Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 578

“Does Lucius know the boy you’re looking for is my brother?” Haskell asked.

Trudy hesitated, but meeting Haskell’s bottomless gaze, she answered in a trembling voice, “…He probably does.”

She quickly added, “But he must have just found out! When I called him about it yesterday, he sounded very pleased and had someone wire me ten million dollars as a bonus. I didn’t understand why at the time, but looking back, he must have realized the person I was looking for was your brother…”

Haskell said nothing more. So, Lucius had only just found out.

Crispin, who had been waiting silently, spoke up. “Sir, following the lead on Trudy, I uncovered another secret.”

He paused, his expression grim. “This so-called finishing school of hers is not what it seems. On the surface, it trains women who want to climb the social ladder. But behind the scenes, the dealings are much filthier. Many of the girls are forced into transactions.”

It seemed Trudy was connected to what Nightveil had discovered about Lucius developing a potent aphrodisiac to use on innocent young women.

Larissa’s eyes turned cold. She looked at Haskell. “I doubt we’ll get any more useful information about your brother from her. What are you going to do with her?”

“Why do you ask, Larissa?” Haskell countered. “Do you want to deal with her?”

Larissa nodded, a determined glint in her eyes.

“Yes. I want to use her to test my poisons. She’s the perfect subject.”

After Crispin had taken Trudy away, Larissa asked, “The trafficker was clearly murdered. Perhaps your mother managed to make an emergency call before she died and saved your brother. Haskell, have you thought about who your mother might have called in her final moments?”

Haskell considered it. “My maternal grandparents died early, and my mother was an only child. Everything she achieved, she did on her own.”

He seemed to recall something. “If there was anyone who would have gone to such lengths for her… it might have been the man whose life she once saved.”

Larissa took Rigby’s file from her bag and handed it to him.

“Haskell, if you’re free tomorrow, come with me to meet this man, Rigby. I suspect he’s your brother.”