Chapter 437
Thankfully, Elise’s condition wasn’t critical. The doctor explained that extreme emotional distress had triggered the fainting spell. The news finally allowed Camilla to let out a breath of relief.
Carol, having heard the news, rushed to the hospital.
Seeing the deep concern on her friend’s face, Camilla felt a pang of guilt. “I’m so sorry, Carol. I feel terrible making you run over here during the holidays. Don’t worry, my mom is stable now. You should head back and spend time with your family p>
Carol didn’t press for details about what had happened. She just cast a worried glance toward the hospital room. “I’m not in a rush. I’ll wait until your mom wakes up p>
Just like always, she stayed seated in the hallway, refusing to step inside the room.
Camilla sat down next to her, trying again. “You heard the doctor. She’s going to be fine. Your family is probably waiting for you at home, Carol. You really don’t need to stay here with me p>
Back then, the financial support Camilla’s father had given Carol had been a minor drop in the bucket for their family. But Carol had taken that kindness to heart, and accompanying Camilla to Valdoria had been more than enough repayment.
Even now, Camilla felt like she was the one constantly indebted to Carol.
“Stop being so polite, Camilla,” Carol insisted softly. “I’m staying right here to keep you company. Once she wakes up, I can help keep an eye on Jasper p>
Unable to persuade her otherwise, Camilla gratefully accepted.
Noticing that Carol seemed to have something else on her mind, Camilla sent Jasper into the room to watch over Elise.
Once they were alone, Carol lowered her voice. “I got a call from Mahoney this morning. That lead we were tracking brought up something new. Recently, people have been going missing from a few remote fishing villages. Not a huge number, but enough to notice. Some locals assume they just ran into trouble at sea. The residents there are mostly elderly and uneducated, and outsiders rarely visit.
“When tragedy strikes, their only solution is to pray to the sea.
“But the disappearances have spiked recently. Someone went to a psychic to ask for guidance, and that’s how it finally caught the attention of the cops.
“When they dug deeper, they discovered that people from the Williams Group had been operating in the area.
“They covered their tracks well, but Mahoney’s team still found the slip-up p>
Even though she had never met those villagers and it had nothing to do with her, hearing about such a psychopathic operation sent a profound chill down Camilla’s spine.
Clement and his crew were far more depraved than she could have ever imagined.
Camilla’s mind raced, a sudden connection forming in her head. “When you say ‘recently,’ how recent do you mean p>
“Over the last week or so, the disappearances really ramped up,” Carol replied.
Camilla’s hands clenched into tight fists, her eyes flashing with intense realization. “I think I know how Barnard got into Clement’s good graces,” she murmured.
If her theory was right, this sickening idea had come straight from Barnard. That was how he had skyrocketed to becoming Clement’s right-hand man.
The earlier police reports stated that the homeless population on the streets had drastically dwindled, meaning Clement’s twisted experiments had run out of test subjects.
Only someone who could solve that critical problem for them would earn Clement’s favor.
Barnard was now Clement’s most valued asset, and his sudden rise in the Williams Group perfectly coincided with this timeline.
Thinking about how she had shared a roof with that monster for five entire years made Camilla tremble uncontrollably. Pure disgust curdled in her blood.
She couldn’t fathom how Barnard could seamlessly join forces with a criminal like Clement, let alone mastermind something so vile.
Watching innocent lives being destroyed by his own hands—did he feel no guilt at all?
Prompted by Camilla’s logic, Carol’s eyes turned instantly ice-cold. “If he really orchestrated this, killing him wouldn’t even begin to pay for the lives he’s ruined p>
It was true. A single idea from him had turned countless innocent civilians into lab rats. Barnard’s life alone could never repay that debt.
Camilla had thought that his marriage fraud was the peak of his despicable nature, but the reality was far more horrifying than she ever anticipated.
She had never truly seen the real Barnard.
Taking a deep breath, Camilla forced her racing thoughts to settle. “What’s the latest update from Mahoney’s end p>
“Mahoney figured out their pattern. He personally led a team on a stakeout at one of the villages and nabbed two suspects linked to the Williams Group. We should have more answers soon,” Carol explained.
After a brief pause, she shook her head with a frustrated sigh. “But moving in like this definitely spooked them. Clement is going to be ten times more paranoid now p>
Camilla understood Mahoney’s decision perfectly.
As a cop, once he had a solid lead, there was no way he could sit back and let more innocent people be dragged off for experiments. Even if it tipped them off, it served as a warning shot, forcing Clement’s crew to back down for the time being.