Chapter 3 - THE BILL THAT WASN'T A BILL
I had spent three days blaming myself for not being able to save my mother.
Now I was beginning to wonder whether someone had used her death to bring me into Nathan Drake's penthouse.
Marcus examined the hospital invoice.
“Bella, may I see the original document?”
I pulled it from my uniform pocket.
He studied the numbers.
Then his expression changed.
“This account number doesn't match the hospital's normal billing format.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we need to verify whether these charges were legitimate.”
Nathan picked up his phone.
Within minutes, he had connected us with an independent attorney who specialized in medical billing disputes.
Her name was Rachel Bennett.
She listened while I explained everything.
Then she asked me to send a copy of the statement through a secure portal.
Twenty minutes later, Rachel called back.
“Miss Carter, I have some preliminary concerns.”
My heart raced.
“About what?”
“The hospital confirmed your mother's death, but several charges on this invoice don't correspond to services listed in her account.”
I gripped the edge of the table.
“So I didn't owe $49,200?”
“We're still investigating. But I strongly recommend that you don't authorize any further payments.”
I looked at Nathan.
He had already transferred the money.
And whoever created that bill knew exactly how desperate I would be.
“Someone wanted me to ask Nathan for that amount,” I whispered.
Marcus nodded.
“That appears possible.”
Nathan's jaw tightened.
“Who processed the transfer?”
Marcus checked the records.
“Your money went into Bella's account, just as you instructed. But someone attempted to redirect a separate hospital payment from her account overnight.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“A fraudulent payment request was submitted using your mother's details.”
Nathan looked furious.
“Lock down every account associated with that request.”
Marcus nodded.
Then he opened another document.
“There's more.”
An old employment record appeared on the tablet.
Hannah Carter.
Employer: Drake Harbor Logistics.
Position: Senior Records Clerk.
Dates: 2011–2014.
I shook my head.
“No. My mother cleaned offices.”
Marcus looked sympathetic.
“She may have done that later. But according to these records, she worked in corporate records for three years.”
I stared at my mother's photograph.
Why had she never told me?
Nathan leaned forward.
“What was she working on?”
Marcus opened a restricted folder.
The screen displayed an old investigation.
Financial irregularities.
Missing cargo.
Payments routed through offshore companies.
And one witness listed under witness protection.
Hannah Carter.
Then Marcus found the last page.
It contained a handwritten note.
If anything happens to Hannah, protect the child.
Beneath those words was Nathan's signature.
May you like
And beside it was my name.
Bella Carter.
