Chapter 13 - Briar Glen
Briar Glen still existed on paper.
That was worse.
The physical hospital had closed after state violations, but the corporation remained active as a “behavioral health management company.”
Its registered agent was a law firm used by the Hart family.
Its majority investor was Evelyn Hart.
Grant read the corporate filing twice.
“She owns it.”
Raymond nodded.
“So the transfer wasn’t medical. It was a destination she controlled.”
I imagined waking up sedated in some private facility, labeled unstable, with my baby delivered somewhere else.
The room suddenly felt too small.
“I want Evelyn away from this floor.”
“She is,” Raymond said.
“No. I mean out of the building.”
The detectives agreed.
Evelyn was escorted to a separate interview location under police supervision. She was not yet arrested, but she was no longer directing the room.
Dr. Pierce’s medical privileges were summarily suspended pending investigation.
Caleb remained in custody for evidence tampering.
Then my phone rang from a private number.
I answered on speaker.
“Mrs. Hart?” a woman asked.
“Yes.”
“My name is Rachel Kim. I was a nurse at Briar Glen six years ago.”
Raymond and I exchanged a look.
“How did you get my number?”
“Your story is already moving through staff group chats. Someone mentioned the transfer order.”
She took a shaky breath.
“I need to tell you something before anyone shuts me up again.”
The detectives started recording with her consent.
Rachel explained that Briar Glen had accepted women under emergency holds arranged by powerful families. Some stayed days. Some stayed months.
Records were thin. Consent was treated like an inconvenience.
“Was Evelyn involved?” I asked.
“I saw her twice.”
My skin prickled.
“With whom?”
“One was a young woman named Hannah.”
Grant grabbed the edge of the table.
“That’s impossible. Hannah died twenty-three years ago.”
Rachel went silent.
“Then it wasn’t six years ago,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I worked for the company longer than the facility. We had archived transport records.”
“What did you see?”
“A transfer request for Hannah Hart dated the week before her death.”
Grant closed his eyes.
Rachel continued.
“And there was another file with your name, Emily.”
May you like
I could hear papers moving on her end.
“The admission date is tomorrow.”
