They sat opposite each other beside a window overlooking the muddy street.
Samuel laid the documents on the desk.
“I want to know who changed the report.”
Harris examined the bank draft.
Then he closed his eyes.
“I suspected it was Thomas.”
“You suspected?”
“I knew he had been involved in arranging the payment. I did not know whether he had acted alone.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was afraid.”
Samuel felt anger rise again.
“Of what?”
Harris looked at him.
“Edward Whitaker.”
Samuel went still.
“My uncle?”
“Yes.”
The old doctor leaned back.
“Your uncle was a powerful man in this territory. He owned interests in timber, freight, and several lending companies. He had friends among the territorial officials, and he was accustomed to settling disputes without allowing the people involved to know how the settlement had been arranged.”
Samuel's hands tightened.
“What did he want?”
“The ranch.”
“That doesn't explain why he would care whether I could have children.”
Harris folded his hands.
“Your father had begun discussing the future of the property. He wanted to ensure that the ranch remained under the control of a family member who would preserve it rather than sell it for profit. Edward believed he should have a greater role in the business. He argued that you were too cautious and that Thomas was too inexperienced.”
Samuel listened without interrupting.
“Edward had also learned about Thomas's debts,” Harris continued. “He offered to settle them in exchange for Thomas's cooperation in a plan that would weaken your position.”
Samuel felt cold.
“The report.”
“Yes.”
Harris explained that Thomas had approached Dr. Lang after Samuel's surgery. He had told the physician that the family needed a definitive answer about Samuel's future.
Dr. Lang had initially refused to make a conclusion without further examination.
Then Edward became involved.
“He offered money,” Harris said. “And he made it clear that refusing would have consequences.”
“Consequences?”
“He had a financial interest in the hospital. He held a mortgage on the building and had invested in the medical supplies business that provided the hospital with its equipment. Dr. Lang feared losing his practice.”
Samuel stared at him.
“So he lied.”
“He changed the report to state that your infertility was permanent. He did so without sufficient evidence.”
“Did he know the truth?”
“He knew the evidence did not support the conclusion.”
Samuel looked down at the documents.
“And you?”
Harris did not look away.
“I discovered the discrepancy several months later.”
“How?”
“Dr. Lang came to me. He was distressed. He wanted to know whether the injury could ever be assessed accurately after such a long delay. He told me that he had allowed himself to be pressured into changing the report.”