The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 32

The next morning, before the sun had fully risen.

Annelise was jolted awake by a faint buzzing sound.

She pulled the burner phone from under her pillow. The screen displayed another text from the anonymous number.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the message.

It was brief as always, but it hit her mind like a precision-guided bomb.

"The circulating nurse from the surgery four years ago resigned. She now works at Greendale General Hospital. Her name is Josie Platt."

Annelise stared at the sentence, reading it three times over.

Her heart began to race uncontrollably against her ribs.

Josie Platt.

She remembered that name.

It was the young nurse in the operating room who had quietly questioned Hackett, noting that "the fetal vitals are perfectly normal."

The same nurse who, when Annelise woke up post-op, had dodged her gaze and refused to meet her eyes.

The same nurse who, when asked about the appendectomy from four years ago, had stiffened up and practically fled the room.

She definitely knew something.

And this anonymous messenger...

Annelise gripped the phone tightly, a fine layer of cold sweat breaking out across her back.

Who on earth was this person?

Not only did they know she was digging, but they were flawlessly pointing her toward the next breakthrough.

It was as if an invisible pair of eyes was hovering above her, watching her every move, only to hand her a weapon through the clouds the exact second she needed it.

Forcing herself to calm down, Annelise began to analyze the situation rapidly.

Sitting in bed, a complex web of relationships formed in her mind.

First, this mysterious informant was deeply familiar with the inner workings of the Lehman family.

They knew she wanted to check the safe, they knew Hackett had changed the passcode, and they had even managed to snap photos of Hackett and Clarissa's secret rendezvous on the east side of the city.

Second, they possessed significant tracking or surveillance capabilities.

Neither the photos nor Josie's current whereabouts were things an ordinary person could easily obtain.

A living ghost who was simply "missing."

Could it be someone connected to him?

The thought tore through her chaotic mind like a bolt of lightning, but it vanished before she could grasp it.

She shook her head, forcing these baseless theories down for now.

The most pressing matter was finding Josie Platt.

She had to make a trip to Greendale County.

"Harriet."

Annelise called for Harriet, who was prepping breakfast, and showed her the message on the phone.

"Can you look into the address for Greendale General Hospital, and find out the exact shift schedule for this nurse, Josie Platt?"

Harriet's resourcefulness was always reliable.

She made two quick phone calls to some old connections in her hometown network. In less than two hours, she brought back precise information.

"Miss, I got it," Harriet said, keeping her voice low and speaking rapidly. "Josie Platt is indeed a nurse in the maternity ward at Greendale General. I had someone check her schedule—she's on the day shift tomorrow, from 8 AM to 5 PM."