“Thank you, Victoria,” he said. “For not staying silent.”

“I couldn’t do it anymore,” I said. “For Chloe, and for all the kids at Harborview.”

***

The morning brought a heavy gray sky and a steady downpour.

I arrived at Harborview Children’s Hospital at eight-thirty.

I wore my best navy blue blazer and carried a black leather portfolio containing three printed copies of the evidence.

Daniel met me in the lobby, wearing a charcoal suit.

He held a black umbrella in one hand and a leather briefcase in the other.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said.

We walked together toward the administrative elevator and rode it to the fifth floor.

The boardroom was located at the end of a long, carpeted hallway lined with portraits of past hospital benefactors.

Through the double glass doors, I could see the board members taking their seats around the massive mahogany table.

Dr. Sterling sat at the head of the table.

James Hendricks was already there, looking immaculate in a tailored suit, laughing at a joke with another board member.