Chapter 170: Victor Quinn Won’t Let Me See Asher

Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Victor Quinn Won’t Let Me See Asher

Victor Quinn smiled. "Miss Lynch, of course you can see him. You’re his family, so it’s only right that you’d want to see the patient."

I let out a sigh of relief, my grip on Zeke Shaw’s fingers gradually loosening.

"But..." Victor Quinn’s smile faded. "Sebastian Lancaster isn’t just an ordinary psychiatric patient. He’s extremely aggressive, and he has broken the law... He’s currently under investigation, so without police permission, we cannot allow any visits."

"Dr. Quinn, the reason Sebastian Lancaster assaulted someone is still under investigation. The police haven’t even..." Zeke Shaw began, suppressing his anger.

Victor Quinn cut him off. "Officer Lowell, if you were still a detective, I could let you see him with the proper paperwork. We have our rules, after all. You wouldn’t want to put us in a tough spot, would you?"

’Victor Quinn’s implication was clear: You’re not a detective anymore, Zeke Shaw. You’re a traffic cop. You should stick to directing traffic.’

Zeke Shaw’s hands clenched into fists, and he looked ready to lunge.

I reached out and grabbed Zeke Shaw’s arm firmly. "Let’s go."

"There’s no time," Zeke Shaw said, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Our only hope is Lucas Grant. We need him to figure out who the killer will target next," I said, shaking my head.

’Victor Quinn won’t let us see him.’

"Sebastian Lancaster only lashed out because he was intentionally provoked. The other party knew he had a psychiatric condition and still deliberately agitated him... If the police finish their investigation and he’s cleared, then Victor Quinn will have no grounds to stop us from seeing him." I took a deep breath, looking back at the tall hospital building.

’We can’t waste our efforts here.’

’Since Asher chose to come here, he must have a plan.’

"Let’s find Lucas Grant," Zeke Shaw said, leading me away.

"Your current position... it comes with a lot of restrictions," I reminded him in a low voice.

Zeke Shaw fell silent, clearly filled with regret—regret for being so impulsive and hitting Ash...

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have...

"I can’t shake the feeling... that there’s something wrong with Victor Quinn," I said in a low voice, staring at the hospital building. "Zeke, do you hear someone crying?"

’I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but whenever I get close to this hospital, I can always hear wails and screams, like countless wronged souls struggling.’

Zeke Shaw listened carefully, then shook his head. "I don’t hear anything."

I took a deep breath. "Then maybe... I’m just too on edge. Let’s go."

Once in the car, I looked at Owen Foster. "Find a way to get to Jack York. Make him drop the case voluntarily. That’s the only way we can get visitation rights for Asher."

Owen Foster nodded. "That’ll be difficult. Jack York is one of Master Lancaster’s men."

I was silent for a moment before speaking. "Isn’t there anyone Master Lancaster needs something from?"

Owen Foster nodded again. "There is. Master Lancaster’s business deals over the years have all involved illicit income. He wants to launder his gang and dock businesses, so he has to take over Lancaster Group. Through Lancaster Group, he can slowly clean up his operations. But to take over Lancaster Group, he needs the support of a solid strategic partner. Astraeus Group has been a business miracle, growing rapidly these past few years. Master Lancaster has been trying to curry favor with the president behind Astraeus Group, but this person is very mysterious."

In short, the person Master Lancaster needs something from is the president of Astraeus Group.

’The very same mysterious figure Erin Whittaker once said she might have a chance to meet.’

"I understand," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

’I’ll have to start with Erin Whittaker. Get her to introduce me to the president of Astraeus Group.’

...

「Lucas Grant’s Apartment」

Lucas Grant had just gotten home from work and was clearly startled to see Zeke Shaw and me downstairs.

Lucas Grant was clearly displeased. "Are you two my new doormen?"

"We’re running out of time, Detective Grant. Have you found the next victim?" I asked in a somber tone.

Lucas Grant snorted, but he clearly lacked confidence.

Obviously, he didn’t have any leads. "Something about this situation is... off."

"Don’t fucking gamble with people’s lives! What’s off?" Zeke Shaw was getting angry. He grabbed Lucas Grant by the collar, ready to punch him.

Lucas Grant instinctively shielded his face. "I’m warning you, no hitting the face!"

"Lucas Grant, you’re in charge of this case. You have the authority to get an order to see Sebastian Lancaster. The hospital won’t let us see him, but you can." I grabbed Zeke Shaw’s wrist, my eyes fixed on Lucas Grant.

"You want me to go beg him?" Lucas Grant asked, displeased.

"You don’t have to beg." I took the wedding ring off my finger and placed it in Lucas Grant’s hand. It was the one Asher had secretly slipped on my finger while I was asleep, saying I was his wife... "When he sees this ring, he’ll know it’s me asking, and he’ll answer your questions."

’His proposal was a massive afterthought. We were already way past the point of no return, but he did it anyway, regardless of my consent.’

Lucas Grant was silent for a moment.

"Still hesitating? If you don’t find them, the next victim could die," Zeke Shaw said, exasperated.

Lucas Grant nodded. "I get it. I’m on my way."

"Lucas Grant..." I began, my voice tight with anxiety. "Check on him for me. If those people are mistreating him..."

My palms were starting to sweat.

Lucas Grant seemed to be provoking me on purpose. "A mental hospital? Are there any sane people in a place like that? A sane person goes in, they come out crazy. Let alone someone who’s already..."

"Lucas Grant!" I cried out, my heart pounding with fear.

"I know, I know. But who told him to go and hit someone... I clearly warned him to control himself, but he did it anyway. He’s so smart, it’s like he wanted to go in there on purpose..." Lucas Grant muttered to himself as he turned and left.

I glanced at Zeke Shaw.

’He’s right. Sebastian Lancaster is so brilliant. How could he not know that Master Lancaster was provoking him on purpose? That Master Lancaster was working with Victor Quinn to get him in the hospital?’

’He must have known everything.’

’But he still chose to lash out. It was like he knew there was a trap ahead and deliberately walked right into it.’

’What on earth is he trying to do?’

"The higher-ups want to suppress the hype around the serial killer case and close it using Ash’s death... but there are too many unanswered questions," Zeke Shaw said quietly. "Take the first victim, Mindy Foster... She was adopted by a wealthy businessman from a Sudesian pharmaceutical company. After the orphanage fire, she left Meridia and went to Porchester. She was in Meridia this time to represent her family in a business deal. I found out... she was connected to some black market trades."

None of the victims were saints.

The police just hadn’t released the results of their investigation.

"So far, none of the victims have been innocent, except for Cecilia Caldwell... Cecilia Caldwell is a mystery. I can’t find a single clue about what she went through or what happened to her. She appeared at the Fletcher Family’s home after she turned eighteen. The part of her life before her parents’ car accident is a blank slate, as if someone deliberately erased it..." Zeke Shaw said, leaning against a lamppost with a cigarette dangling from his lips.

He was nervous. He needed to have a cigarette in his mouth, even if he wasn’t smoking it.

I stared at Zeke Shaw, feeling lost.

’My own memories from before I was eighteen are a complete blank.’

’Zeke Shaw was right. It’s as if they were deliberately erased...’

’But can my own memories really be erased?’

BZZT! As Zeke Shaw and I were heading back to the villa district, his phone buzzed. It was Lucas Grant.

"Meet me at the entrance of that abandoned mental hospital."

Zeke Shaw glanced at me, then turned the car around and headed toward the abandoned mental hospital.

The car stopped at the entrance, and I jumped out anxiously. "Did you see him?" I asked, looking at Lucas Grant.

Lucas Grant was leaning against a car door, seemingly calculating something.

"I saw him. His attending physician was there the whole time. He only gave me this," Lucas Grant said with irritation, scratching his hair. "I knew he’d just play games."

What Asher had given Lucas Grant was a math problem.

"This problem has no solution," Lucas Grant said, his brow furrowed. "Sebastian Lancaster’s meaning is that someone is passing off a fake as the real thing. The murder in Street Alley has nothing to do with the serial killings. Someone is trying to use the serial killer case to muddy the waters."