Chapter 6: The Secret Linda Couldn't Control
Daniel stepped into the study and closed the door behind him.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Linda looked furious.
"What are you doing here?""
Daniel placed the envelope on the desk.
"We need to talk.""
"Not now.""
"Actually, Linda, it has to be now.""
Marcus watched the two of them.
Daniel looked different from the photographs. His expensive suit was wrinkled, his tie was loose, and sweat covered his forehead.
He looked like a man who had spent the entire drive arguing with himself.
Linda pointed toward the door.
"Get out.""
Daniel ignored her.
He looked at Marcus.
"Mr. Carter, I owe you an explanation.""
Marcus stared at him.
"You owe me considerably more than that.""
Daniel nodded.
"I know.""
Linda stepped between them.
"Don't listen to him. He's trying to save himself.""
Daniel gave a bitter laugh.
"That's exactly what you did when you told me the accident would be easy to arrange.""
Jasmine gasped.
Linda slapped him.
The sound echoed through the room.
"Shut your mouth!""
Daniel touched his cheek.
Then he looked at Marcus again.
"I have documents.""
He opened the envelope.
Inside were bank transfers, printed emails, and several handwritten notes.
Marcus noticed the Westbridge logo on the first page.
Daniel placed the documents in front of him.
"These are copies of the original payment records. They show where the money went.""
Marcus looked through them.
One transfer was dated three weeks before the accident.
Another was dated two days afterward.
A third was dated the morning Marcus regained consciousness in the hospital.
"Why are you giving me these?"" Marcus asked.
Daniel looked at Linda.
"Because she told me I was going to be the only person left holding the blame.""
Linda laughed.
"You're pathetic.""
Daniel didn't respond.
He pointed to a document.
"Look at the account number.""
Marcus studied it.
The account belonged to a private company registered under a different name.
"What's this?""
"An offshore holding account.""
Marcus looked up.
"Who owns it?""
Daniel hesitated.
"Linda.""
Linda shook her head.
"That's a lie.""
Daniel pulled out another document.
"Your name is on the original incorporation record.""
Marcus continued reading.
The company had received money from Westbridge Consulting.
Westbridge had received money from the Carter family accounts.
And the offshore company had transferred funds to a third party.
Marcus noticed the destination name.
"Who is Robert Kane?""
Daniel looked surprised.
"You found him?""
"Wasn't he the technician who inspected the truck?""
Daniel nodded slowly.
"He was paid to sign the inspection report.""
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
"How much?""
"Twenty thousand dollars.""
Linda stepped forward.
"Daniel, stop talking.""
But he continued.
"The truck's brakes were deliberately compromised. Robert was supposed to make sure the inspection records showed everything was normal.""
Marcus stared at him.
"Who ordered it?""
Daniel looked at Linda.
She didn't move.
Then he whispered, "She did.""
Michael arrived twenty-five minutes later.
Rebecca came with him.
Daniel had agreed to remain while the documents were photographed and secured.
Linda, however, had already begun pacing.
"This is ridiculous," she said.
"He's lying because he's being investigated.""
Michael placed a hand on the desk.
"Mrs. Carter, nobody is asking you to answer questions right now. We need you to preserve every relevant document.""
"I haven't done anything wrong.""
"Then preserving the evidence shouldn't be a problem.""
Linda looked toward the door.
Marcus noticed.
She was calculating an escape.
Michael noticed too.
"Please remain here.""
Linda laughed.
"Am I under arrest?""
"No. But there are serious allegations involving financial documents, property transfers, and possible criminal activity.""
Linda looked at Marcus.
"You're really doing this to me?""
Marcus felt something strange.
There was a time when those words would have broken him.
Now they sounded almost ridiculous.
"You're doing this to yourself, Linda.""
She stared at him.
Then her expression softened.
For the first time in months, she looked almost like the woman he had married.
"Marcus, please. We can fix this.""
He said nothing.
"Think about Jasmine.""
Marcus glanced at his stepdaughter.
Jasmine stood beside Rebecca, her arms wrapped around herself.
Linda took another step forward.
"Everything I did was for her.""
Jasmine shook her head.
"No, Mom.""
Linda turned.
"What?""
"You kept telling me Marcus ruined everything. You told me he was the reason we couldn't have a normal life.""
Her voice trembled.
"But he was the one who pulled me out of the car.""
Linda stared at her daughter.
"Jasmine, you don't understand.""
"I understand enough.""
The teenager wiped her eyes.
"You made me hate the person who saved my life.""
Linda opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Daniel eventually revealed how the financial arrangement had worked.
According to the documents, Linda had established Westbridge Consulting using money from her personal savings and an initial investment from Daniel.
She then used her authority over certain household accounts to move money into the company.
The consulting business existed largely on paper.
It had no meaningful operations that could justify the payments.
Its primary purpose was to receive funds and distribute them through other accounts.
Michael listened carefully.
"Why create the company in the first place?"" he asked.
Daniel looked down.
"Because Linda wanted to move money without attracting attention.""
"How much money?""
Daniel hesitated.
"More than two hundred thousand dollars from the Carter accounts. Possibly more.""
Marcus felt sick.
"And the accident?""
Daniel rubbed his face.
"Linda believed Marcus was about to revise his estate arrangements. She was afraid that if he changed his will, she would lose access to the assets.""
Marcus stared at him.
"My father left that money to me.""
"I know.""
"Why did she think she was entitled to it?""
Daniel looked uncomfortable.
"She believed she deserved a share of everything.""
Michael interrupted.
"Mr. Carter, did Linda know about the planned collision?""
Daniel nodded.
"She arranged the meeting with Anthony. She provided the route and the vehicle information.""
Marcus's voice was barely audible.
"Did she know Jasmine would be in the car?""
Daniel looked toward Linda.
Then he answered.
"Yes.""
The room went silent.
Jasmine covered her mouth.
Rebecca stepped closer to her.
Marcus stared at the man.
"Why?""
Daniel lowered his eyes.
"Linda said Jasmine would be with you. She believed the accident would be enough to leave you permanently unable to manage your affairs.""
Marcus felt a wave of nausea.
"You knew a child was in that car?""
"I didn't know the exact time.""
"But you knew.""
Daniel didn't answer.
Michael closed his folder.
"That's enough for today.""
He instructed everyone not to discuss the details outside the investigation.
Linda remained silent.
But as Michael gathered the documents, she suddenly spoke.
"You're all making a terrible mistake.""
Marcus looked at her.
"What mistake?""
Linda turned toward him.
"You think Daniel is telling you everything?""
Daniel's face changed.
"Linda, don't.""
She smiled faintly.
"Ask him about the second plan.""
Marcus frowned.
"What second plan?""
Daniel looked at the floor.
Michael immediately stopped collecting the papers.
"Mr. Carter, what is she talking about?""
Daniel rubbed his forehead.
"There's something else.""
Linda laughed.
"Tell them.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Not here.""
"Tell them!""
He finally looked at Marcus.
"The accident wasn't the only plan. There was supposed to be another incident after your recovery.""
Marcus felt his blood run cold.
"What kind of incident?""
Daniel swallowed.
"An overdose.""
Jasmine screamed.
Rebecca pulled her close.
Marcus stared at Daniel.
"Whose overdose?""
Daniel looked at him.
"Yours.""
Michael immediately arranged for the relevant authorities to be informed.
He also instructed Marcus not to take any medication that hadn't been independently verified.
The discovery was horrifying.
Marcus had been receiving pain medication through a prescription coordinated by Linda for months.
He had never questioned it because the medication was prescribed by his physician.
But now he wondered whether the dosage had been altered.
Michael contacted Dr. Miller, who agreed to review the prescriptions and pharmacy records.
Linda was escorted out of the house after providing an initial statement.
She wasn't arrested that evening.
But she was no longer free to handle the family's financial documents without scrutiny.
As she walked toward the front door, she turned back.
"Marcus.""
He looked at her.
"Remember who stood beside you when you couldn't even get out of bed.""
Marcus stared at her.
"I remember.""
"Then remember everything I've done for you.""
He looked toward Jasmine.
"I remember everything you've done to her, too.""
Linda's expression hardened.
She walked out.
The front door closed.
For the first time in three years, the house felt quiet.
But it wasn't peaceful.
Later that night, Marcus sat in the kitchen with Jasmine.
Rebecca had gone home after arranging for Michael to return the next morning.
Jasmine stared at the untouched mug of hot chocolate in front of her.
"Do you hate me?"" she whispered.
Marcus looked at her.
"Why would I hate you?""
"Because of what I said. All those things about wishing you had died.""
He reached across the table.
"Jasmine, you were angry. You were hurting. And someone you trusted kept telling you the wrong story.""
"But I believed her.""
Marcus squeezed her hand.
"That doesn't mean you can't make things right.""
Jasmine began crying.
"I'm sorry.""
Marcus pulled his wheelchair closer.
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then Jasmine whispered, "I remember something else about the hospital.""
Marcus looked at her.
"What?""
"The night you woke up after the surgery. Mom was outside your room with Daniel.""
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
"What were they saying?""
"I don't know everything. But I heard Daniel ask whether the doctor had increased your medication.""
Marcus went still.
"And?""
"Mom said it wasn't enough. She said you were supposed to sleep through the next few days.""
Marcus slowly released her hand.
"Did you tell anyone?""
Jasmine shook her head.
"I was scared. I thought she was just talking about your pain.""
Marcus looked down.
The possibility that his medication had been deliberately altered was no longer just a theory.
He needed the prescription records.
He needed to know what had happened in that hospital.
And he needed to know whether the doctors had been deceived.
At 1:36 a.m., Marcus received an email from Michael.
The subject line read:
*URGENT — ORIGINAL MEDICAL RECORDS*
Marcus opened it.
Michael had obtained a preliminary report from the hospital's archived records department.
There were discrepancies in the medication administration logs from the week following the accident.
One particular entry stood out.
A medication order had been entered under Dr. Miller's name.
But Dr. Miller had never authorized it.
The order had been submitted through a temporary hospital staff account.
Marcus read the final paragraph.
The staff identification associated with the account was assigned to a registered nurse who resigned shortly after the patient's discharge.
Marcus immediately called Michael.
"Who was the nurse?""
Michael answered on the second ring.
"Her name is Evelyn Shaw.""
"Can you find her?""
"That's what we're working on.""
Marcus looked at the screen.
"Michael, was she involved in my treatment?""
"According to the archived records, she administered several medications during your hospitalization.""
Marcus swallowed.
"Does she still work at the hospital?""
"No.""
"Where is she?""
Michael hesitated.
"That's the strange part.""
Marcus waited.
"She disappeared from the hospital's records less than a month after your accident. No forwarding address. No updated employment information.""
Marcus looked toward the staircase where Jasmine had gone to bed.
Then his phone vibrated again.
A second email had arrived.
It contained a scanned personnel photograph.
Marcus opened it.
A woman in her late thirties stared back at him.
Beneath the photograph was a handwritten note.
*Evelyn Shaw — Emergency Contact: Linda Carter.*
Marcus felt his heart stop.
His wife hadn't merely known the nurse.
She had been listed as the woman's emergency contact.
And attached to the same file was a final document.
A hospital visitor authorization form.
The person who had requested access to Marcus's medical records during his unconscious period wasn't Linda.
It was someone named *Jasmine Carter*.
Marcus stared at the name.
His stepdaughter had been seventeen.
She had supposedly been at home recovering from her own injuries.
May you like
So why had someone used her identity to enter his hospital records?
And who had been wearing her name?
