Zara Ali stared at the case number on her screen. Finch v. Doe. A sealed record. A locked door. She knew the truth was behind it, but she had no key.
She picked up her phone and dialed the one person she trusted to navigate these waters: her former mentor, Dr. Anya Sharma.
“Anya, I have a hypothetical,” Zara began, keeping her voice steady and clinical. She laid out the situation carefully, omitting every name. A doctor with a suspicious history. A patient whose diagnosis defied logic. A sealed malpractice suit from years ago.
Anya’s voice was grim on the other end. “You’re walking into a minefield, Zara. Unsealing a record like that is nearly impossible. You’d need one of the original parties—the plaintiff or their legal counsel—to petition the court. And they’d need a damn good reason.”
The door wasn’t just locked. It was barricaded.
Zara hung up, a cold knot of frustration in her stomach. A direct assault was useless. She had to think differently. She couldn’t get to the file. But maybe she could get to the person who created it.
She turned back to her computer, her objective shifting. She wasn’t looking for a patient anymore. She was looking for a lawyer.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, cross-referencing legal databases with her university’s alumni network. She searched for medical malpractice specialists who were active during the years the suit was filed. She built a list, then began whittling it down, looking for a specific kind of lawyer. Someone who took on impossible cases. Someone who fought institutions.
Hours bled into one another. Her eyes burned from the screen’s glare. Finally, a name surfaced from the depths of a legal archive. A semi-retired attorney with a reputation as a bulldog, known for taking on powerful hospitals and winning. The profile mentioned a landmark case that had been sealed to protect the victim’s privacy.
It had to be him.
Her heart pounded against her ribs. This was a long shot, a desperate gamble. She opened a new, anonymous email account. Her message was short, precise, and careful.
To whom it may concern,
I am writing in reference to case file Finch v. Doe. I have reason to believe the defendant has repeated the pattern of behavior outlined in that sealed suit. I have new information that could be relevant.
I wish to remain anonymous for my own protection.
She stared at the words, her finger hovering over the send button. This was it. The first thread she could pull to unravel everything.
She clicked send.
About the Author
