Chapter 46 THE MAN ON THE TAPE
“Why do I have this feeling that she is not going to let this go?” Troy muttered beside me as we both watched Miss Carter suddenly hurry off after staring at her phone for a few seconds too long.
“She’s stubborn and doesn’t listen,” I replied, moving back toward my seat as Troy handed me my laptop. “Let’s just hope she doesn’t go back to the hotel asking questions about that party. I might have successfully erased her from the cameras that night, making it nearly impossible for the shadows to track her—but if she keeps digging, she might end up leading herself right back to them.”
When Troy settled beside me, I noticed he made no move to leave.
“Tell me you’re not sleeping here tonight,” I said, shooting him a sideways glance.
“Well, I promised Dr. Jane I’d stay close to you, so deal with it,” he replied casually.
I gave him a frustrated look before shaking my head in resignation.
He immediately made himself comfortable, tossing his tie onto the couch. I glared at him, and he quickly retrieved it.
“Relax. I’m heading to the bathroom. And don’t give me that look—I didn’t sign up to be your girlfriend during our stay in Hollowmere. Actually, I planned on getting myself a girl,” he added proudly, folding his arms across his chest.
I peered at him over my reading glasses. “Good for you. And the sooner you leave, the better for me.”
“I should have known how ungrateful you can be,” Troy muttered, letting out a heavy sigh. “Anyway, why didn’t you tell Miss Carter you had a copy of the footage?”
“Because I’m not sure I can trust her,” I replied casually, not bothering to look up.
“Of course. You two are like enemies forced into collaboration. She can’t stand you, and you’re desperate to know why. Classic.” He stood. “I’m heading upstairs to feed Alba. What do you want for dinner?”
“Anything you’re having, Troy.”
“Yeah, right. Why do I even bother asking?” he muttered before heading upstairs, finally granting me the silence I needed.
I focused on the footage, determined not to miss a single detail.
This was going to be a long night.
Nancy’s POV
I made it back to the station as fast as I could and headed straight to the office, where the head officer was already waiting with Linda, who was busy scrolling through her laptop. Anna and Jacob were nowhere in sight.
“Sorry I’m late,” I said, struggling to catch my breath.
“No, you’re just in time,” the head officer replied, making me raise an eyebrow. I couldn’t believe this was the same man who had frustrated the living daylight out of me years ago.
“Hit me,” I said to Linda, moving closer as she turned the laptop toward me.
On the screen was Ravyn Vale standing with a man I couldn’t quite recognize. His face was hidden beneath a cap, and his movements suggested he was aware of the CCTV.
“They made some kind of deal,” Linda said quietly, her eyes filled with sadness as she clicked to another video. “And I think Mia was the negotiation.”
My jaw clenched as the next footage played. My eyes burned as I watched.
Mia was dragged out of a vehicle, her hands tied behind her back, her eyes blindfolded. Ravyn Vale shoved her toward the other man, who roughly forced her into the back of his truck before slamming it shut. He handed Ravyn Vale what I assumed was a bag of cash.
My blood boiled. Rage surged through me, hot and uncontrollable.
And then, just for a brief moment, the man glanced toward the camera before the footage cut out.
“This is what we have for now. It seems he exchanged Mia for some cash—or maybe even more, but we don’t know. They’re way too careful. Both cars had no plate numbers, and somehow they managed to disable the street cameras, which doesn’t make any sense,” Linda explained. As she gave out the details, I listened, but my eyes barely registered what she was saying.
I was too busy rewinding the video, trying to capture the man’s face from the footage. It was barely a second, but I could swear I saw him turn toward the CCTV just before he took off.
They met outside the hotel and never inside, but the guy with the face cap looked awfully familiar, yet I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.
If they met in front of Lennox Lux Suites, then either one of them came from the hotel. They couldn’t possibly make a deal right in front of Lennox property without alerting security.
So was Jaxon lying when he said he had no access to the CCTV footage from that day? If he lied about this, so help me God, I would kill him.
“Aah, Nancy, are you still here?” Linda’s snapping fingers in front of my face pulled me back into the room.
I turned the laptop toward them, and the head officer—who had been silently observing us all this time—finally stood to his feet and practically snatched the laptop.
“How could the team miss this important detail?” I heard him mutter to himself, loud enough for us to hear, and it only made me more suspicious of him.
“Ahem, sir, could you hand over my laptop, please?” Linda said, giving him a side glance, the same suspicious look in her eyes.
He quickly handed the laptop back to Linda as he adjusted his pants. I studied every expression, every movement he made, and at that moment, realization hit me.
He was using us to do the hard work while making us believe we were working privately.
I sighed out loud, but on the other hand, I was using him too—finding Ravyn Vale and giving my team the visibility they deserved.
“Send me a copy of his photo. I’ll have the special team run a background check on him,” he said to Linda, who already looked pissed about the entire thing.
“I’m sorry, sir, but aren’t you supposed to be in your office while we report each and every progress?” Linda questioned, sounding protective.
“We will do just that, sir,” I said, finally stepping in, but Linda’s pissed and questioning gaze immediately snapped to me. “It’s okay, Linda. Two heads are always better than one. Share the picture across our computers and let’s get back to work. We don’t have time to waste if we want to find Ravyn Vale and save Mia.”
Linda angrily stormed back to her desk while the head officer gave me a nod. “Good work, Detective Nancy. I always knew I could count on you,” he said, heading for the door.
“Sir?” I called after him just before he pulled it open.
“Yes, Nancy?”
I walked up to him, closing the distance until there was barely any space between us. I saw shock flash in his eyes just before I leaned closer.
“Give my team the respect they deserve, would you?” I whispered, my voice calm but firm. “We are not tools you pick up when you need something and dump when you’re done. Once Ravyn Vale is found, you’d better keep your promise—or I won’t be the only one losing a badge.”
I smiled politely as I finished speaking, and the look of shock on his face was deeply satisfying.
A few years working in another country, surrounded by people who knew my worth, had finally given me the courage I once lacked. I wasn’t going to stand by and watch anyone treat my team like we were nothing.
“I’ll see you later, sir,” I added, stepping back and giving him space. I watched him recover from the shock before he finally walked out.
Where was I again? Right.
I needed to reach out to Jaxon Lennox.
Now.