Chapter 140: The Missing Person

“That’s not one of our handbags. How did it get in there?” Pam suddenly exclaimed seeing the unfamiliar LV handbag in their duffle bag, her face pale with confusion.

Ignoring her comment for the moment, Loren unzipped the bag. His jaw tightened when he found the contents—a gold bar. He picked it up, weighing it in his hand—44 pounds, his gaze flickering in disbelief between Dan and Ace.

‘This has to be a mistake,’ were his first thoughts. Yet, personal feelings aside, he had a job to do. Securing the gold bar back into the handbag, Loren stood up, his expression grim.

“Sir, step back,” he instructed Dan as he began reciting Ace’s Miranda rights. He raised a hand to signal a fellow officer to take Ace into custody.

But Dan wasn’t having it. Moving swiftly, he stepped in front of the other officer, his stance unwavering. “Lan, there has to be some misunderstanding here,” he said, his voice steady but laced with urgency. “You heard my wife—we have no idea how that handbag got in there.”

Pam nodded, visibly shaken, clutching her arms as if to anchor herself. “We don’t own it. Someone must have planted it!”

Mary and Alwin hurried to her son’s side, saying, “Yes, our son doesn’t have any relation with that. He is innocent.” The Lander family came together to defend Ace but none was make a good case. Faces flushed, hands fidgeting, breaths shallow—none of them could fully process what was happening but they just wanted to save Ace.

The crowd, emboldened by the unfolding spectacle, began murmuring louder, their whispers weaving a web of suspicion and judgment.

Brooke’s voice shattered the growing hum. “Arrest them all!” she screeched, her face contorted with anger and self-righteousness. “They’re all in on it! A family of thieves!”

Her harsh words ignited the crowd, which erupted in a chorus of gasps and muttered accusations. Fingers began to point. Eyes glared. The atmosphere grew thick with tension.

“Ma’am, I know how to do my job. Please, step aside,” Officer Loren warned, his tone firm and unyielding as he caught Brooke making a move toward the handbag.

Seeing her outstretched hand, Loren swiftly pulled the bag away from her reach. “Ma’am, this is evidence now. You can collect it at the station when this is settled. If I were you, I’d be calling your parents right now.”

Brooke’s face flushed crimson with indignation, but the officer’s calm authority left her momentarily speechless. Then, as if spurred on by his reminder, she whipped out her phone with exaggerated urgency and dialed her father.

“I found it, Daddy!” she exclaimed, loud enough for not just the officer but the entire crowd to hear. She turned deliberately, ensuring her words carried to everyone. “They stole it! The Landers stole my handbag!”

Her voice rang out like an accusation from a judge’s bench, echoing through the already tense atmosphere. Every passing glance and murmured conversation stopped. The crowd began to stir with growing agitation, and it was unmistakable that Brooke was enjoying the attention, her dramatic gestures fueling the crowd’s curiosity and judgment.

Officer Loren’s jaw tightened, his patience visibly fraying. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, he rubbed his temple briefly before turning to his fellow officer. With just a sharp glance, he conveyed instructions. The second officer, understanding immediately, reached for his radio and began updating the rest of the team about the escalating situation.

Meanwhile, Loren turned back to Dan, his expression serious but calm. “Dan,” he said, his voice lowering to a tone meant to soothe but still holding authority, “step aside. Don’t escalate this. We have to follow proper protocol. If your nephew is innocent, you have nothing to worry about.”

Dan’s fists clenched at his sides, the veins in his neck tightening. His eyes darted between Loren and the crowd, where whispers were quickly evolving into pointed accusations. Mary and Alwin held each end of their son’s shoulders tightly, their lips trembling as they tried to comprehend what was happening.

Ace stood, his jaw tight and fists clenched, glaring at Brooke, who now seemed emboldened by the growing support of the crowd. Her chin lifted slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as murmurs of agreement rippled through the onlookers. Ace’s chest rose and fell with slow, measured breaths as he weighed the situation. He knew the circumstances weren’t in his family’s favor—someone had to take the fall. His gaze softened for just a moment, a flicker of resolve passing through his eyes. If someone had to shoulder the blame, it would be him. Better him than anyone else in his family.

Loren held Dan’s gaze, his calm exterior masking the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He didn’t want this to escalate further, but the procedure was clear. The crowd, however, seemed eager for more drama, their eyes darting between the Landers and the officers as though waiting for someone to snap.

Just then, a man broke through the murmuring crowd, his face pale and contorted with panic. “Lan! Someone took Lola! My baby girl—she was taken!” he cried, rushing toward Officer Loren.

“Luke, calm down!” Loren said sharply, gripping his brother’s shoulders to steady him. His voice softened slightly, though urgency tinged every word. “Tell me what happened, exactly. Start from the beginning.”

Luke’s chest heaved as he struggled to compose himself, tears pooling in his eyes. “I asked Lola to bring the truck around to the back of the schoolyard while Ronda and I salvaged what we could from our stall,” he began, his voice shaking. “She called us to say she’d arrived, but then—” His words caught in his throat, his hands trembling. “Then I heard a man’s voice. He said, ‘Oh boy, I can’t believe my luck.’ The next thing I heard was Lola screaming—screaming and crying for help!”

Luke’s voice cracked, and he briefly buried his face in his hands before forcing himself to continue. “I ran to the spot as fast as I could. All I found was her phone on the ground and the truck still running. But she… she wasn’t there. Lan, he took her! That man took her!” Luke’s voice rose with desperation, his tears spilling freely. “You have to block the roads! Send the cops everywhere—on every street, in every direction. Lan, Lola’s your niece! Help me find my princess!”

Loren’s expression darkened, the weight of his brother’s plea settling heavily on his shoulders. His jaw tightened, and he turned to his fellow officer, his voice now sharp and commanding. “Put out an Amber Alert immediately. Notify the sheriff. I want every officer on this, now!” He glanced back at Luke. “Go with him and give them the most recent picture of Lola,” he ordered, gesturing to the other officer. Mandy followed Luke and the officer to give them the most recent photos she took of Lola when she was with them.

Turning back to Dan, Loren hesitated for just a moment. His gaze was heavy, filled with the conflict of duty and personal responsibility. “I’m sorry, Dan,” he said gravely, his tone quieter but resolute. “Right now, I have more important things to deal with. If your nephew is innocent, I swear—I will personally come to your house and apologize. But for now, forgive me.”

Before anyone could respond, Loren reached for his handcuffs, his hand hovering over them. But instead of cuffing Ace, he grabbed the boy’s wrist firmly, his grip unrelenting. Without a word, he began pulling Ace toward his duty vehicle.

Alwin stood frozen, his lips pressed into a hard line. Mary clutched her chest, her fingers trembling, while Pam stared wide-eyed, her face pale. None of them moved to resist.

In any other situation, Dan might have stepped in to stop Loren, and the family might have fought back. But now, a child—an innocent girl—was missing. The gravity of the situation loomed over them, and their priorities shifted. Instead of resisting and wasting time, they wanted to help find Lola as the first few hours in a missing case mattered the most.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep