Chapter 22: Proving Innocence
The forensic police quickly completed their examination and the lead officer cleared his throat before speaking, "According to our tests, Miss Scott's fingerprints are on this ring."
Margaret's heart skipped a beat. Her fingerprints? How was that possible?
She hadn't even touched the ring.
The police officer was called by William, so he shouldn't have been bribed by Lucy. The only plausible explanation was that Lucy had taken her fingerprints when she wasn't paying attention.
"Margaret, the test results prove you did steal my ring. Do you have any excuses?" Lucy's lips curled into a smug smile.
"Sir, she stole my ring," Lucy said, pointing at Margaret. "Please take her away and handle this impartially."
"Margaret, did you really steal Lucy's ring?" William asked with a smirk.
Despite the evidence pointing to Margaret, William felt things weren't that simple.
Although he had only known Margaret for a few days, William believed she wasn't the type to do such a thing.
"Of course not," Margaret replied, her expression calm and unflustered.
"The test results are out, and you still dare to deny it!" Lucy glared at Margaret.
"William, why are you even talking to her? The Fisher family doesn't associate with thieves. She's not good enough for you!" Abigail chimed in, eager to criticize Margaret further.
"Sorry, Miss Scott, but please come with us to the station to assist with the investigation," the chief said, stepping forward.
Since someone had seen Margaret steal the ring, and it was found in her bag with her fingerprints on it, she was indeed the prime suspect.
Following the procedure, they needed to take Margaret to the station for further investigation.
"No need, I can prove I never touched this ring," Margaret said calmly.
Though her voice was soft, it carried a penetrating certainty that was hard to doubt.
"Prove it? What can you prove? It's clear you stole my ring!" Lucy's voice rose, her excitement barely contained.
With the evidence so clear, it seemed undeniable to everyone that Margaret had stolen the ring.
No matter how many times she denied it, it was useless.
Lucy thought smugly, 'Country bumpkin, get ready for jail!'
"I have my ways of proving it," Margaret said with a composed smile.
She turned to the chief beside her and said, "Please give me the ring."
The chief looked at William, who gave a nod of approval and handed the ring to Margaret.
Margaret glanced around, finally fixing her gaze on the waiter. "You said you saw me take the ring with your own eyes?"
The waiter nodded quickly. "Of course, I saw it with my own eyes."
Margaret's eyes darkened, and she said in a deep voice, "Then watch closely."
Margaret extended her hand, showing it to everyone. "Please take a good look at my hand."
Her fingers were slender and smooth, fair and delicate.
The crowd didn't know what Margaret was up to and began to whisper among themselves.
William's face was stern, his eyes fixed on Margaret's, filled with curiosity.
Facing the accusations, the woman before him remained calm and composed.
Her confidence and poise didn't match that of a rural woman.
He was also curious to see how Margaret would prove her innocence with so much evidence against her.
Margaret held the ring in her hand, and after a few minutes, her fingers began to swell and develop small bumps.
"What's happening?" The crowd stared at Margaret's hand in astonishment.
Margaret's eyes sharpened as she handed the ring back to the police officer. Clearing her throat, she said, "I'm allergic to platinum, so this ring's band causes an immediate reaction on my skin react. See, my hand gets red and swollen with bumps right away when I touch platinum, and it lasts for hours."
She held up her hand for everyone to see. "If I had stolen Lucy's ring, my hand would've reacted by now. But my hand was fine until I touched the ring just now. Therefore, I’ve never touched the ring before and couldn’t have stolen it.”
"No, that's impossible!" Lucy stared at Margaret's hand in disbelief, shouting.
How could this be? How could Margaret be so conveniently allergic to platinum?
"You must have done something!" Lucy snatched the ring from the police officer and examined it closely for any issues.
But the ring was indeed hers, without a doubt.
Lucy's face shifted through a range of emotions as she processed the unfolding situation.
It was a perfect plan. How could it fail now?
Margaret's eyes fully captured Lucy's panicked expression. She smiled and took the ring with her other hand.
"If you still doubt me, I can demonstrate again."
The result was the same.
Her hand reacted as soon as it touched the ring—redness and swelling appearing almost instantly.
"Now it's clear that I didn't steal this ring," Margaret said clearly.
"Indeed, Margaret is allergic to the ring. So it wasn't her," the police chief, who had been observing, said.
"Thank you,” Margaret replied, giving the chief a nod. She then turned her sharp gaze to the waiter. “Now, explain how you could have seen me steal the ring.”
"I..."
The waiter's face turned pale, and she began to stammer, glancing nervously at Lucy for support.
Lucy gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with threats.
The waiter shivered and suddenly knelt before Margaret.
"I'm sorry, Margaret. I actually stole the ring." The waiter confessed, trembling.
"Really?" Margaret raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her.
A mere waiter wouldn't have the guts to steal Lucy's ring and frame her.
Moreover, this waiter wouldn't have the capability to devise such a perfect plan.
"I'm sorry. I stole Miss Clark's ring in a moment of greed." The waiter confessed, crying and begging for forgiveness. "Please forgive me; I won't do it again."
Seeing the waiter take all the blame, Lucy breathed a slight sigh of relief.
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