Blair always was a smart girl.
Emily’s eyes widened as she lifted the false bottom out, setting the thin piece of brown wood on the table. Emily stared into the box to see an additional three inches inside. Her eyes settled on a blank, white piece of paper. She swallowed as she grabbed the tiny parchment and turned it in her hands.
“Oh, my God,” Emily gasped as the photograph trembled in her right hand. Emily brought her left hand to her mouth, struggling not to scream.
As she stared back at the sonogram photo.
honesty
“What the hell do you mean she was pregnant?” Cole scoffed as he stared back at Emily who sat on the center of his couch.
“I found the sonogram in her memory box,” Emily said, almost whispering.
“Wait, you took it?”
“So you knew about it?” Emily asked, shaking her head to herself.
“I mean, she told me it was just old photos and toys from her childhood. I didn’t want to invade her privacy. I knew it was in her side table.” Cole shrugged as he plopped down into the recliner across from Emily.
“Did you know she was pregnant?”
“No, I just told you that!” Cole snapped. “If she was, she would have told me! There is no damn way she would have kept this from me.”
“Oh, you mean like how she kept Professor Alden a secret from you?” Emily groaned.
“That was different, and I talked to her about it. If she was pregnant,” Cole said, nearly choking on the words, “it isn’t mine. We always used protection; well, most of the time. But we were always, always careful.”
“Clearly not careful enough,” Emily said as she pulled out the sonogram from her peacoat pocket and slammed it on the coffee table. Cole swallowed hard as his eyes rested on the sonogram image.
“I’m telling you, Miss Keller, it isn’t mine.”
“Then that leaves one other person,” Emily said as she reached forward, snatching the sonogram from the table.
***
“This is ludicrous.” Professor Alden smirked as he dropped the sonogram on the top of his desk.
“Is it? Maybe that’s why you killed her,” Emily snarled as she sat in the chair across from Professor Alden in his tiny office.
“I sure loved having the police haul my ass into the precinct the other day. That was a lovely ending to my glorious day.” Johnathan smirked as he crossed his arms.
“You really thought I wouldn’t say something? You’re lucky I didn’t tell the dean.” Emily snarled.
“Well, I’m free, aren’t I? Do you see me behind any bars?” Alden asked, leaning forward as he rested his elbows on his desk.
“No, not yet,” Emily said. “All I want to know is if there is any possibility this was your baby.”
“Well, if it is, I’ll make quite a killing with a hefty lawsuit,” Johnathan smirked.
“What do you mean?”
“I got the old snippety-snip two years ago after my first mistake. I had to make sure that didn’t happen again,” he winked. “Now, if you’re done harassing me, I’ve got a class in five minutes.”
september
Emily wrapped her hands around the edge of the front desk counter inside of the Elwood Memorial Hospital, staring back at the female receptionist as her long, neon yellow acrylic nails tapped rapidly against a computer keyboard in front of her. The young woman’s eyes fluttered up and away from the computer screen in front of her, settling on Emily.
“What can I help you with?” The woman sighed.
“I just need to get some medical records.” Emily nodded.
“All right, you will have to sign a release form. What is your date of birth?”
“It’s actually for my daughter. Her name is Blair Bradley and her date of birth is July twenty-eighth, nineteen-ninety-nine.”
“Well, I can only release the records to you if you are included on her HIPPA,” the receptionist said as she typed the date.
“Why?”
“She is over eighteen, so me releasing those records to you without her consent or a signed HIPPA form would be illegal, ma’am,” the receptionist scoffed as she moved her mouse to the left and then to the right.
“She’s my daughter, though. Doesn’t that mean anything?” Emily sighed, resting her elbows on the edge of the counter.
“Not in the medical world.” The woman smirked. “It looks like you were not included on her HIPPA form, so I can’t do anything for you.”
“Is there a manager of someone I can talk to? She’s missing and I really, really need those records,” Emily asked, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but there is nothing we can do. We cannot violate that policy. If we did, there would be serious consequences. I really don’t feel like getting fired and having to go flip greasy patties again at the Burger Shack.” the receptionist smirked.
“Oh, my God.” Emily sighed as she glanced to her left, her eyes scanning the chaotic waiting room that surrounded her. Emily watched as a nurse sped through the waiting room, smoothing out her wrinkled light blue scrub top with a clipboard clenched against her chest. She had to get creative.
“So, is there anything else I might be able to help you with today?” the receptionist asked, breaking Emily out of her trance.
“No, thank you.” Emily smiled as she moved to her left, making her way toward the tiny café kiosk in the corner of the large waiting room.
***
Emily wrapped her hand around the paper cup, the coffee warming her palm as she turned from the coffee bar counter, her eyes carefully studying the waiting room a few feet ahead.
She had to wait for the right moment.
She had to be patient. If she didn’t pull this off, she’d never get the
