Friday morning, Detective Chen arrived at her desk early. She’d barely slept, her mind cycling through the Dorothy Bishop timeline.
She picked up her phone and dialed Mercy General’s medical records department.
“Mercy General, this is Sharon.”
“Hi Sharon, this is Detective Sarah Chen with the police department. I need to verify a birth that occurred at your facility on May 26th of this year.”
“Okay. I’ll need you to submit that request in writing with a subpoena.”
Chen paused. “I’m just trying to verify whether a birth occurred. I’m not asking for detailed medical records.”
“I understand, but we can’t release any patient information without proper authorization. HIPAA regulations. Even confirming whether or not someone was a patient here requires a subpoena.”
“This is for an active
