Chapter 347: The Story Behind the Wedding Ring

This was a classic visual deception trick. The bright red hat caught everyone's attention, leading them to subconsciously assume that the person wearing it and sitting in the driver's seat was the kidnapper collecting the ransom.

When T.C. Riordan drove the van past Nick and the old detective, the shattered window suddenly caught Nick's attention, which exposed the trick.

However, when Nick ran to where the van had been parked and looked outside, all he saw was a rappelling rope tied to the railing, extending all the way down to the ground.

Just as Nick and the old detective were cursing themselves for letting the kidnapper escape and worrying about the hostage's safety, they heard two gunshots nearby.

When they reached a small alley not far from the parking garage, they found the kidnapper, who had just pulled off the perfect escape, slumped in the driver's seat of an SUV, with one bullet in his chest and another in his heart.

In the passenger seat of the SUV was the briefcase filled with $2 million worth of jewelry.

"Nothing was missing?" Jack asked curiously.

"One thing was," Russell replied, opening the PAD he was holding. "Julie took detailed photos of the jewelry during the examination."

He pointed to a ring on the screen. "Natalie Riordan's wedding ring is missing."

Everyone exchanged puzzled looks, unable to make sense of the situation.

The ring in the photo was just a simple platinum wedding band, without any diamonds or other gemstones, meant for everyday wear. Its value might have been a few thousand dollars at most.

The briefcase contained other jewelry, including a gemstone necklace worth nearly a million dollars, bracelets each valued over $100,000, and gemstone brooches and headpieces—each item far more valuable than the wedding ring.

Yet, the kidnapper's accomplice had only taken the least valuable item.

"Let's ask TC. He might be the only one who knows why. I also have a theory. Maybe after we hear his explanation, we'll finally understand who the real culprit is," Jack suggested, forwarding the information Garcia had sent him to Russell.

"Alright, you take the lead on this one," Russell agreed, handing Jack a recent lab report. "This is the analysis of the small metal fragments found on Hubble's bed."

"The lab couldn't use a metal detector, so they relied on some old-school techniques, using acid and flame tests to identify the metal composition."

Impressed, Jack flipped through the report as they walked. The analysis confirmed that the fragments were made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy, primarily used in racing car wheels.

There was only one factory near Las Vegas that produced such wheels, located in the city's northeastern outskirts.

"That area is part of Las Vegas' Rust Belt. It's full of abandoned buildings and homes, hardly anyone goes there. It would be a perfect place for the kidnapper to hide," Russell explained.

The term "Rust Belt" was borrowed to describe areas where traditional industries had declined. Originally used for the Great Lakes region in North America, similar regions have appeared in Germany's Ruhr, London in the UK, and even in northeastern China as the world's major industrial nations gradually entered the post-industrial era.

When they re-entered the meeting room, T.C. Riordan was already waiting. He seemed utterly defeated, sitting silently with his head down, not even looking up when they entered.

Jack stood in front of him and placed the PAD showing the photos of the jewelry from the briefcase on the table.

"Can you explain why, out of a briefcase containing over $2 million worth of jewelry, the thief only took this least valuable ring? This was your wife Natalie's wedding ring, right?"

"I don't know," Riordan replied without even glancing at the PAD, still keeping his head down.

"Hey!" Jack rudely propped one leg on the corner of the table and sat sideways, then tapped the table impatiently. "I'm just here to help. I'm not interested in playing therapist, slowly guiding you out of your grief so you can face life with a positive attitude."

"You're a damn rich man. Open the doors of that mansion, and there'll be plenty of young, beautiful girls eager to walk into your bedroom and climb into your bed."

"I'll tell you one thing: if you think your son Hubble is a burden that will only drag down your future life, then keep up this attitude."

"This case isn't complicated. As soon as the power comes back on, CSI will be able to use the existing evidence to identify the killer within minutes. But by then, whether your son is still alive will be another matter."

Jack's harsh words seemed to have a positive effect. T.C. Riordan's eyes lit up, and a bit of life returned to his face.

"Do you mean...you think Hubble is still alive?"

Jack nodded seriously. "Yes, and there's a very good chance he is. Now, tell us everything you know about that ring."

"Natalie died because of that ring." T.C. Riordan's statement immediately piqued everyone's interest.

"Five years ago, one night after we got home from a party, we were both drunk and had an argument. Natalie was furious and threw the ring into the pool."

"Two hours later, we made up. Natalie went back to retrieve the ring, but she didn't realize she was still drunk. I didn't hear anything at the time, and by the time I found her...it was too late."

"This is all my fault...I didn't hear anything..." Riordan was in tears now, choking on his words, unable to continue.

Jack didn't waste time comforting him. Instead, he pulled out his phone and quickly swiped through the screens, showing Riordan a photo.

"Do you recognize this person?"

Riordan wiped his tear-streaked face and looked closely at the photo, then raised his head in confusion.

"Is this the medium? Karen? Yes, it should be her. This is what she looked like when I first met her over a year ago. After that, she seemed to have...changed."

"She had cosmetic surgery to look more like your deceased wife, Natalie."

Seeing the confused expressions on the faces of Riordan, Russell, and the old detective, Jack explained further.

"Karen Chawla, 48 years old. She's too old, so even with plastic surgery, she still doesn't look like Natalie, who had just turned 30 when she passed away."

"It wasn't until I reviewed the files from your wife's case and saw a clear frontal photo of her that I realized this. She was a rare beauty, and I can understand why losing her would be so painful for you."

Russell took Jack's phone, then opened the information Jack had just sent him. He frowned as he compared the photos for quite some time before nodding, finally admitting that Karen had indeed been trying hard to emulate Natalie's beauty.

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Author's Note: My brain wasn't working well today, and the ending of the last chapter wasn't very clear. I've edited it several times, and it should be better now. If you've already read it, you might want to refresh and read it again along with this chapter to understand the full context. 

My apologies.

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