Chapter 6 - THE SECOND WITNESS
We found Claire forty-eight hours later.
She was staying at a friend's house in Pasadena.
She answered the door herself.
Her face was pale.
"You saw the video."
I nodded.
"Why did you lie?"
"I didn't know who I could trust."
Rachel stepped forward.
"You can start by telling the truth."
Claire opened the door wider.
We entered.
She looked exhausted.
"I went to the hospital because Spencer called me."
"When?"
"The day you went into labor."
"Why?"
"He wanted me to bring documents."
"What documents?"
"Financial."
My stomach tightened.
"While I was in surgery?"
Claire nodded.
"He told me he needed signatures."
Rachel asked, "Whose?"
"His."
"Not Gwen's?"
Claire looked at me.
"Not directly."
"What does that mean?"
"He wanted to prepare documents in case you died."
Silence.
My chest hurt.
"Why would he need documents that day?"
"Because your father had begun asking questions."
Claire sat down.
"Spencer believed your father's lawyers might freeze certain family arrangements if something happened to you."
"So he wanted contingency paperwork."
"Yes."
Rachel asked, "Did he ask you to sign anything?"
"No."
"Did you see Michael Kane?"
"Yes."
"Did he know you were there?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
Claire took a breath.
"They argued."
"About what?"
"The trust."
"Why?"
"Michael told Spencer to stop."
I stared.
"Stop what?"
"Trying to create a paper trail."
Rachel leaned forward.
"Explain."
Claire looked at me.
"Spencer wanted documents showing he had acted with your consent."
My blood went cold.
"Because I was unconscious."
"Yes."
"Did Michael help him?"
"At first."
"And then?"
"He became afraid."
"Of what?"
"Fraud."
That word hung in the room.
Claire continued.
"Michael told Spencer that if he used your electronic signature after you were incapacitated, it could become a serious problem."
Rachel nodded.
"That matches the forensic evidence."
I asked, "Then who used my credentials?"
Claire shook her head.
"I don't know."
"Did Spencer?"
"I saw him with the tablet."
"When?"
"At the hospital."
My heart pounded.
"Doing what?"
"Typing."
"Could you see?"
"Not clearly."
"Did he tell you what he was doing?"
"He said he was securing the family."
I closed my eyes.
The phrase again.
Protecting the family.
Securing the family.
Every lie sounded noble when he said it.
Rachel asked, "Who else was there?"
Claire looked toward the hallway.
"Michael."
"And?"
"A hospital administrator."
"Name?"
"I don't know."
"Could you identify him?"
"Yes."
That person became our second witness.
His name was Victor Hayes.
He had been the hospital's administrative liaison for high-profile patients.
He had spoken with Spencer that afternoon.
He initially denied entering the neonatal administrative corridor.
Then he changed his statement.
He admitted he had met Spencer.
But he denied doing anything improper.
Rachel asked him a simple question.
"Did Mr. Albright ask you to enter a medical note?"
Victor said no.
"Did he ask you to communicate with records staff?"
"No."
"Did he ask you to confirm that he had refused transfer?"
Victor hesitated.
"Yes."
There it was.
The missing link.
Not a conspiracy.
Not a secret medical plot.
A man trying to create an administrative record.
Rachel asked, "Why?"
Victor looked down.
"Mr. Albright told me his wife had been unconscious and that he wanted everything documented."
"Everything?"
"Every decision."
"Why?"
"He said he expected a dispute."
I felt cold.
He expected a dispute before I woke up.
Victor continued.
"He asked me to make sure the refusal was recorded."
"Did you agree?"
"I thought it was reasonable."
"Did you alter anything?"
"No."
"Did you tell the records clerk?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I assumed the attending physician had already explained everything."
Rachel looked at me.
The picture was becoming clearer.
Spencer had not secretly altered the medical outcome.
He had prepared the paperwork around it.
He had wanted a clean record.
A defensible record.
A record that could survive questions.
But the record did not show the whole truth.
It did not show the financial context.
It did not show that he had been discussing my assets for months.
It did not show that he had asked what would happen if I died.
It did not show that he had been warned about using my electronic signature.
It did not show that he had been planning control.
And it certainly did not show that he had lied to me afterward.
That was enough.
The legal strategy changed.
Rachel filed requests for expanded discovery.
Spencer's communications with Claire.
Communications with Michael Kane.
Communications with the hospital administrator.
Corporate payments.
Trust documents.
Device logs.
Everything.
Spencer fought.
Of course he did.
His lawyers argued privacy.
Privilege.
Relevance.
Confidentiality.
Rachel answered with timestamps.
Dates.
Emails.
Documents.
The judge granted most of the discovery requests.
Two weeks later, Spencer's legal team produced thousands of pages.
We spent three days reviewing them.
Then Rachel found it.
An email.
From Spencer to Claire.
Sent five weeks before my delivery.
Subject:
"ONE CHILD STRUCTURE."
The message contained one sentence.
"If the final structure consolidates under one descendant beneficiary, management becomes significantly more efficient."
I stared at it.
Rachel said nothing.
I asked, "Is that enough?"
"Enough to show financial motive."
"For what?"
"For consolidation."
I nodded.
Again.
We would not turn it into something it wasn't.
Then we found another.
Sent the day before my labor.
"I need the authorization ready in case Gwen is incapacitated."
Rachel's eyes widened.
"That is important."
"What authorization?"
"The same one Harold described."
My stomach tightened.
Then another email appeared.
From Michael Kane.
"Do not use her credentials after incapacity. If you need authority, wait."
Spencer's response came six minutes later.
"What if waiting costs us?"
Rachel looked at me.
That sentence was devastating.
Not because it proved he wanted Jacob dead.
It did not.
Because it proved he was thinking about financial consequences while his wife was about to give birth.
Then came the final message.
From Claire to Spencer.
"You are becoming reckless."
Spencer replied:
"You don't understand what is at stake."
Claire answered:
"I understand exactly."
Then one final sentence.
"Your family isn't a company."
I sat back.
For the first time, I felt sorry for Claire.
Not forgiveness.
Not absolution.
But understanding.
She had stayed too long.
So had I.
We were both women who had believed different versions of Spencer.
She believed his promises.
I believed his marriage vows.
Both were lies.
The deposition was scheduled for the following month.
Spencer's lawyers tried to settle before then.
Rachel refused.
"Why?"
I asked.
She looked at me.
"Because he needs to answer."
I nodded.
I wanted that too.
Not revenge.
Not humiliation.
Answers.
The night before the deposition, I visited Hazel's room.
She was asleep with Pancake curled beside her.
I sat on the edge of the bed.
I whispered—
"Mommy is going to court tomorrow."
Hazel stirred.
"Is Daddy going?"
"Yes."
"Are you mad?"
I smiled.
"I'm sad."
"Why?"
"Because grown-ups sometimes make choices that hurt people."
Hazel thought for a moment.
"Like Cassandra?"
"Yes."
"Is Daddy bad?"
I froze.
There was the question I had feared.
I brushed her hair away from her face.
"Your daddy made choices that were wrong."
"Does he love me?"
"Yes."
"Does he love you?"
I swallowed.
"I don't know."
She closed her eyes.
Then whispered—
"I love you."
I kissed her forehead.
"That's enough."
The next morning, Spencer walked into the deposition room wearing a dark suit.
He looked confident.
For the first twenty minutes.
Then Rachel placed the first document in front of him.
May you like
His face changed.
The game had begun.
