The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 230

Chapter 208: The Correction

Caleb POV

The investigator called on a Thursday morning while I was in the kitchen watching Tom argue with his cereal.

I expected a final billing summary. That was all that was left. The file was closed, the information was delivered. The investigator had done his job. There was no reason for another call.

I stepped into the hallway and answered. “Everything alright?”

“I need to correct something I told you,” he said.

I was quiet.

“When I filed the report,” he continued, “I told you there was no sign the biological father knew about the daughter. No contact, no record. That was accurate when I checked. But I ran a second sweep yesterday. It’s standard practice on high-value cases to check for any new movement, and something came up.”

“What kind of movement?” I asked.

“Sebastien Marchetti hired a private genealogy firm in Lyon weeks ago,” the investigator said. “I missed it the first time because the firm operates under a holding company name, and the brief was filed as an estate inquiry, not a personal one. It only surfaced when I cross-referenced his business interests.” He paused then continued. “The brief was personal. He was looking for a woman named Elaine Voss, cause of death, estate records, and any dependents.”

I put my hand on the wall.

“The genealogy firm traced Elaine’s history and found death record,” the investigator continued. “They found the birth registration for Isabella Hart. They found the private financial arrangement through the law firm trail. And they found the sealed note Elaine filed before she died-the one naming Marchetti as the father.”

“He found the note,” I said.

“His firm found it, yes.” He says. “Which means he knows a daughter exists. He has her original name, her year of birth, and the London registration. What he does not have yet is her current identity. The trail from Isabella Hart to Bella Black-the name change, the marriage-is not in their file yet. They are still working

on it.”

“How long before they find it?” I asked.

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