"Oh, Victor, you really should not have," Mrs. Hartfield said, her eyes filled with gratitude, her voice soft.
"It is nothing," Victor said, his smile widening. "You are like family to me. I care about you both."
"You are a good son," Mrs. Hartfield said, her voice filled with praise, her eyes softening. "A better son than the one we just lost."
Victor's smile widened imperceptibly. "I am just trying to help," he said, his voice smooth. "How are you holding up, really? How has this all been for you?"
"It has been hard," Mrs. Hartfield said, her voice tired, her eyes filled with a weary sadness. "Jonah apologized. He said he was being blackmailed. Someone was threatening him."
Victor's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, but he quickly masked it with a look of concern. "Blackmailed?" he asked, his voice filled with fake confusion. "What do you mean?"
"He said someone was threatening to expose him," Mrs. Hartfield said, her voice strained. "He kept paying the blackmailer off because he felt it was not the right time to come clean to us. He said it was to protect us."
"That is surprising," Victor said, his voice carefully neutral, his mind racing. "I will have to talk to him about that. He should have told you."
"Please do," Mrs. Hartfield said, her voice pleading. "We do not know what to believe. We want to trust him, but..."
"I understand," Victor said, his voice soothing. "I will get to the bottom of it. Now, how is Mr. Hartfield's health? When will he be discharged?"
"The doctors say a few more days," Mr. Hartfield said, his voice weak but firm. "Then I can go home."
"That is wonderful news," Victor said, his smile wide and bright. "I will be here to help in any way I can. You can count on me." Victor looked down at his watch, "Umm, Mr. and Mrs. Hartfield, I will be taking my leave now. I have some things to attend to in the office. Please do well to inform me when Mr. Hartfield would be discharged." He explained to them.
Jonah's mother nodded a huge smile on her face, "Alright my son. I will do so, thanks again for the gift."
Victor nodded, "Have a great day ma'am." He said his hand on the doorknob.
"My day is already made with your visit." She answered back.
"You flatter me too much." Victor says a smile on his face and exits the room.
Victor exited the hospital ward, his smile vanishing as soon as the door clicked shut. He pulled out his phone, his fingers tapping Elaine's number with a sense of urgency. "Elaine," he said, his voice sharp, the moment she answered. "We need to talk."
"Victor? Is everything alright?" Elaine asked, her voice laced with a hint of nervousness. "You sound tense."
"Are you hiding anything from me?" Victor asked, cutting straight to the chase, his tone accusatory.
"Hiding anything?" Elaine echoed, her voice rising slightly. "What are you talking about? Why would you ask me something like that?"
"Just answer the question, Elaine," Victor said, his voice cold. "Are you hiding anything?"
"No, Victor," Elaine said, her voice defensive. "Of course not. What would I hide?"
"Did you know Jonah was being blackmailed?" Victor asked, his voice low and dangerous. A moment of silence hung in the air, thick with tension.
"Blackmailed?" Elaine asked, her voice laced with surprise, or a convincing imitation of it. "Jonah? Blackmailed? I had no idea. That is terrible."
"Do not play dumb, Elaine," Victor said, his voice hard. "You are not fooling anyone. Especially not me."
"Victor, I swear," Elaine said, her voice pleading. "I didn't know anything about this. Why would I lie to you?"
"Because you are good at it," Victor said, his voice dripping with suspicion. "And because you have been enjoying a sudden influx of wealth lately. A new car, designer clothes it all seems rather convenient, does it not?"
"That is insulting!" Elaine exclaimed, her voice rising. "I work hard for what I have even though it's sleazy jobs but I still work! How dare you accuse me of something like this?"
"Then explain it," Victor said, his voice demanding. "Explain where all this sudden wealth came from."
"That is none of your business, Victor," Elaine said, her voice sharp. "I do not have to explain anything to you."
"Oh, but you do, Elaine," Victor said, his voice low and dangerous. "Because if you are involved in this, if you are playing me, you will regret it."
"I am not playing anyone, Victor," Elaine said, her voice shaking slightly. "I do not know what you're talking about."
"You are lying," Victor said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "And I do not like being lied to."
"Victor, please," Elaine said, her voice pleading. "You are scaring me. What is going on?"
"That is what I would like to know, Elaine," Victor said, his voice cold. "And I intend to find out."
"Do not threaten me, Victor," Elaine said, her voice laced with anger. "I will not stand for it."
"Then tell me the truth," Victor said, his voice demanding. "Tell me everything."
"I have nothing to tell you," Elaine said, her voice hard. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do."
"Do you know why I have never gotten caught Elaine?" Victor asked his voice sinister.
"Victor I do not have the time to play question and answer with you, just get straight to the point." Elaine answered her voice sharp.
"Snappy are we? I would just like to remind you that in this line of work you do greediness would be your downfall and if I find out you are lying I would not be able to help you later on." Victor warned her.
"Well great thing I am not greedy, I just have high taste. Good bye Victor." She told him.
She hung up, the line going dead. Victor stared at his phone, his jaw tight. "Damn it," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "She is lying. I can feel it."
He felt a cold, hard knot of suspicion in his stomach. He could not trust Elaine anymore, she might foil his plans unknowingly. She has become a liability, he thought, his eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating light. And liabilities need to be eliminated. He put his phone away, his mind racing. He had come too far for anyone to ruin anything for him.