Chapter 5: What the Camera Saw

Stuart's POV

I did not sleep.

Celia took the guest room at two in the morning, and I sat in my study with the report under the desk lamp.

It was one page.

It had the clinic's letterhead, my wife's name, and a line saying she was not pregnant.

I had read it once in front of fourteen people and believed every word.

At five I read it again, and this time I looked at the corners.

The doctor's signature line was empty.

The date was the day before the appointment.

The address under the letterhead had a street number I knew was wrong, because Willa's old dentist shared that building.

I put the page down.

I thought of her face when she stood up at the table.

She had been shaking, and she had not looked at the money or at the guests.

She had looked at me.

I called the clinic at seven, and a young woman answered.

"I'm Mrs. Ashcroft's husband," I said. "I need to know what was printed for her yesterday."

"I'm not permitted to discuss patient files, sir."

"She fell down a flight of stairs last night. I need to know."

There was a pause, and I heard keys.

"I can tell you we printed a report at two ten yesterday afternoon," she said. "It's on file as a twelve-week twin pregnancy. I can send you a copy."

The copy came into my inbox before I hung up.

It had a scan picture at the top, two small shapes side by side.

It had the doctor's signature.

My hand stopped working on the phone.

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