Later that evening, Jarrod returned to the villa.
Upon entering, he asked the housekeeper, âHas my wife eaten?â
The housekeeper appeared puzzled.
âSir, werenât you aware? She mentioned she was visiting her mother.
â
âVisiting her mother?â Jarrodâs brow furrowed.
âYes, she said that.
She hasnât come back yet,â the housekeeper explained.
Jarrod checked the time.
It was already 8:30 PM.
The sanatorium was not nearby, and Nicole should have returned by now.
Feeling anxious, Jarrod checked on Austin before rushing off to the sanatorium.
Upon arrival, he headed straight for Nicoleâs motherâs room, finding her sleeping soundly.
A nurse standing nearby q uickly rose and greeted him, âMr.
Schultz.
â
Without delay, Jarrod asked, âWhen did Nicole leave?â
âihat?â The nurse looked surprised.
âShe didnât come here today.
â
âShe didnât come?â Jarrod echoed her words.
âThatâs correct.
Iâve been here the entire day and havenât seen her,â the nurse confirmed.
Jarrod turned and exited, dialing as he walked to his car.
âAlec, find out where Nicoleâs car is,â he ordered.
Acknowledging Jarrodâs seriousness, Alec replied without questioning, âOn it.
â
Jarrod added, âCheck the surveillance and find the carâs location immediately.
â
âGot it,â Alec said, promptly directing the companyâs IT department to track down Nicoleâs car.
He quickly relayed the last known location to Jarrod.
At the same time, Alec examined the surveillance footage from the villa.
Confirming Nicole had not headed toward the sanatorium, he promptly informed Jarrod.
Arriving at the carâs last known location, Jarrod discovered an abandoned factory.
The place was eerily quiet, with no signs of life.
The area around was just as empty, devoid of any vehicles.
Jarrod retrieved a flashlight from his car and entered the factory, Lighting his way.
The building was completely dark, and Jarrod thoroughly searched every corner but found no one.
Just as he was about to exit, something caught under his foot near the door.
Looking down, he spotted one of Nicoleâs earrings, a small golden flower, and recognized it instantly.
He picked it up, staring at it intently, sensing it might be a clue left by Nicole.
Holding the earring tightly, Jarrod headed back to his car and instructed Alec, âInitiate a citywide search for Nicole.
Donât stop until we find her.
â