Chapter 42
Lucas had studied in the same school as Maxine. They had worked together in the same club. These days, he was the associate director of neurosurgery at Blessings Hospital. But his sarcastic sense of humor hadn’t changed at all.
Maxine couldn’t help laughing through the exasperation. It took a second to settle down.
“I’m serious, Lucas. I really need a favor,” Maxine said.
Lucas chuckled. “Alright, alright. Tell me what’s up. I’ll see what I can do.”
Maxine started with the basics. She asked, “Your hospital is close to Nealson River, right? Like, a few miles?”
That was the neighborhood where Ivanna used to live.
“Yeah,” Lucas replied. “That area’s kinda underdeveloped. I heard someone drowned in the river again recently. There’s talk of a big overhaul–higher railings, new bridges, trying to make it a new development zone.
“But by the time it’s booming, I’ll probably have a few kids already.”
Maxine let him ramble, only focused on what she needed. She continued, “I need your help with something. I lost a piece of evidence in a case and now I’m trying to recover it. I need to know if a guy named Nathan Smith ever got treated at your hospital this year.”
Lucas didn’t even hesitate. “That’s it? You could’ve just texted me. No need for the phone call.”
“I didn’t want to be rude,” Maxine replied, a little embarrassed. “I should be buying you dinner for this, but I’ve been swamped. I promise I’ll take you out as soon as things settle down.”
“No biggie. Nathan Smith, right? Got anything else on him? Send me whatever you’ve got so I can do a thorough search.”
Maxine sent over Nathan’s photo and kept things vague. “Privacy matters a lot these days. I don’t have much info on him–just this. Thanks again, Lucas.”
After the call, the weight in Maxine’s chest didn’t lift. If Lucas couldn’t find anything, she’d have to look into the other hospitals.
The problem was, of the three hospitals near Ivanna’s house, Blessings Hospital was the only one where she had a connection,
Fingers tapping lightly on the desk, anxiety began to build. Then, suddenly, the phone rang again. It was Lucas.
Maxine’s heart skipped. She answered right away, “Lucas? What is it?”
Lucas’s tone was more serious than before, stripped of his usual joking edge. “Maxine, where exactly did you come across this guy?”
A strange feeling crept into Maxine’s chest. She replied, “He’s… a witness. In a case I’m handling. Why?”
Lucas hesitated. “A witness, huh? That’s gonna make this tricky.”
Maxine’s stomach twisted. “What do you mean?”
“I asked around in the archives,” Lucas said slowly. “Nathan did come to our hospital. But… he passed away. Three…
The words hit Maxine like a bolt of lightning, sharp and sudden. Her whole body froze.
uns ago.”
Lucas continued, “The cause of death is unknown. The records are sealed. Apparently the family requested absolute privacy, and the file’s been locked down. I might be able to dig deeper, but Maxine, you need to be straight with me.
“What kind of case is this? I heard you recently lost a sexual assault case–word is, the accused had some serious connections.”
