Then the third.
But the document that stunned investigators most was a payment ledger.
Large transfers had been made to a shell company every time one of the coded “candidates” became pregnant.
The trail eventually led to a private fertility clinic in another region.
Its director had been running an illegal scheme with two prison medical contractors and a corrupt corrections administrator.
Women in isolated custody had been selected because the conspirators believed they were perfect victims.
They had limited contact with relatives.
Their movements were controlled.
Their credibility could easily be attacked.
And if one became pregnant?
The people responsible assumed everyone would blame prison misconduct before anyone considered something far more organized.
But one mistake destroyed everything.
The old service-corridor camera.
It had been scheduled for replacement months earlier.
The paperwork even claimed it had already been disconnected.
It hadn’t.
That forgotten camera captured the maintenance cart.
