Chapter 42 Lucas had studied in the same school as Maxine . They had worked together in the same club . These days , he was the associate director of neurosurgery at Blessings Hospital . But his sarcastic sense of humor hadn't changed at all . Maxine couldn't help laughing through the exasperation . It took a second to settle down . " I'm serious , Lucas . I really need a favor , " Maxine said . Lucas chuckled . " Alright , alright . Tell me what's up . I'll see what I can do . " Maxine started with the basics . She asked , " Your hospital is close to Nealson River , right ? Like , a few miles ? " That was the neighborhood where Ivanna used to live . " Yeah , " Lucas replied . " That area's kinda underdeveloped . I heard someone drowned in the river again recently . There's talk of a big overhaul - higher railings , new bridges , trying to make it a new development zone . " But by the time it's booming , I'll probably have a few kids already . " Maxine let him ramble , only focused on what she needed . She continued , " I need your help with something . I lost a piece of evidence in a case and now I'm trying to recover it . I need to know if a guy named Nathan Smith ever got treated at your hospital this year . " Lucas didn't even hesitate . " That's it ? You could've just texted me . No need for the phone call . " " I didn't want to be rude ," Maxine replied , a little embarrassed . " I should be buying you dinner for this , but I've been swamped . I promise I'll take you out as soon as things settle down . " " No biggie . Nathan Smith , right ? Got anything else on him ? Send me whatever you've got so I can do a thorough search . " Maxine sent over Nathan's photo and kept things vague . " Privacy matters a lot these days . I don't have much info on him - just this . Thanks again , Lucas . " After the call , the weight in Maxine's chest didn't lift . If Lucas couldn't find anything , she'd have to look into the other hospitals . The problem was , of the three hospitals near Ivanna's house , Blessings Hospital was the only one where she had a connection , Fingers tapping lightly on the desk , anxiety began to build . Then , suddenly , the phone rang again . It was Lucas. Maxine's heart skipped . She answered right away , " Lucas ? What is it ? " Lucas's tone was more serious than before , stripped of his usual joking edge . " Maxine , where exactly did you come across this guy ? " A strange feeling crept into Maxine's chest . She replied , " He's … a witness . In a case I'm handling . Why ? " Lucas hesitated . " A witness , huh ? That's gonna make this tricky . " Maxine's stomach twisted . " What do you mean ? " " I asked around in the archives , " Lucas said slowly . " Nathan did come to our hospital . But … he passed away . Three … The words hit Maxine like a bolt of lightning , sharp and sudden . Her whole body froze . uns ago . " Lucas continued , " The cause of death is unknown . The records are sealed . Apparently the family requested absolute privacy , and the file's been locked down . I might be able to dig deeper , but Maxine , you need to be straight with me . " What kind of case is this ? I heard you recently lost a sexual assault case - word is , the accused had some serious connections . "