Chapter 99 Whereabouts
Isolde's voice was strained with emotion. "I did what you said. I need to know if Cecil is safe."
"I haven't checked if the money's real yet. If there's even one fake bill, you know what'll happen." The kidnapper's tone was full of threats, but he still sent a couple of photos of Cecil to Isolde.
Seeing Cecil's sleeping face, Isolde felt a mix of relief and terror.
Thankfully, she had listened to Diana and didn't try to deceive the kidnapper. Otherwise, she really didn't know if she would ever see Cecil again.
"All the money is real, but there's only three million dollars. Withdrawing more cash needs prior arrangements with the bank. I've already talked to them, and I can get more tomorrow," Isolde answered truthfully.
The kidnapper was surprised by her honesty and couldn't find a reason to get angry. He could only say viciously, "No need. I'll give you an account number, and you can transfer the rest of the money there. I can wait. Whenever you gather the three hundred million dollars, you can take your kid."
Isolde was furious at his shamelessness but held back and replied softly, "Okay."
As the call ended, Diana had pinpointed a more specific location.
It was at Willowbrook Village in the southern part of Evergreen City.
She thought to herself, 'This Finnian is really something, hiding right in his own home. But this saves me the trouble of checking each address.'
Diana messaged Robert and Isolde to share the good news but didn't reveal that the kidnapper was Finnian.
Isolde, standing at the bank entrance, nearly collapsed upon receiving the message. 'Thank goodness for Diana; Cecil might be saved,' she thought to herself.
Robert also dropped what he was doing and rushed home.
By the time they all got home, Diana had already come up with a detailed plan.
Currently, Robert was the only unfamiliar face to Finnian, making him the best candidate to scout the situation first.
Willowbrook Village wasn't too big, but checking each house would still take some time.
Robert nodded, thinking this task wasn't difficult for him.
Originally, Diana thought Isolde would react upon hearing the address.
But her expression remained serious, only focused on what she needed to do next, showing no particular reaction to the address.
"Isolde, your job is to play the victim well. We need to make this kidnapper pay. This is a pinhole camera; anything you capture can be used as evidence." Diana handed Isolde an inconspicuous brooch.
Isolde took it without hesitation and pinned it to her chest.
Diana added, "And I need to secretly call the cops. This matter should be handled by them."
Isolde's eyes welled up as she solemnly said, "Thank you, Diana. Without you, I really wouldn't know what to do."
Diana waved it off, saying it was nothing.
"Everyone, let's get moving. Tonight, we'll catch him off guard, and Cecil will be home."
Robert and Isolde nodded, and Evelyn pointed to herself, "Ms. Spencer, what about me?"
Diana thought for a moment, placing a hand on Evelyn's head with a serious expression. "Your task is super important. You need to whip up some nutritious meals for all of us. We've been so stressed these past few days that I've lost weight."
Evelyn, influenced by Diana's tone, accepted the "challenging" task.
At the Percy Group, Nolan was compiling the information his informants had just sent and summarizing it for Charles.
"Mr. Percy, Ms. Spencer didn't leave the house today. Instead, Ms. Porter went to the bank and withdrew a large sum of money, placing it in three different locations. I suspect it was the kidnapper's demand."
Nolan took a breath and continued, "In the afternoon, I informed Ms. Spencer of the kidnapper's identity. She reacted quickly, immediately having the lawyer and Ms. Porter return home. They must have discussed something. Within an hour, they all left the house one after another. Ms. Spencer met with a few seemingly ordinary men, while that lawyer went to Willowbrook Village."
Charles, holding a very exquisite and expensive pen, was thoughtfully rubbing the pen cap with his thumb.
After Nolan finished speaking, he put down the pen and asked, "Just the three of them? What about Billy?"
Nolan shook his head. "Mr. Billy Richardson doesn't seem to be involved. He went home briefly and then returned to the office. However, he was injured, likely beaten by Mr. Vance Richardson."
Charles sneered. "He deserved it, liking the woman he shouldn't."
Nolan scratched his head in confusion, not understanding Charles' meaning.
Charles signed the document in front of him and continued, "They went to Willowbrook Village?"
"Yes, we've already sent people to follow them. Finnian should be there. Based on Ms. Spencer's actions, she seems to want to catch him off guard," Nolan answered truthfully, "Those seemingly ordinary men are very likely to be police officers."
Charles smirked. "Interesting, we can't miss out on the fun. Let's join in."
Nolan paused for a moment; this was the first time Charles showed interest in something outside of work.
It seemed that ever since Charles' divorce, his opinion of Diana had been changing.
Now Diana could even ask Charles for favors, which would have been unthinkable a few months ago. Back then, Charles would have been considered kind if he didn't kick her when she was down.
Nolan nodded. "Yes, Mr. Percy. I'll make the arrangements now."
At Willowbrook Village, originally, there were hundreds of households here, but the southern part of Evergreen City had always been an undeveloped area. Job opportunities were scarce, and infrastructure was lacking.
This led many people to work elsewhere, leaving Willowbrook Village with few residents, mostly elderly and children.
This significantly reduced the difficulty for Robert in finding the kidnapper.
In fact, as soon as Robert arrived, he was stopped by a kind elderly woman, Grace Hernandez.
"Sir, who are you looking for? You don't seem to be from Willowbrook Village," Grace asked.
Robert nodded. "I'm looking for a friend."
Robert didn't even mention the name or appearance of this "friend."
Grace immediately said, "You're looking for Finnian, right? He's the only young person left in the village. But he married into a wealthy family long ago. I wonder why he's back here?"
After speaking, Grace gave Robert a slightly gossipy look and asked in a low voice, "Tell me the truth, did Finnian get into trouble outside? I've noticed he rarely leaves the house since he came back. I wonder what he's up to."
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