Fitch hung up the phone and began to sort through the papers scattered in front of him. That was when he stumbled upon a
connection in Bernard's network - a cop who had been mentioned in passing by Abner. This officer had shistory in Oakford and
was quite the sharpshooter, now holding a prominent position on the special task force.
Her nwas Rachel, a fefatale type with a string of commendations under her belt.
He turned to one of his men near him, "Was Rachel at the prison on the day Queena was executed?"
"No, sir. Rachel doesn't play favorites and she despises corruption. Even if she was at the prison, she wouldn't lift a finger to help
Bernard."
"What's her relationship with Bernard?"
"Rachel was sponsored by Bernard's family from her days in the orphanage, all the way through college. She idolizes Bernard and
has always wanted to make it on her own, to stand beside him. If Bernard's son hadn't screwed up, she would've been the
daughter-in-law of his dreams."
Fitch wasn't sure how to digest this information. The more he dug, the tighter Bernard seemed to seal his tracks.
He had his team look into Rachel, but their findings were as expected. Rachel held Bernard in high esteem, considering him a
paragon of virtue, a benefactor she owed her life to.
Fitch even reviewed every case Rachel had worked on. From the spoiled rich kids to the most heinous criminals, she had single-
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthandedly put them behind bars. She had made quite a few powerful enemies, but with Bernard watching over her, those seeking
revenge could do nothing.
Rachel herself loathed dealing with these lawless elites.
Rubbing his temples, Fitch felt like he was chasing ghosts. He was starting to question Maja's hunch.
His people waited for further instructions, but Fitch's phone buzzed again. This time, it was a call from Sharon.
"Mom."
"Fitch, in a couple of days it's the anniversary of Yvonne's passing. Don't forget to pay your respects."
"I know. | haven't forgotten."
"I heard Bernard's in trouble?"
"Just a bit of a mess. He's cooperating with the investigation."
Sharon didn't pry into such matters. Yvonne was Bernard's late wife. As a matter of fact, Sharon didn’t get frequent contact with
Bernard, but she and his wife had gone to the sschool and been cozy back then.
Except Yvonne was unfortunate; her life had been cut short, and every year on her anniversary, Sharon would lay flowers at her
grave.
As kids, Yvonne had looked after Fitch and lan, so it had beca yearly ritual for Fitch too.
Sharon's call wasn't just a reminder; she was checking in on the latest with Bernard. Reassured there was no serious issue, she
hung up, content.
Fitch was at a dead end and could only wait for feedback from Number 8. Maja was in the swaiting state.
However, two days passed, and Number 8 finally reached out to his sister, Nana.
"Sis, nothing out of the ordinary."
No one knew how Number 8 had infiltrated their ranks, but if he said there were no anomalies, it meant lan was indeed being held
in a secret lab, and Sarah was ostensibly working on an antidote. Everything seemed plausible, which made Maja all the more
uneasy. She had a nagging feeling that she was overlooking something critical, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMyWL11I01F1081
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMyWL11I01F1081
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1
MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L
mmMyWL11I01F1081
mMMwWLIIOfiflO&1