Chapter 3 - THE MAN IN THE HOSPITAL
Detective Ramirez stared at the photograph for several seconds.
Then she immediately called the hospital.
“Put Claire Parker under police protection now.”
Ethan’s stomach tightened.
Someone had reached their house after the funeral.
Someone had searched his room.
Someone had photographed his mother inside the hospital.
Richard was in custody.
That meant Richard was not working alone.
Ramirez turned to Ethan.
“We’re leaving.”
They returned to the hospital under escort.
Two uniformed officers were stationed outside Claire’s room.
A nurse insisted Claire was stable but needed rest.
Ramirez entered anyway.
Ethan followed.
Claire saw the photograph.
The color drained from her face.
“Who took this?”
“We don’t know.”
Claire pushed herself higher against the pillows.
“Then Richard’s partner is still free.”
Ramirez closed the door.
“Give me names.”
Claire looked at Ethan.
Ramirez understood.
“Ethan can wait outside.”
“No.”
Claire shook her head.
“He already survived a funeral meant to bury me alive.”
She took Ethan’s hand.
“He deserves the truth.”
Claire explained that Richard had built what appeared to be a legitimate private investment company called Bellweather Capital.
He told clients he specialized in distressed property and private lending.
Most of his customers were older business owners, widows, and families managing inherited estates.
Claire had never been involved.
Richard told her the work was boring.
He said she would hate it.
Then three months earlier, a woman named Margaret Bell called the Parker house.
She was crying.
She claimed Richard had stolen nearly six hundred thousand dollars from her late husband’s trust.
Richard dismissed her as confused.
A week later, Margaret disappeared.
Police considered her a voluntary missing adult.
Claire did not.
“Margaret’s name was on Richard’s list.”
Ramirez leaned forward.
“With the word closed?”
“Yes.”
“Who else?”
“Seven names.”
Claire tried to remember them.
“Thomas Vale.”
“Janice Morrell.”
“Peter Conway.”
“Ruth Devlin.”
“Martin Shaw.”
“Margaret Bell.”
“And me.”
Ramirez wrote quickly.
“What about the seventh?”
Claire’s brow furrowed.
“I don’t remember.”
A knock came at the door.
A hospital orderly entered pushing a wheelchair.
“Mrs. Parker needs imaging.”
The nurse looked confused.
“She already had imaging.”
The orderly smiled.
“This was just added.”
Ramirez’s eyes narrowed.
“By which doctor?”
The man hesitated.
Only for half a second.
Then he reached beneath the folded blanket on the wheelchair.
Ramirez moved instantly.
“Hands where I can see them.”
The orderly turned and ran.
Ramirez chased him into the hallway.
Ethan heard shouting.
A cart crashed.
Officers sprinted past the door.
Claire grabbed Ethan’s arm.
“Lock it.”
He did.
Seconds later, an alarm sounded.
The fake orderly was caught near the emergency stairwell.
Inside his jacket, police found a syringe.
The liquid inside was later identified as a dangerously high dose of a sedative.
The same family of drug doctors believed had been used to incapacitate Claire before she was sealed inside the coffin.
Detective Ramirez returned twenty minutes later.
“He won’t talk.”
Claire’s voice was quiet.
“Who is he?”
“His name is Aaron Pike.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“I know that name.”
Ramirez waited.
“He works for Richard.”
“Doing what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Security?”
Claire shook her head.
“Cleanup.”
Ethan hated the word.
Ramirez received another call.
Her expression changed while listening.
“What is it?”
Claire asked.
Ramirez ended the call.
“Richard has requested an attorney.”
“That’s not surprising.”
“It’s the attorney he requested.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
“Victor Hale.”
Claire stopped breathing for a moment.
Ethan noticed.
“Mom?”
Claire looked at Ramirez.
“That’s the seventh name.”
Ramirez frowned.
“Victor Hale was on the list?”
“Yes.”
“But he wasn’t marked closed.”
Claire’s voice dropped.
“He was marked partner.”
The room became silent.
May you like
Victor Hale was not merely Richard’s lawyer.
He was one of the people behind the entire operation.
