My fingers tightened around the hard plastic casing of the phone.

“It doesn’t matter,” the voice replied.

It was high-pitched, thin, and slightly breathless.

“The ledger has names in it that go far beyond Victoria,” she said.

“You’ve set fire to a house you’re still sitting inside, Natalie.”

I recognized the cadence of the voice now.

It was Chloe Vance.

“The federal deputies are already at the estate, Chloe,” I said.

I kept my voice as level as I could.

The line went quiet for a moment.

I heard the faint hum of heavy highway traffic in the background on her end.

“You think you’re safe in that hospital room,” she whispered.

“I have federal marshals standing right outside my door,” I said.

I did not wait for her to answer.

I hung up the phone and set it on the bedside table.

My heart hammered against my ribs, but I forced myself to take a slow, deep breath.

I pressed the call button for the nurse.

“Yes, Mrs. Callahan?” the nurse’s voice came through the small speaker on the wall.