Chapter 801: Could He Be Mad?
Patricia and Martin walked through the garden, arm in arm, enjoying their meal.
Despite the years, Patricia looked amazing, with no wrinkles or spots, easily passing for thirty.
She was in her prime.
Martin also stayed in great shape, no middle-aged spread, just as fit as ever.
A few crow's feet only added to his mature charm.
When they saw Charles rushing back, they were surprised.
Patricia stopped him, "Charles, aren't you supposed to be in England? Why'd you come back without a heads-up?"
Charles, looking blank, replied, "Notice? So you could keep lying to me?"
Patricia, knowing him well, realized he knew everything.
"We didn't mean to lie! You were at a critical stage! Telling you wouldn't have helped! This was about finding a person, not just surveillance footage! What could you have done?"
Charles, angry at being kept in the dark, snapped for the first time.
"How do you know I couldn't help if you never told me? Two years have passed, and any clues are gone now.
Remember when you were in trouble before? I helped! How do you know it wouldn't work if you never tried?"
He turned to leave.
Patricia was stunned.
She had raised Charles for over twenty years.
They usually joked around, never seriously fought.
But today, he yelled and blamed her.
Patricia's eyes reddened, tears welling up.
Seeing her upset, Martin pulled her close, saying, "Charles, that was too much! Even though we didn't call you, Brian Mitchell handled everything. He's your protégé; you know his skills! The kidnappers locked Violet in a suburban warehouse with no surveillance! The suburbs are vast and unpredictable. After the incident, both Violet and the kidnappers vanished. We searched everywhere but found nothing. Carter, Ryan, and I tried everything. If we couldn't find her, how could you? We didn't want to alarm you. We planned to see Violet and then pretend it never happened. We never expected it would take nearly two years without finding her. We didn't know how to tell you as time went on."
Martin, usually concise, spoke at length.
Hearing this, Charles calmed down, feeling ashamed, and said, "Mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been harsh. Violet is missing, and I'm worried. I lost control. I'm sorry!"
Patricia walked up to him, cupping his face, tears streaming down.
"Charles, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have kept this from you! None of us expected this! We saw her that day, but by nightfall, she was gone. We all fear the worst. I know you're heartbroken, but you have to stay strong. I don't want to see you like this."
Charles wasn't as heartbroken as Patricia thought. He believed that if they hadn't found Violet's body, she was still alive. Determined, he said, "Mom, I know! I won't be discouraged. I have faith I can find Violet!"
Patricia, seeing his resolve, asked, "How do you plan to find her? If Carter, Ryan, and your father's connections couldn't, how will you?"
Confident, Charles replied, "I'll find a way. Just wait for my good news!"
He hurried upstairs to his study with his laptop bag and stayed there for three days and nights, not leaving even for meals, which Patricia brought to him.
Seeing him in the study, coding day and night, Patricia worried, "He hasn't slept for three days. He can't keep this up!"
Martin patted her back, "He's grown up; he knows his limits. Don't worry!"
Charles, deeply concerned, said, "I'm worried! After learning about Violet, I thought he'd throw a fit, refuse to eat or drink, and act desperate! But he's acting like nothing's wrong! I'd be less worried if he just cried for a few days. The calmer he acts, the more worried I get."
"Yes," Martin sighed, "He's been too calm! We don't even know what he's planning."
If someone is too heartbroken, crying and venting might help. But if they don't cry or make a fuss and act like nothing's wrong, that's the most terrifying. Keeping everything bottled up will eventually lead to a breakdown.
That's what Patricia was worried about.
"No, I have to talk to him; tell him to stop this. Even if he cries, it would be better!" Patricia said.
She opened the door and rushed out. Martin followed, catching her in the hallway, "Wait, don't go just yet. Let's think this through."
"Think what through? I need to..."
Before Patricia could finish, they heard a low shout from the study.
"Yes! Finally, I did it."
Patricia and Martin exchanged a glance and ran to the study.
Patricia anxiously asked, "Charles, what's wrong? Don't scare me."
Could Charles have finally snapped after suppressing his emotions for days?
Charles, excited, looked at the computer screen, "I did it. I finally did it. With this, I can definitely find Violet."
Patricia and Martin curiously looked at his computer screen.
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