Chapter 198: Obviously Wealthy People
When William came downstairs, Laura and Nathan had just taken their seats. Seeing him approach, she waved enthusiastically.
Noticing William's dark expression, Laura guessed he'd hit a wall with Richard.
"What kind of news has you in such a rush?" Laura asked tentatively.
William opened his phone and showed Laura the message he'd received.
After reading it, Laura set the phone on the table and pushed it back toward William.
"William, I think you need to calm down and think this through. Maybe this message is just from some opportunist trying to extort money?"
Laura's suggestion wasn't entirely implausible.
This kind of small-time scammer might simply be trying to make a quick buck off the situation.
Nathan didn't fully understand but chimed in anyway.
"Dad, how could anyone survive falling from that high up?"
Canvia only had one hospital, and they'd already checked there thoroughly.
There was no way Isabella and Joseph could be alive and well while evading their searches.
William found himself almost convinced by Laura's reasoning.
Perhaps he really was overthinking this.
But his frown never relaxed. After a moment, William stood up.
"I'm going to the police station."
William was a man of action through and through.
Once he had doubts, he had to pursue them to their conclusion.
Whether true or false, he needed to investigate first.
Laura couldn't help but frown. She rose, intending to stop William, but didn't expect Nathan to jump down from his chair and run quickly to William's side.
"Dad, I'm coming with you." Nathan grabbed his hand and announced loudly.
William didn't refuse. He glanced at Laura.
"Wait at the hotel. We'll be right back."
Laura felt unwilling to be left behind, but she had no other options. She could only watch helplessly as William and Nathan strode quickly out of the hotel.
Canvia Police Station
The moment William and Nathan walked in, the officers recognized them.
"I'm sorry, we still haven't found any news about Ms. Capulet and Mr. Harvey. As soon as we have information on them, we'll call you immediately." The officer automatically launched into their standard response.
William pulled out his phone and placed it in front of the officer.
"I received an extortion message this morning. I suspect my wife might be in their hands."
The officer took the phone and examined the message carefully, then couldn't help asking in a low voice.
"A local?"
William gave an affirmative sound. "Possibly."
Though it could also be someone who'd come to watch the race.
"Can you help me trace this number? And if possible, find this person as soon as you can?"
Canvia was a frontier town with a permanent population of less than thirty thousand. If not for its stunning snowy landscapes and the Canvia Championship, this small town might have long since been buried in the annals of history due to its harsh climate.
Isabella and Joseph had dual identities—both tourists visiting the area and race drivers competing in the event—which made the police take their disappearance very seriously.
They immediately entered the number into their system to trace it.
Within twenty minutes, the police had found information on the number's owner.
"A twenty-year-old young man living in a village just outside town. Our people have already gone to find him." The officer poured water for William and Nathan, joking slightly to ease the tension. "Don't worry, once we find this young man, you'll have all the answers you're looking for."
William and Nathan were both extremely tense, waiting for the officers who'd gone out to return.
Whether Isabella was alive or dead would depend on today's outcome.
Thanks to the town's small size, in less than twenty minutes, the police car returned with a thin young man in custody.
The young man wore thick winter clothing but still looked gaunt. As he entered, an officer roughly pulled the hat off his head.
When he first came through the door, the young man seemed defiant, turning to argue with the officer.
"Take a look. Do you recognize these two?" The officer gave him a push from behind, and the young man stumbled forward a step.
"Of course I don't know them, officer! Just look at what they're wearing—they're way out of my league!"
William and Nathan wore international luxury brands that contrasted sharply with everyone else in the station.
William rose and strode toward the young man. "You should know me, even though we've never met. You sent me this message. You said you'd seen my wife."
The young man took two steps back, as if finally remembering what he'd done.
"So what?"
"Is my wife in your hands?" William's eyes were icy as he demanded an answer.
If this was a kidnapping, the young man likely had accomplices.
William suddenly felt worried about Isabella's safety.
It had been nearly four days since they'd disappeared. Could these people really have kept Isabella safe and sound, waiting for him to rescue her?
Hearing William's question, the young man's expression changed dramatically.
"I have no idea where your wife is. Didn't you hire tons of search teams? Maybe she's floating in that frozen lake somewhere..."
The officer behind him gave him another hard shove, nearly knocking the tall, skinny young man to the ground.
"Answer properly! If Mr. William's wife wasn't kidnapped by you, why did you send that message? Who put you up to this?"
The young man had been somewhat indignant at first, but when he met William's piercing gaze, he suddenly seemed guilty and lowered his eyes slightly.
"Fine. I don't know what you're talking about... I just figured Mr. William hired so many search and rescue teams and mobilized almost everyone in town—he's obviously loaded. So I deliberately sent the message to extort money from him."
Laura had guessed right after all.
William's hands clenched at his sides. He could barely contain his fury and raised his fist, ready to punch the young man.
For someone desperately searching for their family, such lies were tantamount to giving them hope only to crush it again.
William's mood was extremely heavy.
The young man immediately read William's intention and dodged to the side, making sure he was out of reach before continuing.
"But I actually have seen the two people from the missing persons flyers. Not long ago, Alan from our village rescued two people and took them home. They looked a lot like the ones you're looking for, but I don't know if they're still at Alan's house now."
He'd actually seen Isabella and Joseph!
This news brightened William's mood somewhat.
As if seeing a glimmer of hope in the depths of despair, William's spirits lifted once more.