Into My Heart

LXXXIX

CHRISTEN

The manor that was holding Press Corporation's headquarters had been cleared from any bomb and secured : we couldn't take any chances as to if anyone linked with The Patriarch was sent to actually kill me. I was confident that, even if an attack was imminent, we would be able to protect ourselves.

When the door opens and that Shelina walks through it - I mean, she was a brilliant lawyer with an amazing sense of deduction, so it was only natural for me to call her up when I decided to understand why Melissa Mewis' name was linked with this whole story.

As soon as she arrives, she gives me a quick hug, before I say:

"Thank you for coming: we've got work to do..."

"Of course" she says, before quickly adding: "Mallory's safe with Sam, Kristie and Alex, don't worry."

I nod my head, as Shelina sits down in front of a computer screen, launching researches. As I do the same, but with physical files, I start thinking aloud:

"So, Tobin Heath has been seen digging something out of Melissa Mewis' tomb: what do we know about her death?"

Shelina types for a moment, before frowning:

"She died at 39 years old, when her daughters were 10 and 12 years old, of brain cancer ; incurable, according to her medical record."

"Where was she treated?" I ask, confused.

"Providence St James' Hospital here in Orange."

My eyes go wide.

"That's strange" I comment, before realising that I couldn't leave Shelina hanging like that, so I add: "my family used to own this hospital. It was Press Corporation's greatest sale last year, after Andrew Dahlkemper died... on that same hospital..."

I pause, my mind running 100%.

"Wait" Shelina says, before typing something else on her board, before her mouth slightly opens, "it says here that there were a thousand patients that died from various forms of cancer from 2005 to 2020..."

"The fifteen years Providence St James has been under my parents' orders... Can you try and find a common name that would appear on different files?"

"On it."

My phone rings, and when I see Julie Johnston's name appearing on the screen, I immediately pick up, anxious.

"Yes?"

"Mrs Press, you need to come to the station, right now" the sheriff urges, visibly nervous.

"Let me guess: Lia found connections between Press Corporation and the cancer deaths those past fifteen years?"

There is a small silence for a moment, before the sheriff says:

"Yes, how did you-"

"We just found out, and it might-"

"Listen carefully, Christen: you have to come to the station, because Kelley O'Hara is there and she said she'd talk only to you."

"We're on our way"

I end the call, my eyes crossing Shelina's, who seemed as confused as I was at that very moment. But she immediately guesses who was on the other side of the phone, so she grabs her computer, her jacket, and we head out.

While on the car, all I could think was that we were running out of time...

*

"Good, you're here" Julie exclaims, before showing us inside the laboratory, carefully closing the door behind her. When we see security guards standing in front of the entrance, Julie immediately explains: "You'll understand everything soon enough: Lia and Kelley might have solved the case..."

I turn around, and see Kelley, sitting behind a computer, also going through old files. 

As much as I want to hit her for hurting so many people that I loved, I restrained myself from doing so - especially after the warning look Shelina threw me seconds ago, and she was right: we need to be clever. 

So, instead of jumping at the woman's throat, I just say, crossing my arms against my chest:

"We are all ears"

"Very well" Julie declares, before turning toward Lia and saying: "Expose them what we found. I have to tell you, Christen, this might surprise you: you better take a seat."

"I am very fine, thank you."

The sheriff nods, before making a sign to Kelley and Lia.

The forensics expert starts projecting pictures of Melissa Mewis' devastated tomb on the main screen, while giving explanations that did, indeed, surprise me:

"So, as you know, Heath was seen digging something out of Melissa's tomb (as we nod, she zooms in on the security cameras images, showing a black box) - only problem: when the police got there, Melissa's body was nowhere to be found, which makes sense since we got confirmation from the Mewis sisters that she was incinerated."

"Why have a tomb, then?" I ask, confused.

"That's the thing: Melissa Mewis should only have had a regular grave with her name on it, but not the kind of tomb where you put bodies." Lia explains, shaking her head. As my confusion grows bigger, she adds: "Therefore, we can only assume that somebody made sure that her grave would be the right place to hide something highly secret: I mean, what's more secure than a tomb, where nobody would ever dig?"

Shelina doesn't seem convinced.

"But why would Tobin Heath go to this tomb in particular?" the brunette asks, concentrated.

"No idea" Lia says, before immediately adding: "although we did find something interesting: Melissa Mewis and Andrew Dahlkemper are two of the many people that died from cancer allegedly because of Press Corporation or O'Hara Industries."

"Abby did tell me that her father's last words were that somebody made him sick..." I confirm, crossing my arms against my chest. After a quick silence, I ask: "Then what's she doing here, and why did she want to talk to me in particular?"

I immediately stare at Kelley, who only nods her head.

"Because, my dear Christen, you're the only one that I trust: you see, the USB-card I gave Mallory was a test: there actually was a file on that card, that included two medical recors. Those of Melissa Mewis and Andrew Dahlkemper, that I stole from O'Hara Industries, that confirm the illegal medical experiences lead in partnership with Press Corporation: the two of them got injected cancerous cells, and died because of it."

"Woah, but-" I start, but Shelina puts her hand on my arm, in turn saying:

"Wait, let her finish."

Taking a deep breath, Kelley then drops the bomb:

"Somebody erased the files on the USB-card because they knew it would directly lead to them, and this person would actually be The Patriarch..."

"What, but-"

But Julie cuts to the chase:

"This means that The Patriarch is..."

***

Q: What is your final theory about who The Patriarch is before next chapter's big reveal?