Chapter 971 Violet's Conspiracy
The moment Shirley spotted Charles, her eyes lit up like she’d just seen a lifeline. She dashed over, practically bouncing, and latched onto his leg.
"Charles, what are you doing here? Finally, someone I know!" she exclaimed.
Hannah stared at Charles, totally taken aback that they knew each other.
Charles just shrugged at Hannah, looking a bit helpless. He crouched down, wiped the tears off Shirley’s face, and asked softly, "What are you doing here?"
Charles thought, 'Isn't her family supposed to be watching a movie on the fifth floor? How did she end up here alone?'
His question seemed to hit a nerve, and Shirley started crying again, clinging to his neck. "I was so scared! A kidnapper almost took me away. I thought I’d never see you, my parents, or Violet again."
"Kidnapper?" Charles' eyes went wide with shock.
Hannah stepped in and explained, "I was picking out a drink when she ran over, saying a kidnapper was after her. So I helped her out."
Charles gently pulled Shirley away, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her tears.
"Aren’t you supposed to be watching a movie with your parents and Violet? How did you end up here alone?" he asked.
Shirley blinked, like she just realized something. "Isn't this the building where I was watching the movie?"
Charles nodded.
Shirley sobbed, her shoulders shaking. "I thought I was still in the same building! I ate too much and had a stomachache, but the bathrooms upstairs were full. Violet took me to the restroom in the underground parking lot. My stomach hurt so much that I stayed a bit longer. When I came out, Violet was gone. Then I met that woman. Her phone had no signal in the parking lot, and I couldn't call my parents. She said she’d take me to the first floor to make a call. I didn’t expect her to bring me here."
For a five-year-old, her explanation was pretty clear and logical.
Charles suddenly got it. "The underground parking lots of these two buildings are connected. She must have intentionally brought you over here."
Good thing he and Hannah were around and bumped into her.
Otherwise, who knows what could’ve happened.
Shirley wiped her tears and said, "She even pretended to lend me her phone to make a call! Someone pretended to be my mom and said they’d take me to the police station! I almost fell for it! Luckily, I’m smart and noticed something was off."
Charles tapped her forehead. "You’re the best. Thumbs up."
Hannah laughed and ruffled Shirley’s hair. "That woman looked pretty nice. How did you know she was a kidnapper?"
If Shirley hadn’t told her, Hannah wouldn’t have guessed Jennifer was a kidnapper.
Talking about it, Shirley forgot her tears, raised her chin proudly, and said, "They were too cocky. My call had just connected, and before I could say anything, they called out my name. I was using a stranger’s number to call. Does my mom have superpowers? Otherwise, how could she know it was me calling?"
Shirley felt pretty clever and was still feeling smug.
But her words made Charles and Hannah’s faces change at the same time.
"You said they called your name?"
Shirley nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"
She was too young to grasp how strange that was.
She just felt proud for figuring out their scheme.
But Charles and Hannah were thinking something else entirely.
How could random kidnappers know Shirley's name?
Unless someone close to them was involved.
The thought made both of them break out in a cold sweat.
Shirley, oblivious to the shock her words caused, kept talking, "After Violet was kidnapped seven years ago, my mom always told me not to talk to strangers, not to go with strangers, and to find a police officer if something happened. My mom is super careful; she’d never let a stranger take me to the police station. If she got my call, she’d tell me to stay put and wait for her. This just doesn’t sound like my mom at all."
You had to admit, Shirley knew Lassie pretty well.
Charles and Hannah exchanged a look.
Charles gently placed his hand on Shirley's head and said, "Your mom must be freaking out looking for you right now. I'll call them first."
"Okay!" Shirley nodded eagerly. While Charles was making the call, she grabbed Hannah's hand again. "What's your name? Why are you with Charles? Are you his girlfriend?"
Her hand was soft and warm, still damp from wiping her tears.
Hannah squatted down and smiled. "Do you want me to be Charles' girlfriend?"
Shirley nodded, then seemed to remember something and shook her head, then nodded again.
Hannah was amused by her indecision and asked, "So, do you want it or not?"
Shirley looked torn. "You saved me, so I like you! But Violet also likes Charles, and I don't want her to get hurt."
Hearing this, Hannah felt conflicted.
Shirley really liked Violet.
But Violet didn’t seem to like her and even seemed to want to get rid of her.
Today's kidnapping was too coincidental.
Violet took Shirley to the underground parking lot to use the restroom, then disappeared, and Shirley ran into a kidnapper. The kidnapper knew a lot about their family and even mimicked Lassie's voice.
If Shirley hadn’t been smart and noticed something was off, she might have been taken by now.
Although Hannah wasn’t sure if Violet was behind this, she felt it had something to do with her.
To avoid raising any alarms, Hannah coaxed Shirley, "Let's not tell Violet about this, okay? So she won't be sad."
Shirley agreed without hesitation.
Hannah extended her pinky finger to Shirley and said, "Let's make a pinky promise."
Shirley smiled happily, hooked her pinky with Hannah's, and made the promise.
Hannah playfully winked at her. "This is our little secret! Don’t tell anyone else!"
Shirley, still a child, was easily coaxed. She immediately winked back at Hannah mysteriously. "Okay, our little secret."
Just as they finished their promise, Charles ended his call.
From his slightly grim expression, Hannah knew something was up.
Hannah asked, "What is it?"
Charles said seriously, "Carter and Lassie still don’t know that Shirley is missing."
Hearing this, Hannah gasped and thought, 'In other words, Violet hasn’t told them that Shirley is missing. Why would she do that? Is it to buy time? To wait until the kidnapper has taken Shirley far away before saying anything?'
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