I drove back to the hospital with Priya beside me, the folder from Eleanor's house locked inside the glove compartment. Neither of us spoke during the first ten minutes.<\/p>\n
My mind kept returning to the nurse's warning.<\/p>\n
Someone had come to the hospital asking about my father's documents.<\/p>\n
The timing was too precise to dismiss.<\/p>\n
I had just discovered Eleanor's hidden records, found evidence connecting Natalie to Marissa, and learned about the safety deposit box. Then someone appeared at the hospital.<\/p>\n
I called the nurse again through the car's hands-free system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas the person still there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d she said. \u201cThey left before you called.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they give a name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey identified themselves as family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich family?\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cMercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Priya.<\/p>\n
She shook her head slightly.<\/p>\n
My father had one son.<\/p>\n
That was me.<\/p>\n
The rest of the Mercer family lived in another state, and none of them had been informed about the surgery.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they see my father?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. He was asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they ask about the envelope?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey asked about paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat paperwork?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nurse said they wanted to know whether Mr. Mercer had left legal instructions concerning his estate.\u201d<\/p>\n
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they know about Priya?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was the detail that frightened me most.<\/p>\n
Only a handful of people knew Priya was involved.<\/p>\n
My father.<\/p>\n
Eleanor's attorney.<\/p>\n
Me.<\/p>\n
And Natalie.<\/p>\n
We reached the hospital shortly after noon.<\/p>\n
I parked near the emergency entrance and hurried inside.<\/p>\n
Priya stopped me before we reached the elevator.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrant.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Natalie is there, don't confront her in front of your father.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd don't tell her about the safety deposit box.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet her talk first.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
When the elevator doors opened, we stepped inside.<\/p>\n
The surgical floor was quieter than it had been the previous day.<\/p>\n
A nurse recognized me immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father is awake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs anyone with him?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt some relief.<\/p>\n
Then she added, \u201cYour wife was here earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Priya.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout forty minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she want?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked to see him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Your father was resting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she ask about the documents?\u201d<\/p>\n
The nurse nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked whether his attorney had arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
I thanked her and walked toward his room.<\/p>\n
Dad was awake, propped against several pillows.<\/p>\n
His face looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
When he saw me, he lifted his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome here.\u201d<\/p>\n
I moved beside the bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at Priya.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone came here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nurse.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took a slow breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked for my records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie.\u201d<\/p>\n
My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came herself?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wanted to know where the original documents were.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you tell her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me you were confused.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cConfused?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said the surgery and the medication had affected my memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priya's expression changed.<\/p>\n
Dad continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she wanted to protect you from making decisions while you were emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt anger rise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you tell her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI told her to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
That sounded like him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe became angry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid she threaten you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said you would regret trusting me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
I looked down at the blanket.<\/p>\n
I wanted to confront Natalie immediately.<\/p>\n
But Dad's earlier warning returned to me.<\/p>\n
Don't make decisions about Natalie because of me.<\/p>\n
So I forced myself to stay calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else did she say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked whether Eleanor's documents were still in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
My eyes lifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows about Eleanor's house?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe knows more than she should.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is she now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
As if summoned by the question, footsteps sounded in the hallway.<\/p>\n
Natalie appeared in the doorway.<\/p>\n
She looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
Then at Priya.<\/p>\n
Then at Dad.<\/p>\n
Her face was pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrant.\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn't answer.<\/p>\n
She stepped inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
Priya stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerhaps you should explain outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Natalie ignored her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn't trying to hurt anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my wife.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me what you were trying to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was trying to protect us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom your father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad opened his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't blame me for what you chose.\u201d<\/p>\n
Natalie flinched.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lied to him for forty years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad's face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou kept his mother from him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI protected him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou controlled his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped between them.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both became silent.<\/p>\n
I looked at Natalie.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew about Eleanor before I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone contacted me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've been paying Marissa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've been meeting her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou went to the bank with another woman.\u201d<\/p>\n
Natalie's eyes widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad saw you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sat down.<\/p>\n
For the first time, she looked exhausted rather than defensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know what I was getting involved in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew enough to hide it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She covered her face with both hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was scared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf losing everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
She lowered her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandfather's company.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company your grandfather owned didn't simply collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You don't.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Priya.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandfather had partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of them is still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cName.\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can't.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he knows where I live.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dad spoke quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrant, ask her about the payments.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Natalie.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you send Marissa twenty-three thousand dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she promised to find the records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ones Eleanor found.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd why did you want them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Natalie looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause someone told me those records could destroy your grandfather's former partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn't explain why you wanted them.\u201d<\/p>\n
She began crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought if I found them first, I could stop them from using you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went silent.<\/p>\n
I didn't know whether to believe her.<\/p>\n
Then she said something that changed the direction of everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn't the one looking for you, Grant.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were.\u201d<\/p>\n
I drove back to the hospital with Priya beside me, the folder from Eleanor's house locked inside the glove compartment. Neither of us spoke during the first ten minutes. My … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sharestory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6795"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6807,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6795\/revisions\/6807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onesharedstory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}