Chapter 6 - The Consent Form Carries Two Forgeries
The missing consent form surfaced in St. Matthew’s paper archive.
It contained Hannah’s signature.
A forensic examiner concluded it had likely been traced.
The authorization for Adrian’s reproductive material carried his electronic signature.
Also forged.
Northstar’s former laboratory director, Charles Bennett, had approved the transfer.
Charles was now CEO of a private fertility network called EverLife.
Adrian knew the company.
EverLife was seeking a major investment from Vale Health Ventures.
Adrian had rejected the proposal the previous year after due diligence raised concerns about recordkeeping.
Suddenly the timeline looked different.
Charles had access to Adrian’s stored sample years earlier.
Hannah later discovered irregularities while working at Northstar.
Then Hannah became pregnant through a procedure she said she never authorized.
Why use Adrian’s sample?
Investigators found no immediate answer.
Rachel warned them not to jump from suspicious facts to motive.
Then Northstar produced an old email from Charles.
Subject:
VALE SAMPLE — RETAIN FOR STRATEGIC PROGRAM.
Adrian stared.
His biological material had been treated like an asset.
The email predated Hannah’s employment by years.
Charles had apparently preserved the sample outside normal disposal protocols.
But there was another name copied on the message.
Margaret Vale.
Adrian’s mother.
Adrian went completely still.
Margaret chaired Vale Health Ventures at the time.
She had also been the person who encouraged Adrian to store reproductive material before cancer treatment.
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Adrian whispered:
“My mother knew.”
