Lonnie had pinpointed the exact moment they tracked down Lucindaâs GPS location.
That was when the car stopped in a blind spot not covered by the security cameras.
What were the odds of that?
However, before they could make a move toward Cliffhigh, the car had already left.
All Nathan could do was watch helplessly as the car, possibly carrying Lucinda, vanished from the cameraâs view.
âMr.
Payne, weâve made a discovery!â
A policeman in a raincoat burst into the room.
He quickly took off his raincoat, revealing a piece of evidence heâd kept secure in his pocket.
He then handed it over to Nathan.
âMr.
Payne, we found this on a stretch of road between cameras six and eight.
Itâs a phone, just lying there on the roadside, clear as day.
Iâm not sure how useful this will be.
â
With a furrowed brow, Nathan collected the phone.
It was in surprisingly good shape, and its cover featured a green pictureâ
Lucindaâs favorite.
âMr.
Payne, this belongs to Mrs.
Payne!â Lonnie exclaimed, astonished.
Silently, Nathan activated the phoneâs screen.
The device had been wiped clean and switched to flight mode, which explained why it couldnât receive any calls earlier.
A single sentence glared up from the memo.
âNathan, it looks Like your wife is really your weakness.
â
The words were harsh and menacing, each laden with meanings.
âMr.
Payne, from the look of things, Mrs.
Payne is truly in their hands!â Lonnie said anxiously.
Nathanâs gaze locked onto the brief sentence.
His eyes burned with anger, and his breathing grew labored.
The phone shook in his grip.
And his hand visibly trembled as his veins bulged prominently.
Fitzpatrick remained silent, not daring to speak until another alert flashed on his tablet PC.
The moment he glanced down at his tablet, Fitzpatrickâs face drained of color.
He seemed to struggle with his words.
He hesitated but finally delivered the news to Nathan.
âMr.
Payne, the carâs registration has been traced.
The license is fake, and all the details are falsifiedâ¦â
Fuelled by a simmering rage, Nathanâs fists tightened.
He issued his commands with cold determination.
âContinue the investigation.
Gather all surveillance footage from the city roads.
I need a clear trail of that carâs movements.
â
He then handed Lucindaâs phone to Lonnie.
âTake this to the National Security Bureau for fingerprint analysis.
Have someone retrieve the use history and call logs prior to it being wiped.
â
âYes sir.
â
Lonnie pulled out a transparent bag, carefully placed the phone inside, and sealed it away.
Everyone quickly set about their tasks.
They were driven by a mix of determination and fear as they prepared for a long night of overtime.
The rain persisted into midnight.