Chapter 349: Closing the Case and a Little Advice
Jack holstered his gun and entered the room with the two CSI agents.
The room was filled with an eerie, mystical vibe. A thick Persian rug covered the floor, and shelves lined the walls, stocked with crystal balls and bizarre items like lizard tails and toads, preserved in unknown liquids.
Along the wall was a vanity table, and next to it, the walls were plastered with clippings and photos of the Riordan family.
Some were photocopies from newspapers, while others were printed directly from online images, featuring tabloid headlines like "T.C. Riordan's Affair," "The Third Woman in the Riordan Family," "Riordan's Illegitimate Child," and "Natalie's Unavenged Death."
"That's some real twisted stuff," Detective James Bryce muttered under his breath.
"Looks like you were right, Jack. She really believed she had become Natalie," Nick Stokes remarked, handing Jack a photo he had taken from the wall.
The photo was a composite, with half of Natalie Riordan's face and half of Karen Chawla's, creating an unsettling and grotesque image.
More of these disturbing collages covered the wall—some with half of Karen's face, others with just a quarter, or even just a single eye, symbolizing how Karen's identity had been gradually consumed by the soul she believed she was embodying.
On the vanity, a number of grooming items and perfume bottles bore the initials "NR," Natalie Riordan's initials, indicating these were once Natalie's belongings.
Jack guessed that Karen had acquired these under the guise of her séances, convincing T.C. to give them to her.
"Uh... is it possible that Karen really was possessed?" Sara Sidle mumbled nervously.
Nick and the old detective exchanged glances, feeling a chill run down their spines. None of them were particularly superstitious, but the atmosphere in the room was undeniably unsettling.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
The sudden knocking startled everyone. Jack was the first to react, quickly stepping out of the room and following the sound through the hallway to a bedroom.
The knocking was coming from behind a wardrobe.
"There's a door behind this closet," Jack called out to the others before moving the wardrobe aside. Nick hurried over to help.
The wardrobe was tall enough to block a hidden closet door that had gone unnoticed during the initial search.
Once the wardrobe was carefully moved, Sara Sidle opened the small door to reveal a tiny space with a small bed inside. A little boy, still in his pajamas, was groggily rubbing his eyes and looking at them.
"Hey, little guy! It's okay now, it's all over. Are you alright?" Sara exclaimed, her voice filled with relief as she gently picked him up into her arms.
"Hubble, we're the police. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine," she said softly, soothing him with a quiet, almost incoherent stream of reassurances.
Everyone, including Jack, let out a collective sigh of relief. Over ten hours had passed, and each of them had prepared for the worst.
As the old detective had mentioned earlier, in most cases of missing children, the chance of survival drops drastically after the first three hours, especially for young kids.
Jack reflexively reached into his pocket but stopped when he saw Detective Bryce smiling like a proud grandfather, already pulling out his phone to call Russell.
"Russell, it's Bryce. We found Hubble. He's alive and well... Yes, it looks like he just took a nap. Lucky kid. But we haven't found Karen."
Whatever Russell said on the other end made Bryce look up in surprise.
"He says he's found Karen."
---
Though Hubble was only a five-year-old boy, he was remarkably well-behaved and quiet. He sat calmly in Sara Sidle's arms, looking around curiously with his wide, clear blue eyes full of innocent curiosity.
Jack handed him a lollipop he had swiped from an officer's desk earlier, making the boy giggle with delight.
The police car sped toward the luxury villa where Russell and a visibly anxious T.C. Riordan were already waiting at the front.
"Daddy!" Hubble shouted excitedly as soon as he spotted his father through the window.
Russell opened the door, and Sara reluctantly set the boy down. He toddled only a few steps before throwing himself into his father's arms.
"Thank you, thank you so much," T.C. said repeatedly, tears welling in his eyes as he hugged his son and thanked everyone profusely. After shaking hands with the team, he took Hubble back into the villa.
Russell led Jack and the others around to the backyard pool.
A woman's body floated face-down in the pool, and two CSI agents Jack hadn't met before were retrieving it with tools.
The woman's face was obscured, but Jack didn't need to guess who it was.
"When T.C. came home and saw this, it nearly gave him a heart attack. It was like a nightmare repeating itself," Russell said, shaking his head.
"She probably thought she needed to go to the afterlife to truly become one with Natalie," Jack said, noting the wedding ring still on Karen's finger.
---
Half an hour later, Jack and Russell sat in the living room as T.C. brought out two cups of coffee and set them on the table.
"Thank you again for helping me find Hubble. I can't imagine what I would have done if I had lost him too. I don't think I'd have had the strength to go on."
Jack took the coffee, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. It was his first time sitting down for a casual chat with someone after solving a case.
Earlier, Russell had gone over the entire case, explaining everything to T.C. in detail.
Jack carefully chose his words before speaking. "Mr. Riordan, I'm not great at talking to victims or their families. That's more my colleague's expertise. If anything I say sounds offensive, please forgive me."
T.C. quickly waved his hand, showing no offense. Russell had given Jack much of the credit for solving the case, and T.C. now viewed him with deep respect.
Jack continued, "I understand some of the choices you've made. After all, both your wife's death and Hubble's parentage are deeply personal matters. You weren't obligated to explain those things to anyone."
"But have you thought about Hubble's future? The stigma of being labeled an illegitimate child—what impact will that have on his growth? And what about his mother's death? If the truth isn't made clear, how will he view you when he's older?"
Seeing T.C. about to speak, Jack raised a hand to stop him.
"I'm not trying to criticize, but the truth is, Shelby Bryce's death is partly tied to your passive attitude in handling these matters. And if I'm not mistaken, you've developed a bit of a dependency on certain medications, haven't you?"
Jack spoke gently, though the reality was harsher. The drug T.C. had been using, chloral hydrate, was a known addictive substance. Once crystallized, it became the street drug known as "K," highly addictive.
This well-dressed man had likely been numbing himself with drugs ever since his wife's death under the guise of treating his depression. Maybe he truly didn't care to explain his private matters to the public, or perhaps he had simply stopped caring at all.
T.C.'s face showed discomfort, as if his privacy had been invaded. Had Jack not just saved his son, T.C. might have reacted with anger.
Jack wasn't there to lecture T.C. on quitting drugs. These words weren't even necessary. Saying the wrong thing could easily lead to backlash.
But seeing how adorable Hubble was, Jack couldn't help but give a gentle nudge. He wasn't sure if his words would have any effect, but at least he'd have peace of mind knowing he had tried.
This world, while similar to the one Jack had known before, had its differences. Everyone knew that in the world of TV dramas, addicts could quit cold turkey and come out the other side as a better person.
Jack had no interest in testing that theory here. He hadn't yet encountered a real-life case like that.
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