Chapter 10 - The Insider.
The sedative order had been entered at 11:42 a.m.
The physician whose name appeared on it was in another building conducting surgery.
The computer terminal used to enter the order was located inside the maternity staff lounge.
Only fourteen employees had badge access.
Nora was one of them.
The hospital administrator was another.
So was Dr. Alan Mercer, the maternity unit's senior attending physician.
Leah knew Mercer.
He had checked on her twice after the delivery.
He had been kind.
He had brought Emma a knitted cap from a charity basket.
He had also attended Ethan after the crash.
Luca did not accuse anyone.
That made the room more tense.
He simply asked for access logs.
The hospital attorney objected.
"Those records are confidential."
Luca looked at him.
"Then give them to the police."
"There is no criminal finding."
"There is a forged medication order for a patient involved in an emergency guardianship case."
Luca's voice remained level.
"You can call that a coincidence if you want."
He stepped closer.
"I call it enough to investigate."
The attorney stopped arguing.
Thirty minutes later, the access report arrived.
At 11:39 a.m., Dr. Mercer entered the staff lounge.
At 11:46, he left.
Nora stared at the screen.
"He wouldn't do this."
Luca looked at her.
"How well do you know him?"
"Eleven years."
"Then ask him."
Mercer arrived five minutes later with visible irritation.
"I have patients waiting."
Nora placed the sedative order in front of him.
His expression changed immediately.
"I didn't write this."
"Your colleague's name is on it."
"Then ask her."
Luca slid the access report across the table.
"You were in the lounge when it was entered."
Mercer looked down.
"So?"
"So who else was there?"
Mercer said nothing.
Luca waited.
Silence stretched.
Then Mercer sat down.
"Victoria Sloan came in."
Leah stood.
"She had badge access?"
"No."
Mercer looked ashamed.
"I let her in."
Nora stared at him.
"Why?"
"She said she needed a private place to make a call."
"You brought an unauthorized visitor into the staff lounge?"
Mercer rubbed his forehead.
"I've known Victoria for twenty years."
Luca's voice turned colder.
"And Ethan?"
Mercer looked at him sharply.
"What about Ethan?"
"You treated him after the crash."
"For twenty-three minutes."
"His medication logs were changed."
Mercer's face went still.
"Changed how?"
Luca showed him the copies from box 314.
Mercer read the pages once.
Then again.
His hands began to shake.
"These are my original notes."
Leah moved closer.
"What happened that night?"
Mercer looked at her with genuine distress.
"Ethan was conscious when he arrived."
Leah's eyes filled.
"Nobody told me that."
"He was unstable, but he spoke."
"What did he say?"
Mercer swallowed.
"He kept repeating one name."
Luca leaned forward.
"Derek?"
Mercer shook his head.
"Victoria."
The room went silent.
"He said Victoria knew."
Leah's voice barely worked.
"Knew what?"
Mercer looked toward the door.
"I don't know."
Then he lowered his voice.
"But someone from hospital administration ordered me out of the trauma room five minutes later."
Nora frowned.
"Who had authority to do that?"
Mercer gave the name.
Everyone in the room recognized it.
Richard Vale.
May you like
The hospital's chief operating officer.
And Victoria Sloan's younger brother.
