Caroline Price asked to speak with Claire.<\/p>\n
Not prosecutors.<\/p>\n
Not Samuel.<\/p>\n
Not Grace.<\/p>\n
Claire.<\/p>\n
The request arrived through Caroline\u2019s attorney.<\/p>\n
Claire read it twice.<\/p>\n
Then handed it to Rebecca.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is a complete answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire went home.<\/p>\n
Made dinner.<\/p>\n
Put Luca to bed.<\/p>\n
At eleven, she changed her mind.<\/p>\n
Not because she owed Caroline anything.<\/p>\n
Because one sentence in the request bothered her.<\/p>\n
*There is something about Grace and Noah you should hear from me before the medical archive is opened publicly in court.**<\/p>\n
Claire called Rebecca.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo private room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRecorded.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy attorney present.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo immunity conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yours to offer anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo Grace.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo Noah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo Luca\u2019s records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaroline may discuss them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n
The meeting happened two weeks later in a federal facility.<\/p>\n
Claire attended in person.<\/p>\n
I went with her.<\/p>\n
Not into the interview room.<\/p>\n
Her decision.<\/p>\n
Rebecca sat beside her.<\/p>\n
Caroline entered in institutional clothing.<\/p>\n
No nurse badge.<\/p>\n
No glasses.<\/p>\n
She looked older.<\/p>\n
Less because of prison.<\/p>\n
More because there was no role left for her to perform.<\/p>\n
She sat.<\/p>\n
Looked at Claire.<\/p>\n
Then said:<\/p>\n
\u201cYou brought Evan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire answered:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou trust him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael trusted people selectively.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not come here to discuss Michael\u2019s personality.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTalk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked at Rebecca.<\/p>\n
Rebecca started the recorder.<\/p>\n
Caroline folded her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI created the consolidation program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s face did not change.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen give the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe original Mercer families had become biologically entangled over generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire said:<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause people like you transferred children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cContinue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical records were unreliable. Parentage records were false. By the 1990s, nobody could safely determine whether certain descendants were related.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you built a registry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat part makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline seemed surprised.<\/p>\n
Claire continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsent would have made it ethical.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat changed?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDisease.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat disease?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA rare recessive cardiac condition appeared in three founder-line children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich line?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMultiple.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the lines had crossed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they die?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was new.<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s posture changed slightly.<\/p>\n
Caroline continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne survived after transplant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPrivate medical information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca said:<\/p>\n
\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire accepted it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe began mapping lineage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder Samuel\u2019s authority?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca looked up sharply.<\/p>\n
Caroline nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSamuel knew about early genetic mapping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he authorize reproductive use?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he know samples came from minors?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo this began as disease prevention.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd became embryo selection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter Nathan Vale joined.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019s uncle.<\/p>\n
Black Creek.<\/p>\n
The man Adam had named.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan believed Mercer\u2019s problem was not simply false records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he believe?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat the network could collapse if no descendant carried enough legitimate connection to multiple lines.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo he wanted a biological master key.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline\u2019s expression tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I believed Mercer could be made safer if one person could access every record without family conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were trying to solve secrecy with a more powerful custodian.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid it occur to you that the answer might be no custodian?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much later?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline did not answer.<\/p>\n
Claire continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou created her as a legal consolidation candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom biological material taken from Evan and me as minors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout our consent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you transferred the embryo into Julia Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho thought she was carrying for consenting intended parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen after Grace was born?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe planned to place her in a monitored family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHaven intervened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cElena.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Michael.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey stopped you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline\u2019s expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey removed the child from medical oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe carried significant risk markers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas she sick?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what oversight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLongitudinal monitoring.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSurveillance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSay it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSurveillance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
\u201cNoah.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
More complicated.<\/p>\n
\u201cNoah was different.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGrace\u2019s development did not produce the authentication profile Nathan expected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was a failure to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA partial result.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca shifted.<\/p>\n
Claire held up a hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I want her language.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at Caroline.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay what you called her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cSay it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInsufficient consolidation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire sat back.<\/p>\n
For several seconds she did not speak.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
\u201cGrace is an environmental engineering student.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe hates coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has terrible taste in cereal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe laughs too loudly when she is nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
Claire continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe kept Michael\u2019s stupid photograph.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou asked me what she is. That is what she is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou answered anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is not your insufficient anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline lowered her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow Noah.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline continued more carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe altered the selection criteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMeaning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe chose an embryo with stronger multi-line compatibility markers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCreated from the same stolen biological material.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen transferred him into Rachel Merritt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJonathan and Elise had been identified as a likely adoptive family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo before Noah existed, you had already chosen where he would go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not a random carrier?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFamily proximity allowed natural placement.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wanted him near biological-family structure without telling anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Rachel Merritt know she was carrying Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot genetically.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe thought the pregnancy was hers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou let her believe her baby died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline\u2019s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had become attached.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am struggling to imagine how pregnancy caused that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked away.<\/p>\n
Claire continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou punished attachment because it interfered with your placement plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Jonathan and Elise?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey believed it was a standard adoption.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNoah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA reserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not use that word.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou called him that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was he reserved for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Grace could not inherit and another natural joint child never appeared, Noah could become technical custodian after adulthood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you plan to tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone in Mercer loved that phrase.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline did not answer.<\/p>\n
Then Claire asked the question that had brought her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you mean in your letter about the medical archive?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are predictions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGrace and Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLuca?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stood.<\/p>\n
Rebecca touched her wrist.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet her clarify.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stayed standing.<\/p>\n
Caroline said:<\/p>\n
\u201cNo samples were obtained from Luca.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire slowly sat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen no prediction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly Mendelian estimates from parental information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not discuss him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrace and Noah have genomic profiles.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cObtained unlawfully.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat predictions?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCardiac risk. autoimmune susceptibility. metabolic conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUseful medical information?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why was it hidden?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the same files contain trait selection research.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat traits?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked toward Rebecca.<\/p>\n
Rebecca said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this concerns nonmedical genetic prediction, describe categories, not unsupported conclusions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cCognitive proxies. stress response. physical traits. behavioral correlations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou tried to predict personality.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to identify stable characteristics relevant to custodial responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca said flatly:<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not scientifically reliable in the way you are implying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe early models overstated certainty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou built children around bad science.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline flinched.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWere embryos discarded because of those models?\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Rebecca leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaroline.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire\u2019s face emptied.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEstimate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDozens.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went quiet.<\/p>\n
Claire looked down.<\/p>\n
When she spoke again, her voice was lower.<\/p>\n
\u201cWere Grace and Noah selected because you believed they had traits you wanted?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cResilience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou created trauma and then wanted resilient children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline had no answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntelligence proxies?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHealth?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCompliance?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline hesitated.<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you select for compliance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor obedience?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLow impulsivity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca said:<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, these would have been probabilistic and likely scientifically weak.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire looked sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe keeps doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaking it sound cleaner by using technical language.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca understood.<\/p>\n
Caroline did too.<\/p>\n
Claire continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou chose embryos because adults thought their DNA might produce certain kinds of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then you watched those people to see whether you were right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you think Grace matched?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline stopped.<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnswer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grace had resisted.<\/p>\n
Haven.<\/p>\n
Charles.<\/p>\n
Caroline.<\/p>\n
Everyone.<\/p>\n
Claire almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPartially.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe showed higher independence than predicted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire laughed.<\/p>\n
A real laugh this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline watched her.<\/p>\n
Claire continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cYour program failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline looked up.<\/p>\n
Claire leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt never had a valid definition of success.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou created people and then judged them against roles they never agreed to perform.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not failure of the children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is failure of the premise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The confession lasted two more hours.<\/p>\n
Caroline described Black Creek funding.<\/p>\n
Nathan Vale\u2019s research.<\/p>\n
Samuel\u2019s early medical registry before he withdrew.<\/p>\n
Peter\u2019s attempts to expose it.<\/p>\n
Michael\u2019s interference.<\/p>\n
Elena\u2019s extraction of Grace.<\/p>\n
Rachel Merritt\u2019s questions.<\/p>\n
Thomas\u2019s later investigation.<\/p>\n
Nothing absolved her.<\/p>\n
Some details complicated her.<\/p>\n
She had once prevented Nathan from transferring a severely ill infant because he wanted to preserve a lineage.<\/p>\n
She had reported one clinic for unsafe procedures.<\/p>\n
She had also built the system.<\/p>\n
Good acts did not neutralize structure.<\/p>\n
Bad acts did not make every memory false.<\/p>\n
By the end, Claire looked exhausted.<\/p>\n
Caroline asked:<\/p>\n
\u201cWill you tell Grace what I said?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she asks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about Noah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he asks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should know their health risks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat part goes through independent doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stood.<\/p>\n
Caroline looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you hate me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know you well enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve watched you for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire gathered her things.<\/p>\n
Then stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne question.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you watched us at school\u2014Evan and me\u2014did you ever understand we were actual people?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
A long silence.<\/p>\n
Then:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you started choosing each other in ways the models did not predict.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou fought.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was unexpected?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program assumed attachment would increase linearly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared.<\/p>\n
Then laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou built a genetics project and got confused because teenagers argued.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline actually smiled.<\/p>\n
Once.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n
She walked to the door.<\/p>\n
Caroline said:<\/p>\n
\u201cClaire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline seemed surprised.<\/p>\n
Claire continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then she left.<\/p>\n
Outside, I stood when I saw her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow was it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She took my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cAwful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUseful?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
We walked toward the elevator.<\/p>\n
After several steps she said:<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called Grace insufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped.<\/p>\n
Claire looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she reads the record someday, that\u2019s her choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called Noah reserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes.<\/p>\n
Claire continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she thought their personalities were evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat her premise failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire leaned against me.<\/p>\n
Then laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said our teenage fighting confused the models.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is offensive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were excellent at fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cVery consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou once refused to speak to me for three days because I returned your CD scratched.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was my favorite CD.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left it in my car.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
We reached the elevator.<\/p>\n
The doors opened.<\/p>\n
For thirty seconds, Mercer disappeared again.<\/p>\n
Good.<\/p>\n
Then Rebecca called.<\/p>\n
Because apparently Mercer disliked elevators.<\/p>\n
Claire answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat greeting feels personal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe medical archive indexing is complete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a fourth consolidation file.\u201d<\/p>\n
We stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca continued quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot a child.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank God.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an adult.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDifferent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cA founder-line donor designated as the biological source Caroline intended to use if the Carter-Bennett program failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cBackup parent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca answered:<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas Vale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caroline Price asked to speak with Claire. Not prosecutors. Not Samuel. Not Grace. Claire. The request arrived through Caroline\u2019s attorney. Claire read it twice. Then handed it to Rebecca. \u201cNo.\u201d … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17877,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17800\/revisions\/17877"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}