The team scrambled into a group call after Jimmy’s email hit their inboxes.
“Franco must have realized the Tinderbox was a fake the moment he was shot,” Report Man’s voice crackled over the line. “We need to get to the hospital with Jimmy. This is our best shot at getting the truth out of him. But I’m an hour out from Dr. Fit’s place; I’ll be late.”
“I’m even further,” Lady News added, the sound of wind in her mic. “I’m on an island for the party; I have to wait for the next boat.”
“I’ll handle it,” Trevor said, his voice firm as he signaled for a check. “I’m close. You two stay at your parties and keep your ears open. We don’t need the whole team drawing attention at the hospital.”
“Is Alisa still with you?” Spion asked, his tone laced with anxiety. “Did you tell her Franco is awake?”
“She left three minutes ago,” Trevor replied, stepping out into the cool night air. “But yes, I told her before she got into her car.”
“Trevor, be careful,” Spion warned. “Donna told me she thinks Alisa is closer to Patric than she lets on. She’s seen Patric picking her up after work more than once.”
Trevor felt a pang of doubt but brushed it off. “She said it’s strictly professional. Never mind that now. I’m heading to the hospital.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Spion said. “I’m not far. Meet me at the Salon front gate. Let’s just hope this Patric isn’t involved, or he might be heading to the hospital to finish what he started.”
Trevor and Spion hailed a taxi and arrived at the hospital entrance just as Jimmy pulled up. Jimmy looked pale.
“I got a call from Robin,” Jimmy whispered as they hurried toward the entrance. “He said Mr. Franco is awake and demanding to see me—and only me. He told me not to tell a soul. I’m worried he knows the Tinderbox was swapped. I don’t know if I can face him alone.”
“You did the right thing by calling us,” Trevor said, his voice dropping into a serious, authoritative tone. “He’s been lying to you about that box from the start. It’s time we forced the truth out of him.”
“We also have to consider his safety,” Spion added, “Someone in the hospital may leak that he’s woken up; we need to be ready for the worst.”
“Robin and Dan are guarding the room, and I’m armed,” Jimmy said, patting his holster with a nervous sort of confidence. “If the killer shows up, they’ll have to go through three of us.”
They took the elevator to the private wing, where Ryan and Dan stood guard outside Franco’s suite. The room was expansive, featuring floors covered in plush, intricately carved carpets with exquisite patterns. Fresh flowers sat on the desk, and soft suede recliners lined the walls. If not for the presence of heart monitors and life-support devices, it could easily have been mistaken for a suite in a luxury hotel.
Franco was propped up against a mountain of pillows, peering at a tablet through gold-rimmed glasses. He looked up, his eyes narrowing when he saw Trevor and Spion behind Jimmy. “What are they doing here?”
“Mr. Franco, the situation has escalated beyond burglary and blackmail,” Trevor said, stepping forward. “Someone tried to assassinate you. They’ll likely try again.”
“Who else knows I’m awake?” Franco demanded. “I wanted this kept quiet for a reason.”
“I’ll protect you, sir,” Jimmy said, his hand hovering near his belt.
Franco’s gaze snapped to Jimmy, cold and piercing. “It won’t matter. The killer has it. I saw him—he had the real Tinderbox. And the one in your belt bag, Jimmy? It’s a fake. Did you even know?”
Jimmy nodded slowly. “I realized the one in the belt bag was a fake later. Someone must have swapped it during the after-party. There were so many people crowding around, especially while we were all distracted watching Miss Franco dance.”
Franco let out a long, ragged sigh. He didn’t seem to suspect that Jimmy had known even before the shooting.
“Mr. Franco,” Trevor pushed, sensing the man’s resolve weakening. “Tell us what the Tinderbox really is. Why would someone kill for an antique? We can’t help you if we’re operating in the dark.”
Franco sighed again, reaching for the cup of tea on his nightstand. He took a slow sip before finally beginning his story. “After the initial break-in at my home, I received a blackmail threat. They claimed to have evidence of every crime I’ve ever committed and threatened to release it at my daughter’s wedding unless I paid millions. Of course, I refused to be intimidated. I set a trap instead, hoping to send a clear message: don’t mess with me. I doubled the security for the wedding and the after-party. I even canceled the slideshows to prevent any interference. But I never imagined they were actually after the Tinderbox.”
“What makes it so valuable?” Spion asked.
“It’s not just an antique,” Franco whispered. “It’s a legacy from my father. A magic artifact. It can summon three hellhounds to do the master’s bidding.”
“Hellhounds?” Trevor was shocked, ignoring how Franco still lied about the Tinderbox’s origin.
“I saw the killer in the restroom with two of them,” Franco coughed, his face turning ashen. “That’s how I knew my Tinderbox was a decoy.”
“Who was the killer? I didn’t see anyone when I broke in,” Jimmy asked.
“Each hellhound possesses a unique ability. One can teleport, carrying a single person with it. The killer must have used it to vanish,” Franco said, coughing twice. Jimmy was quick to react, handing him his tea.
“Was one of the hellhounds a yellow puppy?” Trevor asked, recalling Sarah’s mention of a puppy run from the crime scene.
Franco’s eyes widened. “You’re well-informed. Yes, the yellow hellhound, can alter its size at will. The third can track anything, anywhere in the world. I used them to do a lot of things for me. They were the true assistants that helped me build my empire.”
“Who else knew about this?” Trevor pressed.
“Victoria. She knew everything. I was so naive, so desperately poor when I first met her. She looked down on me, so I tried to use the Tinderbox to win her over. I even summoned a hellhound to teleport her directly into my room just to reveal my secret. I thought it would impress her. Instead, she took that secret and showed me how to use the hellhounds to carve out a business empire. I see now she never loved me; she just used me. Even after years of marriage and a daughter, I discovered she had been cheating on me the entire time with countless paramours. I took my revenge, found my own distractions, and eventually, we realized a divorce was the only way out.” Franco coughed harshly. “Now, she likely wants me dead so she can finally claim the Tinderbox for herself.”
“You think Victoria is behind this?” Trevor asked. He wasn’t convinced; Franco was still hiding something behind his bitter words.
“She is a monster at heart,” Franco growled, falling into a fit of coughing. Jimmy quickly moved to offer him more tea to settle his lungs.
At that exact moment, the door swung open. A shadow fell across the room as a woman in dark red dress stepped into the light, her eyes burning with cold fury.
“For Gods’ sake, Connor,” Victoria said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Even on your deathbed, you’re still playing the victim. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t hire a middleman. I’d do it myself, and I wouldn’t miss.”