Chapter 7 - What Margaret Signed
The police found Nora Bell three hours later at a roadside clinic.
She had a concussion and two broken fingers.
She refused to name her attacker until Nathan and Rebecca arrived.
Then she looked at Nathan and said, "You have your father's eyes. That's unfortunate in this family."
Nathan pulled a chair beside her bed.
"What did my mother sign?"
Nora closed her eyes.
"I don't know exactly."
"You left a message."
"I heard your father. He was brought to the clinic unconscious, then woke during transfer. He begged us not to call the house."
Rebecca leaned forward.
"Was Dr. Pruitt there?"
"Yes. And Graham."
Nathan's jaw tightened.
"My brother."
Nora nodded.
"Your mother arrived later. I saw her in Pruitt's office. She was crying. There were documents on the desk."
"Did she sign them?"
"Yes."
Nathan felt the answer like a physical blow.
He left the room before Rebecca could stop him.
Margaret answered on the second ring.
"Where are you?"
"Did you sign a medical order the night Dad died?"
Silence.
"Nathan—"
"Yes or no."
"Yes."
His hand tightened around the phone.
"What did you sign?"
"A do-not-resuscitate order."
Nathan leaned against the hallway wall.
"Why?"
His mother's voice broke.
"Because your father was dying."
"Nora says he was conscious."
"He was."
"Then why didn't he sign it himself?"
Another silence.
"Come home."
"No. Tell me now."
Margaret exhaled.
"Thomas had been poisoned."
Nathan closed his eyes.
"By Graham?"
"I don't know."
"Stop saying that."
"I don't know who put it in his medication. But by the time I reached the clinic, Pruitt said the damage was irreversible. Thomas made me promise not to call police until you were protected."
"Protected from what?"
"The program."
Nathan looked through the glass at Rebecca.
"Dad knew Graham was corrupting it?"
Margaret's answer came quietly.
"Graham didn't create the program."
Nathan went still.
"Who did?"
His mother did not answer.
A man's voice spoke behind Nathan.
"Mother always was better at telling half the truth."
Nathan turned.
Graham Archer stood at the end of the hospital hallway in a charcoal coat.
His older brother smiled without warmth.
"Ask her who built the first guardianship file," Graham said.
Nathan stared at him.
Graham's eyes flicked toward Nora's room.
"Ask her whose idea it was to decide that some families were safer when someone else controlled their money."
He walked away before Nathan could reach him.
On the phone, Margaret whispered, "Do not follow him."
Nathan looked down the empty hallway.
"You started it."
Margaret began to cry.
That was answer enough.
---
The next chapters are on the left side of your screen.
May you like
If you enjoyed the story, bookmark my site: https://vibe.treeiq.biz
New stories are posted daily, so check back for updates.
