Chapter 131
I watch the two officers as they approach us. I had someone dig into their background, and there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary.
After what happened to mom. Iris’s Dad pretending to be a cop in order to get close to her and take her out, I couldn’t take the risk. 1
He’s changed, and Iris visits him in prison when she can, but still, I couldn’t rule anything out. Anyone could be behind this and that’s what worries me so much.
Their track record was clean, and they’re on their way to being detectives, so that’s a good sign.
I lean back against the chair while Gunner sits still beside me.
Calton nods politely. “Mr. Woods p>
I nod in greeting, straightening my jacket.
Mark exchanges a look with his partner before turning back to me. “We need to talk p>
His tone is heavy, and that tells me everything I need to know. There don’t have any good news to give me.
I stand up, and so does Gunner. There is no fucking way I’m going to listen to what they have to say while seated.
Officer Calton clears his throat. He and Mark stand in front of us, their notepads out again.
Calton starts first. “We’ve gone through all the evidence we could find p>
I lift my head. “And p>
Mark exhales. “And we’ve got nothing p>
The words land heavier than I’d expected. I had a small hope. Just a tiny bit that they found something. Anything that could help us track this woman, but looking at them, the hope I had crumbles to nothing. 1
“What do you mean you found nothing?” Gunner asks, folding his arms across his chest.
“Exactly that,” he replies. “No prints or DNA. Not on the syringe, not on the IV tubing, not on the cart in the hallway. Whoever this person was, they knew what they were doing. They were careful p>
“That’s impossible,” I whisper, unable to believe that someone can be that careful.
“We are telling you like it is,” Calton mutters. “There was nothing. That woman left no trace. No evidence that can be linked to who it is p>
Mark adds, “It feels too professional p>
I glance between them, my pulse spiking. “What are you saying p>
Calton meets my gaze. “Whoever tried to kill her has done something like this before. The way she moved through the hospital, she knew exactly where the cameras were, when the nurses switched shifts, and which corridors were least patrolled. That’s not luck. That’s planning p>
Beside me, Gunner asks. “You have footage, don’t you p>
Mark nods slowly. “We do. We managed to pull clips from outside the hospital and the lower entrance. The suspect arrived in a minivan wearing the uniform and mask the whole time. She walked straight in like she belonged there. Afterward, she left the same way. The van was later found abandoned in an old industrial lot off Route 9 p>
Calton adds, “Wiped clean. No fibers, no fingerprints, no hair strands, nothing. The license plate traced back to a vehicle reported stolen three months ago p>
I curse under my breath, pacing. “So, you’re telling me she just walked in, tried to kill Sierra, and vanished into thin air p>
“Seems like it,” Calton says. “This person covered every trace. Even the hospital records show no anomaly. No missing badge and no falsified entries p>
Gunner leans forward. “Are you considering inside help p>
Both officers exchange a look. “It’s a possibility. To get into a restricted floor unnoticed, she had to know the schedule… and where Miss Meyers was being treated p>
The thought burns. I feel my jaw tighten. “Then find them p>
Mark writes something down. “We’re working on it p>
The silence that follows is thick. Fuck! How could they not have anything? Nothing at all to trace whoever this bastard is.
Calton closes his notebook and exhales, the kind of sigh that carries more frustration than fatigue. “We’ve also been combing through staff records, checking for anyone who might’ve been coerced, threatened, or bribed. So far, nothing stands out. Everyone’s alibi checks out.” 2
“That’s bullshit,” Gunner mutters under his breath. “No one gets in and out that clean. Not unless someone inside made it happen p>
Mark looks at him. “We’re not ruling that out p>
I drag a hand down my face, trying to focus, but my head feels like it’s packed with static. “So where does that leave us? You have no leads p>
“Right now?” Calton says quietly. “It leaves us with a ghost p>
A ghost. Someone who almost killed Sierra and disappeared like smoke. It’s even more disturbing that this is the third time, yet there are no leads to who it might be.
Well, except Brook… she’s the only lead I have right now. The only one that can be connected to Sierra’s case, and like Sierra said, she has motive to want her gone.
I turn toward the ICU window, staring through the glass. Sierra lies there motionless and pale. There’s a tube at her arm and the steady beep of the heart monitor.
Gunner breaks the silence, his tone controlled but cold. “You’re telling us there’s nothing you can do p>
Mark straightens. “We didn’t say that. We’ve already requested cybercrime assistance. Facial reconstruction and enhanced footage. Maybe she slipped through our system because she’s not in it p>
Gunner frowns. “Meaning p>
“Meaning,” Calton says, “she could be a ghost in more ways than one. Fake ID, fake background. Someone with training p>
“Training?” I repeat, my chest tightening. “As in military? Law enforcement p>
“Possibly,” Mark admits. “Or a contract killer. The precision, the lack of evidence… it’s all textbook p>
My eye narrows. “So she was probably hired p>
“It looks that way,” Calton replies.
The silence stretches until I can hear the faint hum of the air–conditioning, the steady tick of the wall clock. I hate that sound. It feels like time is mocking me.
Finally, I speak. “How long until you get something p>
Calton glances at Mark. “We’ll update you as soon as we have a break. But right now, Mr. Woods, there’s nothing concrete to hold on to p>
“Then find something,” I bite out, sharper than I intend. “Because I swear to God, if she comes back p>
“Noah,” Gunner warns gently, but it’s too late. The words spill out, years of control cracking open. “If she comes back, someone’s going to fucking answer for it p>
The officers exchange a look, then quietly excuse themselves, leaving me torn between protecting Sierra and Brook. 3