Chapter 7
"Alive," Christian said.
A pause.
"Yes," Emdy said. "Alive."
Christian leaned against the counter, phone pressed tight to his ear. "You said they removed people."
"We said they were dealt with," Emdy replied. "Words matter."
"So what now?"
"Now," Emdy said, "you collect proof. Not theories. Not patterns. Evidence."
"Against the hospital?"
"No," Emdy said. "Against Rinaldi. Everything else is noise."
Christian exhaled. "What kind of evidence?"
"The kind that doesn't disappear when someone important gets nervous."
Christian started with what he could touch.
Names repeated. Account numbers didn't.
The same insurance adjuster.
The same compliance officer.
The same legal firm representing the hospital in three unrelated cases.
Christian cross-checked dates.
Campaign announcements lined up with policy changes.
Policy changes lined up with coverage reinterpretations.
Coverage reinterpretations lined up with patient debt.
Nobody denied care.
They just made it unaffordable afterward.
Christian sat back, hands on his knees.
It wasn't corruption.
It was optimization.
The last piece came from a place he shouldn't have had access to.
He knew that the moment the file opened.
A shared drive buried three folders deep. No labels. Just dates.
Inside: email chains.
Not instructions. Never instructions.
Suggestions.
Concerns.
"Strategic considerations."
Rinaldi's name appeared only once.
Not as a sender.
As a recipient.
Christian stared at it longer than he should have.
He copied the file.
He left before anyone could notice how long he'd been alone.
—--------------------------------------
Christian's hand pressed lightly against his lab coat. The paper inside felt heavier than it should have.
His car waited where he'd left it. Unmoved. Intact.
For the first time that day, he slowed.
"Doctor."
The voice came from behind him. He could hear a footstep approaching him
Christian reached for the door handle