Chapter 5 - THE PLAN TO MAKE ME THE CRIMINAL
I read the sentence until the words seemed to blur.
Grant hadn't simply used my name.
He and Serena had discussed what to do if I discovered the truth.
They were preparing to make me responsible.
Miriam arranged an emergency meeting with an independent attorney who specialized in financial misconduct and professional licensing disputes.
We reviewed the available evidence carefully.
The plan was disturbing, but we agreed not to assume that every page was authentic until investigators verified its origin.
The immediate priority was protecting patients, preserving records, and ensuring that no further money moved.
Harrington's board placed the disputed account under independent oversight.
The hospital's compliance department restricted the credentials associated with the questionable authorizations and arranged a formal review of my access permissions.
I cooperated fully.
I handed over my devices for examination, disclosed my relevant communications, and requested that an independent reviewer assess whether I had any involvement in the transactions.
I had nothing to hide.
Still, rumors spread faster than facts.
By the following morning, a hospital employee had leaked the existence of a financial investigation to a local reporter.
The article didn't name me directly, but it referred to a senior surgeon suspected of authorizing questionable foundation payments.
My phone began ringing.
Colleagues asked whether I was all right.
A board member requested a private meeting.
And a patient family canceled an appointment, saying they wanted to wait until the situation became clearer.
That hurt more than the headlines.
I'd spent sixteen years earning the trust of people who came to Harrington terrified that their hearts might fail them.
Now someone was trying to turn my reputation into a weapon.
At the board meeting, I explained what I knew and what I didn't.
I refused to speculate about Grant's motives.
I refused to make accusations unsupported by verified evidence.
And I refused to resign simply because someone had forged my signature.
The board agreed that I would continue my clinical duties while an independent investigation proceeded.
After the meeting, Daniel caught up with me in the corridor.
"We found another transfer request," he said.
"How much?"
"Two hundred and forty thousand dollars."
"Was it approved?"
"No. But the supporting documents include a vendor invoice for equipment that was never delivered."
I frowned.
"Which equipment?"
Daniel showed me the invoice.
It listed a specialized cardiac monitoring system intended for our pediatric intensive care unit.
The order had been marked as received.
May you like
But the delivery confirmation bore a signature that wasn't mine.
It belonged to the nurse who had died six months earlier.
