Catharine & Edward by Marianne Knightly Read Free Book Online Page B

camera?”
    Cesaire mumbled a curse. “That bitch showed up again. This time at my fucking house to drop it off. Said I had to use their equipment and it had to be up by a deadline, which is midnight tonight. Couldn’t fuck around and hope this shit went away anymore, so I put the plan into action.”
    “So, the equipment wasn’t recording?”
    Sacheverelle shook his head. “Don’t think so. Bitch said she didn’t care about anything until midnight. She said to set them up and get out, and she would activate them from her end.”
    “Where’d you get the security card? That thing is embedded with a secured computer chip. You can’t replicate it, so you must have stolen it.”
    “I didn’t steal anything. That bitch gave it to me with the equipment.”
    Take a break, Bash , Marcello said over the earpiece.
    Edward leaned forward, his elbows hitting the edge of the table, his hands joining casually as he leaned. “I can tell you’re still hiding things from us. We’ll take a break while you think about finally being fucking honest with us about everything. I’ll bring you back some water.”
    Edward walked out, closing the door behind him and opening the one next door. “What’s going on?”
    Marcello gestured with his head towards the monitor where they could see Sacheverelle. “Something’s not adding up.”
    “To say the least. Say he actually didn’t know who this woman was – which I don’t believe for a fucking second – I can see him doing this for the kid. He may be a piece of shit, but he’s one that actually cares about his kid.”
    Marcello nodded. “I agree. I also believe he didn’t buy the equipment or get the card, doesn’t seem the type to be able to swing it.”
    Edward nodded. “The equipment he had was expensive. Even with the money he makes, no way with a kid at that hospital he’d have enough cash for it.”
    “As far as the security card goes, I’d already had agents running a scan of all security cards with Royal Wing access, but now we’re filtering them by people who’ve missed work lately or have gone on vacation. I’m hoping for a hit soon.”
    “His kid safe?”
    “Yes. Got officers from the Valentia Police Department to start rotations at the whole hospital, with extras on the children’s ward. Hospital administrators are fine with VPD officers there, especially since we explained a kid could get murdered if they didn’t.”
    “If this bitch is still working there, she could find out about the local PD involvement and know Sacheverelle got caught.”
    “They’re keeping it under wraps, though we added security to two other hospitals to make it seem like a new city-wide standard that’s being implemented. Only select VPD officials and hospital admins know the truth, and none of the doctors, nurses, other hospital staff, and officers on duty. Though they are instituting better ID checks for people going in and out of the children’s ward.”
    “Don’t they usually have pretty stringent protocols in place to keep kids from being kidnapped?”
    Marcello shook his head. “That’s only for the maternity and NICU wards. PICU and the children’s ward have separate protocols, but they should still remain vigilant.”
    Edward nodded, taking that in.
    “Keep working him. I’m going to step out, send in another agent for your backup. Keep the earpiece in and keep me apprised. I want a full update in two hours; after that I’ve got to brief the family.”
    “Yes, Sir,” he said as Marcello left.
    Edward took a moment to roll his shoulders back and stretch his neck from side-to-side. When his backup arrived, he left to get a bottle of water before continuing the interrogation.

Chapter Five
    C at picked up her simple , yet divine pearl necklace and left her bedroom. The single strand was perfect, with small diamonds nestled between the pearls giving it a classic, sparkling look. It had been a gift from her Nonna – her paternal grandmother, Victoria – when