Chapter 13 - The Birth Certificate
Lena drove them to a small maternity clinic on the edge of the city.
The clinic had closed to the public two years earlier, but one delivery room remained operational for emergencies involving protected witnesses.
Emily was given medication to slow the premature labor.
The contractions weakened but did not stop.
A doctor named Mara Ellis treated the burn on her cheek and confirmed the damage was painful but superficial.
“The liquid was diluted,” Mara said.
Emily looked at Sarah, who sat under guard near the door.
“Why?”
Sarah lowered her eyes.
“I changed the bottle.”
Emily stared at her.
“What?”
“The original liquid Michael gave me was stronger.”
Michael gave me.
The words hurt more than Emily expected.
Sarah continued.
“I replaced most of it with water before I came.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to scare you. I didn’t want…”
She looked toward Emily’s stomach.
“I didn’t want the baby harmed.”
Emily turned away.
That was not an apology.
It was only another reminder that they valued the child more than the woman carrying it.
Lena placed the yellow blanket and laptop on a table.
“The flash drive is being copied. We have enough to open a federal investigation.”
“Is that why you were outside?” Emily asked.
“Ashley contacted me four days ago. We were waiting for evidence that tied the hospital directly to illegal medical procedures.”
“And now?”
“Now we have patient records, videos and transfer logs.”
Sarah laughed bitterly.
“You think that will stop my father?”
“It will slow him down.”
“Nothing slows him down.”
Lena looked at her.
“Then help us.”
Sarah remained silent.
Ashley entered carrying coffee.
“Police searched the elevator shaft.”
Emily sat up.
“Michael?”
“No body.”
“What does that mean?”
“The elevator stopped three floors below. There was blood inside, but the emergency hatch was open.”
“He escaped.”
“Or someone took him.”
Emily looked at the laptop.
“Open Daniel’s video again.”
Ashley resumed the recording.
Daniel spoke from the dark room.
“The replacement embryo came from a sealed research case dated thirty-one years ago. I believed the donors were anonymous.”
He held up a document.
“But I discovered one donor’s identity after the transfer.”
The image blurred.
Daniel leaned closer to the camera.
“The biological father listed in the hidden record is…”
The video cut off.
Ashley checked the file.
“That’s the end.”
“It can’t be.”
“Someone deleted the rest.”
Lena examined the folder.
“There may be a backup.”
A nurse entered carrying a sealed plastic bag.
“This was found sewn inside the blanket.”
She handed it to Emily.
Inside was a folded document stained with age.
Emily opened it carefully.
It was a birth certificate.
The name of the child had been removed.
The mother was listed as Anna Vale.
The father was listed as unknown.
The date was twenty-nine years earlier.
The document recorded only one live birth.
Not twins.
Emily looked at Ashley.
“Our mother gave birth to two children.”
“That’s what we were told.”
Ruth stood near the window.
She had barely spoken since the crash.
Emily turned to her.
“You were there.”
Ruth closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Were there twins?”
“Yes.”
“Then why does this say one child?”
“Because one baby was registered.”
“And the other?”
Ruth looked at Ashley.
He stopped breathing.
Emily followed her gaze.
“What are you saying?”
Ruth’s voice trembled.
“Anna gave birth to a girl and a boy.”
“That’s us.”
“No.”
Ashley set down the coffee.
Ruth continued.
“The boy died before sunrise.”
Emily stared at her.
“That’s impossible.”
“Daniel and I tried to save him.”
“I grew up with Ashley.”
“I know.”
“Then who is he?”
Ashley stepped backward.
Ruth wiped tears from her cheeks.
“Three days after Anna’s son died, Richard’s research wing received an abandoned infant. No records. No family. Daniel switched the identities.”
Ashley looked as though the floor had disappeared beneath him.
“You’re saying I’m not Emily’s brother?”
“You are her brother in every way that matters.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Ruth lowered her head.
“No. You are not biologically related.”
Emily reached for Ashley’s hand.
He pulled away.
Not angrily.
As though he no longer trusted his own body.
“Who were my parents?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did Daniel give me to Anna?”
“To hide you.”
“From whom?”
Ruth looked at the birth certificate.
“Richard.”
A phone rang on the table.
It was Michael’s number.
Everyone looked at it.
Lena activated the speaker.
“Michael?”
A man breathed on the other end.
May you like
Then Michael whispered, “Do not trust Ashley.”
The call ended.
