The Stolen Identity (The Sydney Harbour Hospital Series Book 7)
THE STOLEN IDENTITY
Book Seven of the Sydney Harbour Hospital Series
Chris Taylor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication
Other Books by Chris Taylor
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Note to Readers
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Copyright
This book is dedicated to my children: Angus, Imogen, Rory, Millie & Madeleine for understanding why their mother spends so much time on her computer.
And as always, to my rock: my husband, Linden. I love you.
OTHER BOOKS BY CHRIS TAYLOR
Find all of Chris Taylor’s books on Amazon
The Munro Family Series
(in order)
The Profiler
The Investigator
The Predator
The Betrayal
The Deception
The Negotiator
The Ransom
The Defendant
The Shooting
The Maker
(Available in Audio)
The Sydney Harbour Hospital Series
(in order)
The Perfect Husband
The Body Thief
The Baby Snatchers
The Final Bullet
The Debt Collector
The Lab Test
The Stolen Identity
The Cliff Top Killer
The Likeable Fraudster
The Sydney Legal Series
(in order)
An Accidental Murderer
At the Hand of her Father
A Woman Scorned
Lies and Deception
Ordinary Evil
The Perfect Crime
Malicious Love
Toxic Inheritance
The Barrington Family Series
(in order)
Broken Lives
Broken Promises
Broken Bonds
Broken Spirits
Broken Vows
Broken Minds
Broken Dreams
Broken Hearts
Broken Homes
The Craigdon Family Series
(in order)
Callum
Joel
Isabella
Nicholas
Sophia
Flynn
Noah
Logan
Elizabeth
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PROLOGUE
Dear Diary,
It was easier than I expected… Once the initial shock wore off, he was delighted. I arrived on his doorstep with nothing. He shared everything he had. It should have been enough to satisfy me, but it wasn’t.
Alas, he never saw the devil deep inside…
CHAPTER ONE
The woman’s scream was low and guttural and vibrated with pain. Sweat dampened her forehead and plastered her hair to her face. Morgan O’Brien called on all her professional skills as an experienced midwife to remain calm. The baby’s shoulders were stuck in the birth canal. If they didn’t move quickly, both the lives of the mother and the unborn infant would be in jeopardy.
With one eye on the laboring mother, Morgan picked up the phone on the far side of the room and called for the doctor. A voice on the other end of the line assured her he was on his way. Relief rushed through her and she hastened to the side of the mother.
“It’s all right, Vanessa. Big breaths now. The contraction’s over. Slow down your breathing and rest. Your baby’s slightly larger than we expected. She’s having a little difficulty coming out. I’ve sent for the doctor. He’ll decide what’s best from here.”
The young mother stared up at her with eyes that were wide and confused. “What do you mean? Is my baby stuck? Is she stuck inside? Is that why I can’t push her out?”
Morgan nodded briefly. “Yes. It happens sometimes. But there’s no need to worry. The doctor will be here shortly. He’ll assess the situation. We have a few options.”
“What kind of options?” demanded the woman’s partner, who had identified himself earlier as Trevor.
Morgan held his gaze steadily, projecting a calm she didn’t quite feel. “We can try and manually extract the baby with forceps or vacuum suction. If that doesn’t work, we’ll prepare for a C-section.”
As she listened to the exchange, fear filled the young woman’s eyes. “A C-section? I don’t want a C-section! Please, nurse! I’m scared of needles!”
Trevor took hold of Morgan’s arm in a tight grip, his gaze fierce. “Are you sure that’s necessary? We agreed on minimal medical intervention.”
Morgan extricated her arm as gently as possible. “I understand, Trevor and no, I’m not sure that we’ll have to resort to surgery. We’ll wait to hear what the doctor says.”
The door to the birthing suite swung open and Morgan swallowed a sigh of relief. Doctor Samuel Munro strode into the room. Taking the doctor aside, Morgan quietly brought him up to speed. With the air of competence and efficiency he was known for, Samuel approached the woman on the bed and shot her a reassuring smile.
“Hi, Vanessa, I’m Doctor Munro. I’m an obstetrician at the Sydney Harbour Hospital. Do you mind if I take a little look at what’s happening?”
The woman’s nod turned into a grimace as she was once again gripped by a contraction. Morgan stepped closer, talking in quiet tones to her patient, urging her to breathe through the pain. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Samuel place his hands on Vanessa’s swollen stomach.
The contraction finally subsided and Vanessa collapsed against the pillows with a gasp. Perspiration beaded her lip. She looked up at Samuel with tears in her eyes.
“Please, Doctor, tell me what’s happening. I don’t know how much longer I can stand the pain.”
Samuel finished his examination and came to stand beside Morgan. “Your baby has broad shoulders,” he said, his light tone belying the seriousness of the situation. “She’s getting stuck inside the birth canal. I need to try and manipulate her body a little and see if we can get her out.”
Fear shadowed Vanessa’s eyes. “Will it hurt?”
“No more than the pain you’re in now. We can get you something for that. There’s no need to do it the hard way.”
“No!” Trevor cried. “We agreed, no drugs.” He turned to the woman on the bed. “Didn’t we, Ness?”
“Y-yes.” Vanessa sounded a whole lot less certain than her baby’s father.
Samuel studiously ignored him. His gaze remained steady on the patient’s. “It’s your decision, Vanessa. No one else’s.”
“I… I understand, Doctor. I… I think I’m fine.”
Samuel nodded in acceptance and glanced at the monitor beside Morgan. “All right, well, it looks like you’re about to be hit with another contraction. Take hold of someone’s hand and squeeze the hell out of it. I’ll try to be as gentle as I can.”
With that, Samuel placed his hands once again around Vanessa’s swollen stomach. As the woman cried out and gasped in pain, Samuel manipulated the baby. Morgan stood at the foot of the bed and kept a close watch on her patient.
A moment later, Morgan spied the baby’s head. “She’s crowning!” she exclaimed. The relief in the air was almost palpable. Morgan smiled at the doctor. “Well done, Samuel! You did it.”
He smiled back at her, his even white teeth brilliant against his olive skin. A sense of mutual pride and satisfaction flowed between them. Not for the first time, Morgan wondered why the good-looking doctor didn’t stir her like he should. With all that they had in common, there should be some form of attraction. They were both single and about the same age. Both shared a sense of caring for their fellow man. They were both in the health profession – delivering babies, no less. Plenty of other females swooned when he walked by…
Yet, she regarded him like a brother, or a good friend. She supposed that same lack of feeling was the reason so many Internet relationships failed when the people got to meet face to face. No matter how compatible they looked on paper, a computer screen could never convey that indefinable feeling – that zing of awareness – that could only happen when two people met, in person. Without that face-to-face awareness, any relationship was destined to fail. Physical attraction was something nobody could force, no matter how hard they tried. At least, that’s the way she saw it.
“Is it over?” Trevor demanded, looking from one health professional to another.
“Almost,” Morgan replied cheerfully, squeezing her patient’s hand. “Doctor Munro has managed to turn your baby enough so that she can slide through the birth canal. A couple more pushes and your daughter should be here.”
Vanessa stared up at her with eyes that were wide with excitement and hope. “Really?”
Morgan smiled. “Really. Now, when the next contraction starts to build, I want you to bend your knees and pull your legs up toward your chest. Keep your chin down and push with all your might. Do you think you can manage that?”
The woman nodded and it wasn’t long before her breath quickened on another contraction. Groaning and straining, she pushed while Morgan did a slow count.
“That’s it, Vanessa! You’re doing great!” Morgan encouraged. “One more push, and your baby will be here.”
The woman scraped back a piece of sweat-dampened hair, her expression once again filled with hope. “You promise?”
“I promise.” Morgan grinned and tugged on a fresh pair of gloves in anticipation.
A few minutes later, a slippery, squalling mass of humanity took her first breath and a cheer went up around the room. Working quickly, Morgan and Samuel cleared the baby’s airway and checked the vitals. The newborn’s cries were loud and strong and pink color flooded her skin. Swaddling the infant in a soft blanket, Morgan handed her to her mother.
“Congratulations, Vanessa. Meet your new daughter.”
Trevor reached out an unsteady hand and stroked the velvety soft cheek. Tears fell freely down his cheeks. He leaned down and kissed Vanessa, his eyes filled with tenderness and love.
Morgan swallowed the lump in her throat and concentrated on delivering the placenta. In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever get to experience the feeling of such unadulterated love that came with the joy of giving birth.
You could have been a mother already, a voice inside her head insinuated. You chose not to, remember? As if she could ever forget.
* * *
It was at least an hour later before mother and baby were settled on the ward and Morgan found time to take a break. Her friend and colleague, Georgie Whitely was already seated in the tea room. The two girls were close in age and had hit it off the moment Morgan started working there.
While Georgie had been born and bred in Sydney, Morgan hailed from the country. She’d gone to college in her hometown of Armidale, but had left for the city straight after graduation. She loved what Sydney had to offer – the vibrancy, the noise; the crowds. It made her feel young and energetic and grateful to be alive. Too bad she hadn’t managed to find someone to share all that with.
“Good work with Vanessa,” Georgie murmured after Morgan filled her in on her morning.
“Thanks. We were lucky Samuel was on call. He’s always so calm in a crisis. He’s a good man to have around.”
Georgie’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Throw in the fact that he’s single and drop dead gorgeous. I don’t know what you’re waiting for.”
Morgan pulled a face. “Yeah, I’ve asked myself the same question. He’s the total package. Every unattached female in Sydney Harbour Hospital is dying to date him. I should be one of them. I even have an advantage. His cousin is a doctor here. Chanel Munro. She’s a friend of mine. She could put in a good word for me.”
“So what’s holding you back?” Georgie asked curiously, taking a bite of an apple.
Morgan picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. Setting it back on the table, she sighed. “There’s no spark. It’s stupid, right? He’s the hottest man for miles around and I’m not interested. Me, the thirty-year-old woman who can barely remember the last time she had sex. You’d think I’d be knocking him over in the corridors and dragging him to the nearest bed.”
Georgie laughed. “You’re so funny.”
Morgan pouted. “It’s all right for you, Georgina Whitely – or should I say, Georgina Dawson. You’re married to the man of your dreams and your son is the cutest baby I’ve ever seen! You have everything you could ever want. Me, on the other hand, will probably end up like Bridget Jones – perpetually single, sad and alone, left with nothing more to do but wallow in self-pity and watch sappy old movies from my couch.”
“In your pajamas,” Georgie added with a grin. “Don’t forget those.”
Morgan poked out her tongue and Georgie’s grin widened. “I guess I’d better not tell you then, how the latest Bridget Jones movie has her marrying and having a baby. Oh, and speaking of babies, Cameron and I are trying for another.”
Morgan stared at Georgie in surprise and delight. “Already? James is barely six months old!”
Georgie shrugged, unabashed. “Hey, Cameron’s aiming for half a football team. He only has one sister and he’s eleven years older than her. He doesn’t want James to grow up alone. Besides, I’m already on the wrong side of thirty. I don’t have time to waste.”
Morgan forced a smile. “I know how you feel,” she muttered.
She was genuinely happy for her friend, despite the stab of envy that made itself known in the region of her heart. Morgan would give anything to be in Georgie’s position. It was made even harder by the fact she was surrounded by deliriously happy new mothers and their undeniably gorgeous babies.
“Do you have any brothers and sisters, Morgan?”
Morgan pushed her depressing thoughts aside and focused on her friend. “No, I’m an only child. I understand exactly why Cameron doesn’t want James growing up alone.”
Georgie nodded. “I’m lucky. I have three sisters.” She took another bite of her apple. “Are your parents still alive?”
“Dad is. Mom died a week after my nineteenth birthday. Breast cancer.”
Georgie compressed her lips. “That’s tough.”
“No tougher than what you’ve had to deal with.” Morgan hadn’t been working with Georgie during the time Georgie’s parents had been arrested for baby trafficking, but she’d heard all the stories and had seen enough news reports to know it couldn’t have been easy.
Georgie brushed off her comment with a shrug. “Are you close to your dad?” she asked.
“Yes. Even more so, since Mom died. We speak on the phone most weeks and we email all the time.”
Georgie smiled. “Your dad knows how to email?”
“Of course! He was a lawyer before he retired. He used to run a busy practice in the country. For a member of the older generation, he’s quite computer literate.”
“That’s great. It must make it so much easier to stay in contact.”
“It does,” Morgan agreed, “although ever since he retired, he’s ditched his cell phone. He says he’s had enough of being on call twenty-four seven.” She smiled fondly at the thought of her father. She hadn’t heard from him in over a week and that had only been by email. It had been more than a fortnight since they’d spoken. But today was Morgan’s birthday. He’d call her that night, for sure.
Glancing at the clock on the wall above the fridge, Morgan finished the last of her coffee and pushed away from the table. “Two hours until we’re out of here. I guess we’d better get back to it.”
Georgie sighed, but offered a smile. “Yes. I guess we should.”
* * *
Morgan climbed beneath the cool cotton sheets and sighed with contentment. She loved her job, but there was no doubt about it: Delivering babies was tiring work. Her feet ached after being on them for the better part of her shift and she was relieved to finally be able to kick back and relax in bed.
A cool breeze swept in from the ocean, fluttering the gauzy white curtains that covered the open window. The sound of a bus climbing the hill soothed her with its familiarity. It was barely nine in the evening, but she was more than ready for sleep.