Heartstrings on Fire novel Chapter 1083

Valeria sighed heavily, "So, from what you're telling me, Patton was our only lead, and now that he's gone, it feels like we're back to square one. How are we supposed to proceed?"

Agnes's eyes suddenly lit up with a spark of inspiration. "Wait a minute, what about the chemist?"

The elaborate scheme Agnes and Jared had concocted was all for one purpose: to get Ryder to spill the beans on the informant's whereabouts. Finding the informant was crucial. It was the key to uncovering the mastermind behind Albert’s Arms.

By this morning, the police had launched a full-scale operation, but Agnes was out of the loop on any developments due to a tight information blackout.

Phenix looked at Agnes with a sorrowful expression. "Agnes, we just got word that the raid was a bust. The chemist is dead—shot in the head by a sniper just half an hour before the police got there."

Agnes was stunned. How could this have happened? It meant that all their efforts so far had been in vain.

Agnes found it hard to believe, yet couldn't shake the feeling that they were getting entangled in an increasingly dangerous web. The deeper they dug, the more perilous and obscure their path seemed to become. A chill ran down her spine.

Reggie spoke up, "The reason I came today is that my investigation indicates that Albert’s Arms' connection to NovaPlex Labs had to go through a middleman. Besides the chemist, the only other person is Ryder. It was a trap set from the beginning, meticulously planned. Now, Ryder is the only one who might know the truth."

All eyes were now on Ryder. He could have had interactions with Albert’s Arms. He was now their only lead. Currently detained by the police, Ryder was under interrogation.

Before coming over, Agnes and Jared had touched base with Jarvis. Jarvis reported that Ryder hadn't uttered a single word since being taken into custody.

Jared, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up, "If the boss behind the scenes went through the trouble of eliminating the chemist and Patton to tie up loose ends, what about Ryder?"

His words sent shivers down everyone's spine. Jared's worry was not unfounded. They seemed to be in a race against time. As they uncovered leads, people ended up dead. And now, Ryder was in grave danger.

Cilian and Alyssa turned pale. Cilian stood up abruptly, fear evident on his face for the first time.

Valeria tried to reassure everyone, "He should be safe, right? After all, Ryder is in police custody. That's got to be the safest place for him."

Agnes retorted, "Let's not forget how Patton died."

Patton was killed inside the police station, injected with ricin—a toxin that can kill within minutes. It was clear now. Albert’s Arms had a mole, and so did the police.

The atmosphere in the study became oppressively silent. Just then, Agnes's phone vibrated loudly, breaking the heavy silence. Startled, she checked it—it was Jarvis calling. A bad feeling washed over Agnes as she answered the call.

Jarvis's voice came through, low but clear enough for everyone to hear, "Ms. Pritchard, there's been an incident. Mr. Whitfield has been poisoned with ricin and is currently being rushed to the hospital."

The room fell into a deeper silence, if possible, as the gravity of Jarvis's words sunk in.