Chapter 38 Investigate
She said, her eyes glancing around subtly. “Not at all. Could I get another order? If possible, could the same person who packed it last time do it again?”
‘If the person who poisoned Marcus is here, and they see me ordering minestrone again, they might assume he survived and try another dose. Hopefully, they’ll try to poison it again, and I can catch them this time, Celeste thought.
She had mentioned to the owner yesterday that she was buying the soup for a sick patient.
If the poisoner knew she was Marcus‘ caretaker, they might have specifically targeted her purchase.
She frowned slightly. ‘Still, they had no way of knowing I’d come here or that I’d even give the soup to Marcus. Maybe they intended to kill both of us in one shot, she mused.
After a moment, the owner brought her the soup which was done by the employee from the day before, handing it over with a polite smile.
Celeste took the container, lifted it, and took a cautious sip. The soup tasted fine–no hint of anything suspicious. Celeste looked back at the owner. “Is there any chance I could meet the person who prepared my soup yesterday?”
The owner seemed taken aback, scratching his head. “Sure, if you’d like.”
He waved over the same employee who had packed her order.
Celeste met the employee’s curious gaze. “You were the one who prepared my soup yesterday, right?”
The employee nodded, eyes widening slightly. “Yes, ma’am.”
Celeste studied his face, raising an eyebrow. “Did you happen to add anything to my soup yesterday? Just seems like today‘ s soup tastes a bit different from last night’s.”
If he had tampered with it, her question might unsettle him enough to reveal something.
Celeste kept her gaze fixed, watching for any sign of guilt.
The employee’s eyes flashed with confusion, and he gave an indignant huff. “Ma’am, I didn’t put anything in your soup, okay? If the boss hears this, I could get fired!”
Seeing no hint of deception, Celeste’s suspicions eased.
‘Maybe he really didn’t do it. The poisoner must be someone else, she thought.
She offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry if I startled you. No hard feelings.” With that, she left the restaurant and headed back to her car.
Celeste returned to the hospital, carrying the soup. After settling into her car in the parking lot, she took out her laptop and accessed the hospital’s surveillance feed.
She carefully reviewed the footage from the night before, focusing on Marcus‘ room after she had left.
Several people had been in and out–nurses, a doctor, and a janitor–all with access to the food, but none seemed to do anything suspicious on camera.
‘None of them acted out of the ordinary. This poisoner is smarter than I thought,‘ she thought, frustration simmering.
The longer I go without finding this person, the longer Marcus will keep suspecting me, she told herself. ‘I’ll need to create a situation where they reveal themselves.’
An idea sparked, and she quickly messaged Marcus.
Celeste: [I’ve got a plan to make the poisoner come out into the open. Want to hear it?]
Marcus: [What poisoner?]
Celeste: [You were poisoned, Marcus. And it wasn’t me. I’m trying to prove that, so I’ll need your help to catch the culprit. Are you up for it?]
Marcus leaned against the bed with his phone and tapped his fingers lightly on the screen: [Alright. I’m listening.] Celeste outlined her plan in detail. When she finished, Marcus responded: [Clever plan. I’ll go along with it, but after this, you can stay out of it. I don’t want you getting dragged into my problems.]
His protective instinct was obvious.
Celeste: [Once the real culprit is caught, I’ll bac. Successfully unlocked!
need me.]
Marcus read the message, an amused sigh escaping him.
standby outside the hospital in case you
‘I never doubted her, but she’s determined to prove herself, he thought, shaking his head.
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Chapter 38 Investigate
He dialed a number, calling his assistant Cassian.
“Cassian, I’ll need you to help me with a little act,” he said, a cold glint in his eyes. ‘Let’s see who’s been trying to get rid of me once and for all.‘
Thirty minutes later, the hospital was a flurry of activity. Most of the doctors went to Marcus‘ room.
Inside, Marcus lay motionless, the EKG displaying a flatline. Wesley stepped forward, attempting several resuscitation measures, but Marcus‘ heart showed no response.
Finally, Wesley looked up, his face grim. “Mr. Hale has passed from sudden cardiac arrest. I need everyone here to keep this information private. I’ll call his family immediately.”
The gathered doctors and nurses exchanged anxious glances, visibly shaken.
They knew the repercussions if Marcus were to die under their care, and the tension in the room was palpable.
After making a somber call to the Hale family, Wesley stood alone beside Marcus‘ body.
Just then, a young doctor approached him, his tone earnest. “Dr. Paige, I’m the head of cardiology. I’m skilled in
resuscitation. May I have a go at reviving him? If I can save him, the hospital won’t be held responsible for his death.”
Wesley regarded the doctor with tired eyes and nodded. “Do what you can, but be warned. If there’s any damage to Mr. Hale‘ s body, I won’t be able to answer to his family.”
The doctor nodded and immediately began compressions on Marcus‘ chest.
His brows furrowed as each attempt failed to elicit a heartbeat.
He grasped Marcus‘ wrist to check his pulse, but Marcus’s wrist was ice–cold, and there was no sign of a pulse. ‘He’s really gone, the doctor thought, his expression unreadable.
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