Chapter 10 - The Man Who Treated Ethan for Years
Dominic carried Marco himself.
He refused to wait for a stretcher.
Dr. Harris was gone.
So was one black SUV from the lower garage.
Marco went into emergency surgery in the estate clinic while Dominic tore through Harris's personnel file.
I stood beside him with Lily asleep against my shoulder.
Ethan sat on the carpet at our feet.
No one wanted the children out of sight.
"Samuel Harris," Dominic read. "Boston. Sixty-one. Licensed in New York. Pediatric allergy specialist."
"Call the hospital."
"Already did."
A security analyst shook his head.
"Employment checks out."
I thought about Marco's last words.
"Check death records."
The analyst looked at me.
"Why?"
"Because Marco said Harris isn't Harris."
Dominic nodded once.
Keys clicked.
Thirty seconds later the analyst stopped typing.
"Sir."
Dominic looked over.
A death certificate filled the screen.
Samuel Joseph Harris.
Date of death: eighteen months earlier.
Nice, France.
Cardiac arrest.
Ethan whispered, "That's not him."
The photograph attached to the obituary showed a different man.
Same age.
Same gray hair.
Not the doctor who had treated Ethan for years.
Dominic gripped the desk until his knuckles whitened.
"When did our Harris start?"
The analyst searched.
"Twenty-three months ago."
Four months before the real doctor's death.
My stomach tightened.
"So he didn't steal the identity after Harris died. He was already using it."
"Partial identity," Dominic said. "Licensing renewals, credential numbers, references."
"Who verified him?"
The analyst swallowed.
"Security vetting."
Everyone looked toward the clinic doors where Marco was being operated on.
Dominic's jaw twitched.
"Find the face. Every law-enforcement database you can reach."
Ten minutes passed.
Then a match appeared.
DANIEL VOSS.
Former private medical contractor.
Former Calderone associate.
Expelled from Calderone operations seven years ago after suspected extortion.
Dominic stared.
"I know that name."
"From Vincent?"
"From his father. Voss was poison even for them."
Ethan pulled at my sleeve.
"Anna?"
"What, sweetheart?"
"Where's Lily?"
My arms were empty.
For one blank second, my brain refused to understand.
I had set her down beside Ethan when she woke.
I turned.
The bedroom door was open.
Her pink socks were gone from the rug.
"Lily?"
No answer.
I ran into the hall.
"LILY!"
Dominic shouted orders behind me.
Every door opened.
Guards moved.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered with shaking fingers.
"Mommy?"
Lily's voice.
Small.
Crying.
"Baby, where are you?"
A man's voice replaced hers.
Dr. Harris.
No.
Daniel Voss.
"Bring me Michael's card."
I stopped running.
Dominic took one look at my face and held up a hand to silence everyone.
"What card?" I asked.
"The one Nathan carried."
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
Voss laughed softly.
"Because your husband was smarter than Marco realized."
I pressed the phone harder to my ear.
"Let me hear Lily."
A rustle.
Then her sob.
"Mommy."
"I'm coming."
Voss returned.
"No police. No trackers. No Moretti army."
"Where?"
"You'll know."
"That's not an answer."
"It was enough for Michael."
My knees weakened.
"You knew my husband."
"I knew what he found."
Dominic moved closer, listening.
Voss lowered his voice.
"Bring the card, Anna. Or your daughter disappears the way her father did."
The call ended.
My phone screen went black.
Then a location pin appeared.
May you like
The same road where Michael had died.
