Page 4 of Brutal Truths

Who the fuck is behind this, and why send them to Oxford? A symphony of warning bells ring in my head, drowning out everything else.

What am I missing?

I climb out of the car when Bear barks. Then I grab the bag before letting him out and we head inside.

This whole thing has gone cock up.

Once inside, I head for my office. The bag meant for Trent lands on my desk, and I empty it before settling into the chair. The brooch draws my attention first. It’s an heirloom. I turn it over in my hand, examining every detail.

Why was Sofia wearing it in the portrait?

If only I could ask Alma about it.

Maybe I can.

I pull out my mobile and dial hospital, forcing my focus into place as I bring it to my ear. The switchboard puts me through to Alma’s wing.

“Geriatrics. How can I help you?” a friendly female voice answers.

“Hello. I know it’s late, or early, depending on how you look at it, but I’m calling to check on a patient.”

“We only share patient information with family members.”

“My mistake, sorry. I’m Aiden Bishop.”

“Oh yes, Mr. Bishop. Did you forget something? I can check the room. It hasn’t been cleaned yet.”

I straighten, taking a deep breath to center myself, my senses sharpening. “Right. Sorry, it’s been a day. When I came to visit Alma, I forgot to ask her something.”

“You mean the doctor or one of us, right? You didn’t lose her, did you? I know she likes to wander. We had to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn’t slip out with a visitor.”

What the fuck?

“Yes, I meant the doctor. Because Alma’s with me. I came by and picked her up, right? So why would I call you to ask her something?”

“Exactly.” A sharp laugh escapes the woman before she continues. “The doctor won’t be in until around eight. I can leave a message for her to get in touch. Would that work? You could also ring her office and leave a message. Everything okay?”

I look at the clock on my office wall. It reads a quarter to five.

“Yep. Peachy. Thank you.”

I hang up and immediately call Pauly.

“I’m working as fast as I can.”

“Stop what you’re doing and listen. Are you listening?”

The rhythmic clicking stops. “Yep.”

“The hospital where Alma is. I need you to hack the security feed.” The clicking starts again, but I don’t wait; I keep talking. “Sometime last night or early this morning, I supposedly checked her out, so find it.”

“Fuck. On it.”

“Call me when you do.”

Before I hang up, I hear him whistle, so I wait. “Damn. Well, I’ll give them credit. He resembles your ugly mug.”

“That was fast.”