The investigation into the maternity residence revealed one more secret.
Sister Margaret had preserved original records beneath St. Mary’s chapel.
Before authorities could retrieve them, the orphanage caught fire.
It was 2002.
St. Mary’s had closed years earlier. The building stood mostly empty, awaiting renovation.
The fire began in the records room.
Jasmine received a call from a former staff member and drove there with Richard.
Flames rose through the roof.
Firefighters pulled out boxes, but much was destroyed.
Investigators called it electrical.
Daisy examined photographs of the burn pattern and disagreed.
Someone had entered through a side door.
The lock showed fresh damage.
A witness saw an elderly man leaving.
The doctor who ran the maternity residence had died, but his business partner remained alive.
Thomas Grady, now a respected judge, had handled private adoptions and payments.
Jasmine’s articles threatened his legacy.
The surviving records connected him to forged death certificates, illegal transfers, and payments from prominent families.
