Chapter 1769


    On the other side of town, Fitch hung up the phone and stared at the pile of documents spread out


    before him. They contained the files of death row inmates from the prison where Queena had been


    held.


    If Queena had been reced, the most likely candidates for such a swap would be other death row


    inmates from the same facility - the perfect way to avoid suspicion.


    But on the day the execution was carried out, there were only two individuals on the docket. Both


    files had been thoroughly vetted. One was Queena''s, and the other belonged to a woman.


    Fitch had already been to Oakford, searching for Queena''s ashes, but they had been scattered into


    the sea.


    He''d looked into the other executed woman’s background and found she had been her mother''s


    solepanion. Tragically, the person she murdered was her own mother.


    Therefore, her ashes also went unimed, as no rtive wanted anything to do with the remains of


    a convicted killer.


    Fitch frowned, turning to his assistant.


    "Are this woman''s ashes still held by the prison since no one imed them?"


    "Sir, if no one ims them, they''re usually disposed of in some nondescript manner."


    "Check it out, see if there’s anything left of the ashes."


    Despite his orders, Fitch suspected the ashes were presumably long gone.


    Sure enough, within an hour, his man reported back. The ashes had been processed, mixed with


    others, and hauled away. If no one imed them, they were simply discarded. Now, even if he tried


    to track them down, it would lead nowhere.


    Fitch then reviewed all the surveince footage from the day of Queena''s execution. Everything


    appeared normal.


    He was about to inquire about Bernard''s political rivals to see if they had picked up on any leads,


    when his phone rang. It was Bernard.


    "Fitch, I''ve got a target on my back. I’ll have to stay put for a while. Could you asionally check on


    Ian for me? I''ve got Sarah working on a cure, but she says it''ll take some time."


    Fitch knew Sarah''s capabilities. If she was really focused on finding an antidote for Ian, she could


    probably have something in three months.


    "What about Patric?"


    "He''s been detained. They need him to help monitor some data before he''s released. After all, his


    body is technically Eric''s. No one wants to make things too difficult."


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Fitch stayed silent, his alertness heightened, yet Bernard''s replies were seamless. And if Bernard


    truly intended to harm Ian''s body, why would he allow him to visit anytime?


    "Uncle Bernard, am I allowed to see Ian whenever?"


    "Fitch, Ian is your friend, and you’re worried about him, right? I don’t trust anyone else with this, and


    now that I''m under surveince, it''s hard to ensure no one will take a shot at him."


    That made sense. Ian had made quite the name for himself, and Holden''s apprentices had been


    eyeing positions for him, potentially encroaching on others'' turf.


    To the outside world, Bernard and Ian had a good rtionship. Now that Bernard was being


    watched, Ian was inadvertently thrust into the limelight.


    "I understand, Uncle Bernard. I’lle by to see Ian whenever I get the chance."


    After hanging up, Fitch reyed the conversation in his mind, but everything seemed to check out.


    Still, he trusted Maja''s instincts. He raised his hand to massage his temples.


    Meanwhile, Bernard, after ending the call, looked at the two cryogenic caskets before him. A smile


    curled on his lips as he caressed the edges, a gesture filled with nostalgia.