Chapter 193
Ward called out of the blue, getting straight to the point the moment Lindsay picked up. “Linzy, where did you hear this rumor?”
“I just heard it from a friend of a friend,” Lindsay replied breezily. “No idea if it’s true or not, Mr. Carter, so maybe just take it with a grain of salt.”
“That won’t do. I need to know if there’s any truth to it,” Ward pressed, his tone tight with urgency. “Can you ask your friend’s friend-did Mr. Quigley Sr.s really die in that plane crash?”
“Oh, come on! That’s not exactly an easy question to ask, is it? I’m not even connected to the Quigley,” Lindsay coaxed, her tone light. “Unless, of course, you have some kind of grudge against the old man. If he were your enemy, that might give me a reason to ask.”
Ward fell silent for a long moment. “Actually, we do have some bad blood. Tell your friend it’s me-Ward Carter-who holds a grudge against Mr. Quigley. I need to know if he’s alive or dead.”
“No way. My friend doesn’t even know you-he’s not going to do me a favor for a stranger. But if I tell him Mr. Quigley is my enemy, that’s different. He’ll definitely spill the beans then,” Lindsay continued to probe, her voice sly.
Ward’s frown deepened, suspicion flickering in his eyes. Was Lindsay trying to get him to say something he’d regret?
“Mr. Carter?” Lindsay called, her tone casual.
Ward snapped back to attention. “Never mind, you have a point. No need to go out of your way for me-I don’t want to trouble you.”
Lindsay scowled. So he wasn’t going to take the bait after all.
“Yeah, well, this whole thing doesn’t really have anything to do with us, does it? You should probably stay out of it, Mr. Carter.”
“You’re right. Just pretend I never asked. I won’t keep you any longer.”
Before Lindsay could reply, Ward hung up. The source of this content ɪs
Staring at her phone, Lindsay listened to the empty beeping, a puzzled look on her face. She tapped on Ward’s profile, pulling up his Facebook page-only to find that his most recent post from a few hours ago had been deleted.
That just made her more suspicious about the supposed feud between Mr. Carter and Mr. Quigley Sr..
But it was clear she wouldn’t get anything out of Carter. He was as sharp as ever, just like in the old days.
She sat around from three o’clock until five, finally deciding to head back to the hotel.
As soon as Lindsay reached the
hotel entrance, an elderly man bumped into her by accident. Quick on her feet she caught his arm. “Are you alright?”
The old man looked up and gave Lindsay a rough-edged grin. “I’m fine.”
“Just be careful, okay?” she said, letting go and turning to leave.
But suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her palm. Lindsay jerked her hand back,
wincing as a tiny bead of blood welled up on her skin.
“Did you just stick me with a needle?” Her expression darkened, her vision growing hazy. Her steps faltered as she tried to steady herself.
The old man’s smile seemed almost too bright, the crow’s feet at his eyes spreading like cracks in porcelain. His eyes were sharp alert-nothing like ke the frail old man he pretended to be. sŵnovels
Lindsay tried to call for help, but no sound came out. Her strength ebbed away, her whole body swaying.
Just as she was about to collapse, the old man caught her with surprising agility, keeping her from hitting the ground.
He carried her to a car nearby, bundled her into the passenger seat, and slid behind the wheel with a practiced ease that belied his age.
Meanwhile, up in the hotel-
Cheryl finally woke from her nap. She shuffled over and rang the doorbell across the hall. Yves answered the door.
“Where’s Lindsay? It’s just you?” Yves frowned, glancing past her.
Cheryl shot him a look. “How should I know? Wasn’t she with you?”
Yves realized something was off. He quickly dialed Lindsay’s number, but was
met with nothing but a cold, automated voice.
Watching Yves’ face tighten with
worry, Cheryl felt a chill settle in her chest. “You don’t think something’s happened to rer, do you.net>