, blocked my father, and tried to control Grandpa's estate.
It felt as though every piece of my childhood had been built on a lie.
Detective Harris placed the document into an evidence folder.
"We have enough to request a formal review of the original accident investigation.""
Daniel nodded.
"Marcus would have wanted that.""
Alexander looked at me.
"Are you okay?""
I shook my head.
He pulled his chair closer.
"You don't have to pretend.""
I stared at my hands.
"I just want Mom to come back.""
He closed his eyes.
"So do I.""
We returned to Grandpa's house that afternoon.
Daniel wanted to examine the remaining documents in the safe.
Detective Harris had gone to the station to request the archived hospital records.
I went into the study and sat at Grandpa's desk.
The silver key was still in my pocket.
I turned it over in my palm.
Then I noticed something I hadn't seen before.
A tiny engraving near the handle.
A letter.
E.
I looked toward the wooden box.
There was a matching engraving on the bottom.
E.
I picked up the box and turned it over.
A thin piece of wood seemed slightly loose.
I pressed it.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside was a folded sheet of paper.
I carefully removed it.
It was a letter from Grandpa.
Sunshine,
If you found this, then you have discovered the things I couldn't bring myself to explain while you were young.
I have spoken to Dr. Whitmore. I have reviewed the hospital records. I have also obtained Richard Hale's preliminary statement.
There is one thing I still cannot prove.
I believe Claire knew more about the accident than she has admitted.
But I also believe someone else was involved.
Someone who had access to the vehicle.
Someone who knew about the money.
Someone who had a reason to keep Elizabeth silent.
I turned the page.
There was a name.
A name I had heard many times growing up.
Someone who had attended every family Christmas dinner.
Someone who had kissed my forehead at Grandpa's birthday parties.
Someone who had told me that I looked just like my mother.
*Thomas Bennett.*
Grandma's son from her first marriage.
My uncle.
I looked up.
Daniel was standing in the doorway.
"What's wrong, Maya?""
I held out the letter.
He read the name.
His expression changed immediately.
"Thomas?""
I nodded.
"Who is he really?""
Daniel sat down slowly.
"Thomas is Claire's son. Marcus helped raise him after Claire married him.""
"Did Grandpa suspect him?""
Daniel looked at the letter again.
"Apparently.""
I remembered Thomas.
He had always been generous when he visited.
He brought expensive gifts and joked that one day he would take over Grandpa's business.
But I also remembered something else.
The night before my mother's accident, he had argued with Grandpa in the study.
I had been upstairs, pretending to sleep.
I'd heard him say:
"You can't give everything to Elizabeth. That money belongs to this family.""
And Grandpa had replied:
"Elizabeth is my daughter. Maya is my granddaughter. And neither of them will ever be left with nothing.""
At the time, I hadn't understood.
Now I did.
I looked at Daniel.
"Where is Uncle Thomas?""
He checked his phone.
"He was supposed to attend the funeral, but he never arrived.""
I stared at the letter.
Then Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
"Brooks.""
A few seconds passed.
His face turned pale.
"What do you mean he left?""
He listened again.
"Where?""
He slowly looked toward me.
Then he ended the call.
"Thomas has withdrawn a large amount of money from his accounts.""
Alexander entered the room.
"What's happening?""
Daniel looked at both of us.
"Thomas Bennett has disappeared.""
I clutched Grandpa's letter.
And then Daniel delivered the final blow.
"The detective just confirmed that Thomas was the registered owner of a vehicle matching the one seen following Elizabeth before the accident.""
I looked toward the window.
Outside, the evening sky was turning dark.
For thirteen years, I had believed my father was the man who abandoned me.
Now I was beginning to understand that the real danger had never been outside my family.
May you like
It had been sitting at our Christmas table.
And somewhere, Uncle Thomas knew that we were getting closer to the truth.
