Chapter 172: Interrogating Jacob, Secrets Emerge
Catherine looked away.
Under Timothy's expectant gaze, she sneered, "Don't try to get close. Neither my grandmother nor I will forgive you."
Timothy's spirits sank immediately.
He knew that if Elodie found out what he had done, she would definitely be angry.
But at least he hadn't done anything too outrageous!
He sighed, looked up with a smile and said, "Going to see Jacob? He should be awake now. Don't you still have questions to ask?"
The people at Ironclad Jail certainly had ways to keep someone awake, and ways to put someone to sleep forever.
Catherine nodded, "Lead the way."
Timothy waved his hand and said coldly, "Hurry up! Lead the way! Clean out that room over there. Do you expect my granddaughter to stand while questioning him?"
Catherine glanced at him lightly but said nothing.
She didn't acknowledge her relationship with Timothy, but here she still needed Timothy's permission to see Jacob, so he could say whatever he wanted.
Anyway, just the fact that he had repeatedly gone after the Windsor family was enough to trouble his conscience.
Ironclad Jail was divided into many layers, inside and out. From the black tower above to the deep sea below, there were different cells.
Jacob was held in an underground cell.
Timothy walked beside Catherine, leading her toward Jacob's cell.
"Elodie, was she doing well before?"
"Always hungry but happy, got sick and almost had no money for treatment but had no regrets—does that count as well?"
Catherine didn't hide anything.
When Elodie was sick, Catherine worked desperately to make money, sleeping only two hours a day. As soon as she woke up, she would draw designs, often making clothes and doing experiments until midnight, with only the stars for company.
She was terrified she wouldn't be able to keep Elodie with her.
Oliver wouldn't give a single cent, always thinking Elodie still had savings.
Fortunately, she earned enough money—enough that even after Elodie passed away, there was still plenty left. But still, she couldn't keep her.
Timothy nodded after hearing this. "Elodie had a bad memory. She probably forgot to tell you about me."
Catherine glanced at him, her tone cold.
"No, Grandma told me she had a brother. When they were young, he got slashed protecting her—from his eye to his chin, and several cuts on his body. Grandma said she really missed her brother, but she thought you were dead."
Timothy froze in place.
Elodie had always remembered him!
Only he and Elodie knew about that past!
Timothy, who had spent years on the border living a dangerous life, had only the late Elodie as his redemption. At this moment, it all came flooding back, deeply moving him!
"Your grandmother remembered me?"
"Elodie only told me she had a brother. It might not be you."
"It is, it is, it must be me!"
Elodie only had one brother—who else could it be but him?
Jacob's cell was neither large nor small, with everything it should have, even a small bookshelf.
Jacob, sitting on the bed, looked refined and scholarly, covered with an Ironclad Jail blanket and holding a book, looking just like a scholar.
But the white sheets were covered with mottled bloodstains, and there was still-wet blood on the walls.
Timothy entered the room, looked around, brought over a chair, and wiped it with his sleeve.
"Catherine, you sit. I'll stand."
Catherine looked up and glanced at the fawning Timothy, but didn't refuse.
After all, if she could sit, she didn't want to stand.
Jacob put down his book and coughed twice.
"Timothy, what's with this setup today? Coming to see me with so many people? Let me see, who is this young friend?"
Timothy knew Catherine's questions probably weren't simple, so he sent away his subordinates, leaving only himself and Alexander standing aside.
Seeing Timothy's action, Jacob became interested too.
He removed his black-framed glasses with only one temple remaining from his nose and set them aside.
"What's the matter?"
Timothy said coldly, "She has some questions for you. You'd better answer honestly, or you know what will happen!"
Jacob laughed twice, then started coughing violently, leaving bloodstains on the sheets.
"Timothy, look at me now. I won't live much longer. Whatever you want to know, I might not even know."
Catherine said flatly, "Matthew is alive. I saved him."
Jacob didn't care at first, but after hearing Catherine say this, his eyes suddenly widened!
"What did you say? You're saying Matthew is fine? Why should I believe you!"
Since Jacob could be caught meeting with Eli for Matthew's illness, it meant he cared deeply about his family, just like Ethan.
Catherine lazily crossed her legs, the sound of her stiletto heels echoing in the Shadow Syndicate cell.
She curled her lips into a wicked smile.
"You don't have to believe me. While doing the surgery, I casually put something else in Matthew's brain. Guess what it might be?"
Jacob's pupils dilated to the extreme in an instant!
"You!"
"Guess, if I'm unhappy, will Matthew also go meet the grim reaper? Then Ethan will have to collect bodies for both you and Matthew. That would be pretty tiring."
Jacob suddenly became alert.
"You can't do this. Matthew is innocent! He's never done anything illegal. Whatever you want to know, come at me."
Seeing Jacob's reaction, Catherine nodded.
"Wouldn't it have been better to do this earlier? First question: do you know Oliver?"
Jacob frowned slightly, clearly not expecting Catherine to ask such a question.
"Yes, college classmate."
"What major? What university? How was your relationship during school, and did you have any business dealings afterward?"
"Financial Engineering, Horizon University. We were just acquaintances during school, and no contact afterward."
Catherine said coldly, "No? Think carefully. He went to see you just last year."
Jacob's expression changed as he looked at Catherine.
"Since you already know, why are you asking me? No business dealings, but we're classmates, so we get together during holidays. Is there a problem?"
Catherine chuckled softly.
Someone like Oliver, who never did anything without profit, wouldn't actively contact Jacob just for some classmate sentiment.
"Next question: do you know me?"
Jacob looked at Catherine for a moment and shook his head. "No. Should I know you?"
Catherine leaned back in her chair, adopting a more relaxed posture as she looked at Jacob.
"But I saw you at Oliver's house last year. You even greeted me."
Jacob looked at Catherine with some suspicion.
"You're mistaken. I've never been to Oliver's house, and I've never seen you."
"Really? If you've never seen me and don't know me, then why did you hand me over to Oliver? I mean nineteen years ago, at Angel's Haven Orphanage!"
Hearing that name, Jacob's calm expression instantly vanished!
Catherine carefully watched Jacob's every expression.
"You don't know me, yet you could deliver me precisely to the Smith family. Very impressive!"