Chapter 4 - THE DOCTOR WHO NEVER EXAMINED CLAIRE
Claire woke the next morning in her own bed.
Evan sat beside her.
Perfect husband again.
“Hey.”
Her mouth was dry.
Her head pounded.
She stared at him.
“What happened?”
He smiled gently.
“You had a rough night.”
Good.
Claire let him believe she remembered little.
“How?”
“You got upset about the land documents. Took too much medication.”
Claire whispered:
“What medication?”
He looked concerned.
“The anxiety medicine Dr. Bell prescribed.”
Claire stared.
Dr. Marcus Bell.
Diane’s longtime internist.
He had never treated Claire.
Then Evan produced the bottle.
Her name.
Her birth date.
Prescription label.
Claire touched it.
“Why don’t I remember seeing him?”
Evan sighed sadly.
“That’s what worries me.”
There.
Gaslighting with paper.
Then Diane entered.
Soft voice.
Tea.
No cane.
She sat at the edge of the bed.
“Sweetheart, you were hysterical last night.”
Claire almost laughed.
Instead she looked frightened.
“Did I sign something?”
Diane and Evan exchanged a glance.
Only a second.
Enough.
Evan said:
“You agreed to what we discussed.”
“What did we discuss?”
He rubbed her hand.
“The property arrangement.”
Claire pulled away.
Not too strongly.
“I don’t remember.”
Diane’s face softened theatrically.
“That is exactly why we need to get you stable.”
Then Claire’s phone rang.
Maya Sloan.
Evan saw the name.
His face changed.
He reached for it.
Claire grabbed first.
“I need to talk to her.”
“You should rest.”
“I need to talk to my lawyer.”
Diane said:
“Why are you making everything adversarial?”
Claire looked at her.
Then answered weakly:
“I don’t know.”
Good.
Let them think fog.
She took the call in the bathroom.
Locked the door.
Whispered:
“They drugged me.”
Maya went silent.
Claire continued:
“I have the recording.”
“Where?”
“The pen.”
“Do they know?”
“No.”
“Can you get out?”
Claire looked at the door.
“Yes.”
“Then leave now.”
Claire did.
She told Evan she needed air.
He objected.
She started crying.
He backed off because controlling her physically the morning after a coerced signing would look bad.
Claire drove three blocks.
Pulled into a pharmacy parking lot.
Maya met her there.
The pen still had the file.
They listened in Maya’s car.
Richard:
You won’t be in a position to.
Evan:
If she complains, the doctor says she’s been confused for weeks anyway.
Diane:
Tomorrow you’ll rest.
The audio was clear.
Maya looked at Claire.
“This is criminal.”
Claire stared through the windshield.
“Yes.”
Then Maya said:
“And if Dr. Bell fabricated records, this is much bigger.”
May you like
Claire looked at the prescription bottle.
“We find out.”
