Chapter 6 - Dr. Ross
Dr. Camille Ross was not on staff at Saint Catherine’s.
She had been once.
Her privileges had ended two years earlier after she moved into private consulting.
The hospital confirmed only that much.
No one would discuss Vanessa’s medical history without authorization.
Marcello respected that.
So Daniel focused on documents Vanessa had submitted voluntarily to the family trust.
Three pregnancy verification letters.
All signed by Dr. Ross.
All using Saint Catherine’s logo.
Two dates fell after Ross stopped working there.
That was enough for the trust administrator to suspend Vanessa’s voting proxy.
Vanessa called it humiliation.
Marcello called it procedure.
Lucia called nothing anything.
She had stopped speaking to Vanessa.
That evening, Elena found Lucia in the nursery she had prepared for Luca’s baby.
Tiny clothes filled the drawers.
A white crib stood under the window.
Lucia held a knitted blue blanket.
“I talked to him.”
“To the baby?”
“I told him about Luca.”
“Every week.”
Elena did not tell her she should have known.
Grief made people believe what they needed.
Then Lucia said:
“I helped Vanessa.”
“How?”
“After Luca died, Marcello wanted the trust reviewed.”
“Yes.”
“I stopped him.”
Lucia had accused Marcello of being cold.
Jealous that Luca’s unborn child would inherit shares.
Lucia whispered:
“I made him feel ashamed for asking questions.”
Elena reached for her hand.
“You were grieving.”
“That explains it.”
“It does not erase it.”
Footsteps sounded in the hall.
Marcello entered holding an envelope.
“Daniel found this in Luca’s office safe.”
Vanessa’s name was on the front.
The envelope had never been opened.
Inside was a letter Luca wrote three days before he died.
Vanessa,
I know what you did with Bell River.
Lucia went cold.
May you like
Marcello kept reading.
If you are pregnant, tell me the truth now, because I will not let you use a child to protect what you’ve done.
