Chapter 4 - The Woman Claire Already Knew
Maya stopped denying.
“Yes. I knew Claire.”
“How well?”
“Not well.”
The photographs disagreed.
There were seven.
Fundraisers.
Clinic meetings.
One coffee shop.
One hospital corridor.
Claire and Maya had been investigating something together.
At least initially.
Then their relationship changed.
Claire’s messages became hostile.
You said this was only bridge billing.
You lied.
Maya replied:
I told you enough to protect Sophie.
Claire:
No. You told me enough to protect Northbridge.
Then silence for months.
Bridge billing.
Daniel explained.
Some charitable medical programs temporarily bill through insured accounts while separate grant funds reimburse later.
Improper if unauthorized.
Potential fraud even if care delivered.
Northbridge had apparently used insured children’s authorizations as temporary “bridges” for uninsured children.
Why?
To get devices fabricated immediately.
Charitable reimbursement sometimes took months.
Could be well-intentioned.
Still illegal and risky.
Claire discovered.
Maya had helped.
At first she wanted reform, not exposure.
Then Claire found something worse.
The reimbursements were coming in.
But Northbridge often kept both.
Insurance payment.
And charity reimbursement.
Double payment.
There.
“Don’t let them bill her twice.”
The engraving made sense.
Maybe capsule held proof.
But not yet full mystery.
Then financial totals.
Over seven years:
Potential duplicate revenue of $8.6 million.
Northbridge founder?
Dr. Leonard Pike.
Respected pediatric orthotics entrepreneur.
Now retired.
Current owner:
Maya’s father.
Robert Reynolds.
Ethan stared.
Maya had not merely worked there.
Her family owned it.
She had hidden that too.
Why?
Northbridge was sold shortly before Ethan met Maya.
Robert had exited operations after regulatory settlement unrelated to Sophie.
Maya said she was ashamed.
Then Ethan asked:
“Did you marry me because Claire had evidence?”
“No.”
“Did you know she hid it?”
“Not where.”
That answer was worse.
She had been looking.
Then Sophie revealed something.
“Maya asked me about Mom’s old leg all the time.”
“Your leg?”
“Yeah.”
“She said Mom put a lucky charm in it.”
Ethan closed eyes.
Maya had been searching through Sophie emotionally instead of directly.
Then why attack?
Sophie had begun hearing rattle after crack developed naturally.
She told Maya that morning.
Maya panicked and demanded leg.
Sophie refused.
Argument escalated.
Maya struck prosthetic.
No excuse.
But motive clearer.
Then Daniel had capsule X-rayed.
Inside:
No USB drive.
No paper.
A tiny cylindrical metal component.
Like a medical part.
Ethan frowned.
“Evidence?”
Daniel said:
“Maybe.”
Manufacturer marking visible:
NR-17.
Northbridge Research.
Prototype.
Why would Claire hide a prosthetic component inside another prosthetic?
Then Sophie’s prosthetist went pale when shown image.
“Where did you get that?”
“Why?”
“That part was never supposed to leave the lab.”
“What does it do?”
May you like
He stared at Ethan.
“It’s the reason Northbridge became worth eighty million dollars.”
