Ch. 1631..1635
Chapter 1631
Chapter 1631 None of them dared to voice what was on their mind for fear of offending John.
After a while, the chief firefighter spoke up, “Young Master Stockton, if there was someone residing inside the house when the fire broke out, then | suggest that we carefully search the surrounding area.”
The glimmer of hope in John’s eyes immediately faded away again when this suggestion was brought to him.
The chief firefighter did not make any further suggestions, and he went off on the mission with his men. Meanwhile, John’s crew of bodyguards stood next to him and observed him cautiously, waiting for his
next move.
John stood there for a long time, then he suddenly peered at them and ordered in a hoarse and weak voice, “You guys go with them and search the area.”
They did as they were told and went off. John was left by himself. The only thing heard in the forest was the pattering of rain. His legs were getting tired, so he decided to kneel on the ground, his feet stamping the piles of ashes.
His usual grace, elegance, and dignity had long departed him. He was no longer his former self and had instead fallen into a metaphorical abyss. His clothes were covered in dirt and dust, and even his face was marked with dirty spots that he could not be bothered to clean off.
He sagged his head weakly and sat motionlessly.
He remained in that position for an eternity and only made a movement when the phone in his pocket rang. He took out his phone.
The display showed that it was Caprice calling. He had her number saved as Darling Caprice.
He had bought a digital watch with mobile phone functionalities for Caprice some time ago, but this was the first time she had put it to use. It made sense considering he was always by her side so she had never had to use it.
This was the very first time she called his number.
His finger lingered over the display, and he then answered the call at last.
Caprice’s sweet voice sounded like the tweeting of a bird. “Daddy, where are you? Are you coming home. yet?” Arung of voice that did not sound like himself crawled up his throat. “Daddy is outside, | have some work. to do.” Caprice did not sound pleased, she expressed sadly, “But | miss you.”
John shut his eyes.
He composed his state of mind and said softly, “Be a good girl honey, stay at home with your grandma and aunt, you can play with them. Daddy will be home after he’s finished with work.”
Caprice remained silent.
Suddenly, Queenie’s voice joined in. “Brother, Caprice has been crying a lot because she misses you. She insists on wanting to see you. We couldn't distract her no matter what we tried, | think you should come
back at least for a while.” John frowned.
Queenie added gingerly, “One more thing. You asked me to contact Officer Emmanuel this afternoon so | called him over. We told him everything about what Julie did to Mom, including her hiring hitmen to take out Sherry. He told us that the nature of this case is very complicated and it’s better that he has a talk with you. He’s still at our home now collecting statements from Mom. | think you should come back and talk to him.”
John finally agreed. “Alright, keep an eye on Caprice, I'll be right back.”
With that, he put away his mobile phone and pulled himself off the gourd.
As he walked back to his car, he passed by one of his bodyguards and promptly gave an order, “Give me a report every ten minutes.”
With that, he headed back to his car.
It was a twenty-minute’s drive back home.
Both Julie and Mia had been taken to the police station.
Madam Stockton, Queenie, Caprice, and Emmanuel were the only ones at home.
The car stopped right in front of Madam Stockton’s courtyard.
As soon as John stepped out of the car, he noticed a tiny figure dressed in white rushing out of the house.
The girl suddenly stopped running and took a second look at the figure that had emerged from the car and suddenly seemed unsure of herself.
She almost could not recognize John. After taking a second closer look, she bolted toward John again and threw herself in his arms and cried out, “Daddy!”
Her soft and gentle voice was exactly what John needed on a cold, rainy night such as this one. It filled him with a sense of warmth.
He smiled weakly and took the child into his arms.
Caprice wrapped her arms around his neck, then she began running her tiny palms all over John like she was trying to make sure that her father was not an apparition. She brushed the dirt and dust on John’s face and asked, “Daddy, why are you so
dirty?”
Chapter 1632
Chapter 1632 John came up with something on the spot. “Daddy went for a site inspection, it was a very dusty place. and it got all over Daddy.”
“Oh.” Caprice bought the story without any suspicion. She pressed her cheeks against John’s, ignoring the spots of dirt all over his face.
Shortly after that, John walked into the living room with Caprice in his arms.
Madam Stockton and Officer Emmanuel were sitting on the couch talking. Queenie sat silently next to them.
When John showed up, they quickly rose and greeted him.
Both Madam Stockton and Queenie were startled by the haggard state John was in.
Officer Emmanuel was similarly taken aback to see him in such a poor state.
This was nothing like the John they always knew. What happened to his usual suave and careful preservation of image?
Officer Emmanuel knew better than to be disrespectful and greeted John as if nothing had happened, Young Master Stockton, good evening.”
John nodded. Achair was brought to them. John sat on the chair with Caprice clinging to him.
Officer Emmanuel went right to the heart of the topic. “Young Master Stockton, Madam Stockton has told me about what Julie has done, and that’s including her attempt on her life as well as Mrs. Sherry’s. | heard she burned down one of your properties as well. We have arrested both Julie and her suspected accomplice Mia. Is there any other information you can provide us?”
John spoke while gently patting Caprice’s head, his voice was filled with ice, “Julie messed with the brakes and directly caused my mother’s accident. Then she hired someone to set fire to my house to try to take out Sherry. Considering all these crimes she’s guilty of, do you think the death sentence would be possible?”
Officer Emmanuel was taken aback by this.
Madam Stockton and Queenie were similarly shocked.
They did not expect John to ask for the death sentence.
Although they did not deny that Julie deserved a harsh punishment, they never wanted to see her executed.
Despite their astonishment, they could tell by just one glance that John fully meant what he said. They did not try to object to his sentiment.
They did not ask, but they assumed that Sherry must have passed.
Office Emmanuel explained, “She has committed a series of serious crimes and the situation isn’t looking very optimistic for her. If you hire a good lawyer and prosecute her aggressively, | do think that the court might give her a death sentence.”
John nodded. “Alright.”
“One more thing.” Office Emmanuel wanted to continue, but then he looked hesitantly at Caprice. After making sure that Caprice had already dozed off on John’s shoulder, he wagered that it was safe to continue. “Is the fire put out yet?”
John replied curtly, “Yes.”
“And Mrs. Sherry... did you manage to find her?”
There was a spark in John’s eyes. “No, she’s not in the house.”
“Did you find her in the surrounding area?”
John frowned, his voice deepened. “We're still searching.”
Office Emmanuel understood quickly and supplied. “Alright, I’ll send my men to help out with the search. as well.” John stayed silent.
Office Emmanuel wrapped things up. “Take care, I'll let you know first thing if we have any discoveries.” John nodded.
“I'll be heading back to the station to sort out the rest of the details, see you.” Office Emmanuel rose from
his seat.
John turned to Queenie, there was an unmistakable tint of exhaustion in his voice when he spoke,” Queenie, please see Office Emmanuel out of the house.”
Queenie hurriedly rose and walked Office Emmanuel out.
Alooming silence descended upon the living room again.
John sat unmoving with his arms around Caprice with a thousand-yard stare in front of him. Madam Stockton looked at him worriedly. “John, have you slept or eaten anything at all?” “I'll be fine.” John turned to her. “How are you feeling?”
Madam Stockton assured him. ‘I'll be fine as well. The doctor told me that I’ll be up and walking in no time after some physical therapy and rest.”
John nodded.
An uncomfortable silence hung over them again. Madam Stockton turned to Emerence and gave a signal. Emerence promptly stepped into the kitchen.
She returned shortly after with a tray of food.
Madam Stockton turned to John and implored. “John, please eat something.”
Chapter 1633
Chapter 1633 John cast a glance at Caprice who was now sleeping soundly and stated firmly, “I’m not hungry.”
“You have to eat something even if you’re not hungry. You’re the only one Caprice has left, you can’t be irresponsible and risk your health.”
John objected with a frown. “She still has her Mom.” As long as Sherry’s body was not found, there was still a sliver of hope that she was still alive!
There was plenty of evidence of her having an iron will for survival. She had survived Shannon’s attempt on her life three years ago. Who was to say that she did not manage to slip away from the burning house. just in time?
Madam Stockton felt a sharp sting in her nose and nearly teared up. She held herself back and tried to persuade John again. “If she’s still alive, then all the more reason for you to eat! You have to recover your strength to continue searching for her.”
John yielded a little. “Leave it there, I’ll eat in a bit.”
He had no appetite yet.
“Alright, | understand.” Madam Stockton was glad that at least John promised to eat, so she turned to Emerence. Emerence proceeded to put the food on the dining table and covered it.
They sat silently in the living room.
At one point, John’s phone rang again.
He quickly answered the call, “What is it? Any update?”
The head bodyguard informed, “We searched the perimeter of the house and couldn’t find any signs of Mrs. Sherry. We'll expand the ring and continue looking.”
John was relieved to hear this, even the tension on his brows eased a little. “Alright, continue giving me an update every ten minutes.”
“Alright.” With that, he put away his phone. He rose from the couch with Caprice and went to the dining table.
He continued balancing Caprice with one arm while he picked up a spoon with his free hand and forced himself to eat something.
Emerence stood watchfully nearby and flashed a faint, comforting smile toward Madam Stockton. Madam Stockton had happy tears in the corner of her eye and was smiling as well. There was a tiny chance that Sherry was alive, but they all hinged their hopes on that tiny chance.
Madam Stockton blamed herself for all of this. If she had not objected to Sherry and John being together all those years ago, their relationship would not have been as turbulent as it turned out to be. Perhaps things would have turned out much better.
She should not have let herself be fooled by Julie for all these years. She had never even suspected of Julie being such a wretched and cunning person. She was completely blindsided. She should have never slighted Sherry just because of the circumstances Sherry was born in.
Coastrock. Spring had just rolled around, and there was a comforting warmth in the air.
Coastrock was not as much of a metropolis as Glanchester, but what it lacked in modernity it more than made up for it in the department of vast nature and greenery.
Carl and Sherry landed in Coastrock in the private jet. A doctor joined them on their flight and tended to Sherry’s wound as best as he could. As soon as they stepped off the plane, she was rushed to the hospital at first notice and was cared for by a crew of doctors with the best medical facilities available in the city.
They conducted a full body check on her and were very thorough. All of her wounds were disinfected and bandaged properly. Due to the severity of her injuries and accumulated malnutrition, she was sent to the emergency room for treatment. After the procedures were completed, she was sent to the best private ward available.
She was going to have to rest here for quite a while.
At the moment, she was sitting next to the window.
From the window, she had a wonderful view of the sea. The windows were open and she could feel the chilly sea breeze. She felt safe and comfortable.
Creak.
The door leading into the ward was gently pushed open.
Sherry turned to see who had entered.
Carl walked into the room, suave as always. He was wearing a Persian blue shirt with a pair of sunglasses propped over his head.
He met Sherry’s eyes and smiled warmly, even cocking his eyebrows playfully.
“Sherry, it’s been a while, did you miss me?” He drew closer to Sherry and revealed a box of food that he bought for her. Sherry answered blankly, “What are you talking about? It’s only been an hour.”
Carl clicked his tongue and jested. “Oh, come on. Lighten up, will you?”
He set the box of food on a side table and gestured. “Eat while it’s hot, | had to wait in line for half an hour to buy this for you.”
Chapter 1634
Chapter 1634 The contents of the lunch box produced an aromatic smell that managed to seep out of it while remaining closed.
For some reason she could not quite put her finger on it, Sherry could not find the appetite to eat although she would have killed for even a bite of food several days ago.
Upon noticing her reluctance, Carl assumed that she was too tired to even open the box. He diligently pried off the lid for her.
It was a delicately packed lunch box with a wide assortment of dishes ranging from braised chicken feet, pork belly, chicken wings, and more delicacies.
Marbles of fat glistened underneath the light, demanding to be eaten while it was still hot. Sherry glanced at the food with a blank expression and hesitated to make a move.
Carl frowned and tried to hide his discontent. “What’s with that look? | waited in line for half an hour to buy this for you. Won't you have a bite?”
Sherry nodded weakly and grunted.
Carl remained silent.
His expression darkened for a slight moment as he shifted his hand toward the box and looked like he was going to take it away. Sherry suddenly reached for the plastic glove that came with the lunch box.
Carl stuttered.
He watched as Sherry picked up a piece of pork rib and took a bite out of it.
His expression softened, and he slid a chair across Sherry and remarked with a smile, “What, | thought you didn’t want to eat?” Sherry answered curtly, “I don’t want the food to go to waste.”
She of all people would know why one should not waste food.
God knew how desperately she craved food when she was locked up in that house.
Carl remarked sarcastically, “Sherry, you sure are hard to take care of, you know that?”
Sherry ignored his sarcastic remark.
She was not in the mood to banter with the man as she was hardly in the mood to talk at all.
Carl immediately sensed her darkening mood and let it slide. “You know what, I'll tolerate you just this one time.”
Glanchester.
Morning came, the rain stopped at last and the sun rose above the horizon.
The forest fire had stopped, but the damage it caused was completely irreparable.
Even with the sunshine cast over the land, the burned forest looked as desolate and depressing as ever. After searching all night, the bodyguards were exhausted. They collapsed on the ground and fell asleep then and there.
Deep inside the woods, a crew of firefighters and Officer Emmanuel’s men were still keeping the search operation going. There was a silver car parked next to the road leading to the site.
Inside the car, Caprice had just woken up. She crawled over John’s shoulder and gazed out the window, her eyes opened wide like a pair of marbles.
After observing the view for a while, she asked, “Daddy, why are the trees so gray and bald?” John answered softly, “There’s been a big forest fire here, the trees are all burned down.” Caprice expressed her sympathy for the trees, “Poor trees.”
“Hm.”
Caprice suddenly raised a pointed finger and gestured at two nearby firefighters who were searching a nearby area. “Daddy, what are those two uncles looking for?”
Something dimmed in John’s eyes upon hearing this, he stated, “They’re looking for someone.”
“Who are they looking for?”
“A missing person.”
“Oh.” Caprice had her curiosity sated for now.
However, it did not take long before she became bored again.
She tugged at John’s clothes. “Daddy, | want to see the burned trees.”
John grunted and pushed the door open. He then stepped out of the car with Caprice in his arms.
The ground was covered in charred leaves and branches, it was not safe for a child to walk around. He took Caprice to a path the firefighters cleared for them.
The girl paddled along the path while staring at the burned remains of what was once a lush forest along both sides of the path. Before they knew it, they had walked a fair distance and approached the lifeless husk of a burned house.
Caprice gasped like Christopher Columbus discovering the new world and exclaimed while pointing at the house, “Daddy, look! A house!’
John grunted weakly. Caprice investigated and remarked with a frown, “Oh no, it’s burned down.” John stayed silent.
Caprice led him toward the house.
Chapter 1635
Only the supporting pillars of the structure remained standing. John was worried about Caprice wandering in there. What if one of these columns collapsed just as the child was passing by?
He suddenly came to a stop.
Caprice was leading him by his hand and stopped as well. She turned back to her father with a confused expression. John spoke softly, “It’s not safe, we can’t get closer, let's just stand here and watch from a distance.”
Caprice was slightly disappointed to hear this, but she was a very well-mannered child and did as she was told.
Still, her childlike curiosity had to be sated somehow. She did not want to stay here and watch.
She had John take her for a lap around the burned house where they could continue surveying the structure from different angles.
She curiously observed the structure as they walked.
John was very patient and followed her on the walk. He wondered what spurred the child’s curiosity. The house was rather large, so it took them some time to wrap around the house.
Eventually, they reached the back of the house.
John had not investigated this area yet, so he cast a vigilant look around him in hopes of finding some new clues.
While he was looking elsewhere, Caprice suddenly sunk into the ground. Fortunately, she was still leading. John by his hand. She shrieked as she fell.
John was jolted by this and quickly clenched tightly onto Caprice’s hand and tugged as hard as he could, flinging the child back into his arms.
Alarge pit where Caprice was standing was revealed.
The pit was previously covered by stacks of burned leaves and branches.
It was a somewhat large pit.
John’s eyes widened.
“Daddy, why is there a hole here?” Caprice gazed down at the pit and asked. An underground hole?
John’s eyes widened with shock. He quickly turned around and located where Jason was and called out urgently, “Jason, tell those police officers to get over here right now!”
Jason sprang to action immediately. He turned and ran deep into the woods where the officers were last sighted. Roughly ten minutes later, the burned leaves and branches blockading the underground hole were dug out.
It was soon revealed that the underground hole led toward the house.
The policemen were astonished by this discovery.
Judging by the massive grin on John’s face, he was especially ecstatic about the discovery.
Caprice pointed at the underground hole and asked, “Daddy, why is there a hole in the ground?”
John answered her question this time, “Someone dug a tunnel leading to the house”
“Why dig a tunnel?”
“This someone was trying to escape from the house.”
Caprice was speechless.
Two police officers entered the hole.
John stood by next to the entrance, holding Caprice in his arms so she would not wander off.
The remaining officers waited patiently for their colleagues to provide an update.
Shortly after, they heard the shouts of the two officers who entered the tunnel, their voices coming from the other side of the house.
“We reached the house! The tunnel leads to the back end of the garden!”
The officers went toward the voice.
John followed after with Caprice as well.
Just as they thought, the tunnel led into the house. There was a large gaping hole behind the house, adjacent to a wall of the living room.
They must have missed it previously because it was covered underneath a large pile of rubble. The officers were astonished by this discovery and turned to John.
Caprice was still very curious about all that was going on as all these discoveries were making her head spin. “Daddy? Why is there another hole here? Why are there so many holes around the house?”
John chuckled. “Because this person had to burrow inside this house and go through the tunnel to exit from the other side.”
One of the officers who had just crawled out of the tunnel informed John with pride, “Sir, when we went inside the tunnel, it was surprisingly clean. This must mean that this tunnel was very recently dug out. I'd say someone dug it just before the fire broke out.”
Another officer speculated. “If | had to guess, she got out of the house using this tunnel before the fire broke out.”
“Definitely seems like it. | think she had someone else dig the hole from the other side to rescue her. She probably had someone escorting her when she made her escape.”
With that, there was a collective sigh of relief from everyone involved in the operation as they had finally made some headway.
This explained why they could not find a body anywhere in the forest even after three days and nights of unceasing search. It turned out that she had escaped unscathed!