Chapter 9 - The Blood Test
The DNA results arrived forty-eight hours later.
Probability of biological paternity: 99.9998 percent.
Alistair read the number three times.
Samuel read it once and placed the report on the table.
They were inside a private hospital conference room. Nellie sat between them, holding her own confirmation report.
The tests proved that she and Alistair were Samuel’s biological parents.
No one celebrated.
The truth was too large for celebration.
Samuel leaned back.
“So that’s done.”
Alistair struggled to find the right words.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not knowing.”
“You didn’t know because your mother lied.”
“I also stopped searching.”
Samuel looked at him.
“You thought Nellie left you.”
“I did.”
“And that was enough?”
“No.”
The answer surprised both of them.
Alistair continued.
“It became enough because accepting the lie was easier than admitting I had failed to find her.”
Nellie watched him carefully.
Samuel tapped the report.
“I don’t need a wealthy father apologizing because the cameras are watching.”
“There are no cameras here.”
“There are always cameras around you.”
“Then tell me what you need.”
“I need the people who did this prosecuted. I need Ruth and Daniel Reed protected from being described as kidnappers. They were my parents.”
Alistair nodded.
“They will be honored as your parents in every public statement.”
“I need Nellie moved somewhere safe without making her feel purchased.”
Nellie raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sitting here.”
Samuel glanced at her.
“I know.”
Alistair almost smiled.
“And I need every record from Meridian Relief released,” Samuel continued. “Not only mine.”
“The board will resist.”
“Then fight the board.”
“I will.”
Samuel stood.
“Good. When you’ve done those things, we can discuss whether you’re allowed to buy me coffee.”
He left the room.
Nellie watched the door close.
“He is like you.”
Alistair shook his head.
“He is like you.”
The public announcement occurred that afternoon.
Alistair acknowledged Samuel as his son and confirmed that the adoption appeared to have been arranged without Nellie’s consent.
He also suspended Meridian Relief’s operations and ordered an independent investigation.
Beatrice responded within an hour.
Her attorneys released a statement accusing Nellie, Tessa and Samuel of conducting an organized extortion scheme.
They claimed the DNA sample had been manipulated.
They described Ruth and Daniel Reed as participants in an illegal adoption network.
Samuel read the statement at the ambulance station.
Then he called Alistair.
“Your mother just made this personal.”
“It was always personal.”
“No. Before, I wanted the truth. Now I want her in court.”
The next morning, police arrived at Nellie’s temporary apartment.
An anonymous caller had reported stolen medical supplies and forged identification documents.
Officers found a bag hidden beneath the kitchen sink.
Inside were blank hospital forms, prescription labels and twenty thousand dollars in cash.
Nellie had never seen them.
Tessa immediately recognized the tactic.
“They’re building an extortion case.”
Lena examined the apartment building’s security records.
The hallway camera had stopped recording for twelve minutes during the night.
An electronic entry log showed that someone used a master access code.
The code belonged to Marcus.
Alistair confronted him in the building lobby.
Marcus appeared stunned.
“I was at the estate reviewing security footage.”
“Can anyone confirm that?”
“The system should.”
Lena checked.
The estate recordings from the relevant hour had been deleted.
Marcus removed his identification badge and placed it on the table.
“I didn’t plant that bag.”
Alistair wanted to believe him.
Then investigators found a payment of one hundred thousand dollars in an account connected to Marcus’s brother.
The transfer came from a Meridian Relief shell company.
Marcus stared at the record.
“My brother died three years ago.”
“Someone is using his identity,” Lena said.
A message arrived on Tessa’s phone.
It contained a photograph of Dr. Halden entering Marcus’s apartment.
The timestamp showed the previous night.
Beneath the photograph was a warning.
The wrong man will be arrested unless Nellie returns the second bracelet.
Nellie read the message twice.
“What second bracelet?”
Alistair looked at her.
“You only had Sawyer’s?”
“Yes.”
Samuel entered the lobby.
He had come after hearing about the police search.
When he saw the message, all color left his face.
“My mother had another bracelet.”
Everyone turned toward him.
Samuel continued slowly.
“Ruth kept it inside the blue file.”
“What name was on it?” Nellie asked.
“I never saw the full name.”
“Was it mine?”
“No.”
May you like
Samuel looked at the DNA report still clutched in Alistair’s hand.
“It said Baby B.”
