Chapter 14 - Nora Briggs
Nora Briggs was living ninety miles outside Dallas under her married name.
Gerald found her in a small house near Tyler.
She refused to speak with him.
Then he mentioned Richard Hale.
The door opened.
Nora was fifty-one, with tired eyes and the guarded manner of someone who had spent years expecting consequences.
“I sent the envelope,” she admitted.
Megan had accompanied Gerald.
“Why now?”
“Because Jack went to prison and Marcus didn’t.”
Nora invited them inside.
Twelve years earlier, she had worked in hospital compliance.
Richard Hale had personally asked her to review how St. Augustine used several foundation grants.
She found irregular invoices.
Richard intended to investigate.
Then he died unexpectedly from a stroke.
After his death, Marcus told Nora the review was unnecessary.
She continued anyway.
That was when she discovered Reserve 47.
“I reported it internally.”
“What happened?” Megan asked.
“My supervisor told me I had misunderstood the accounting.”
“And Marcus?”
“He offered me a promotion.”
When Nora refused, the hospital suddenly accused her of mishandling confidential data.
She had a ten-year-old son with a serious medical condition and could not risk losing her health insurance during a prolonged legal fight.
So she resigned.
But before leaving, she copied records.
“Why didn’t you come forward during Jack’s trial?”
Nora looked ashamed.
“I was afraid.”
Megan understood fear better than Nora realized.
“Where are the records?”
Nora stood.
“In a safe-deposit box.”
Gerald exhaled.
“How much did you save?”
“Enough to prove Richard was investigating Marcus before he died.”
Megan froze.
“Are you saying Marcus had something to do with my father’s death?”
“No.”
Nora shook her head immediately.
“Your father died naturally. I checked because I wondered the same thing.”
Megan released a breath.
“But Richard knew someone was stealing from the foundation.”
Nora walked toward a cabinet and removed a small brass key.
“And three days before he died, he told me something I never forgot.”
“What?”
May you like
Nora handed Megan the key.
“He said the person stealing the money was closer to the hospital board than anyone wanted to believe.”
