While a sense of confusion lingered, she couldn’t afford to dwell on it in the present moment.
Riley provided Zoe with a rough estimation of the time when Luca went missing from the kindergarten.
Taking the information provided by Riley, Zoe promptly approached the head of the kindergarten and requested access to the surveillance videos.
Riley and I trailed closely behind Zoe, our eyes fixated on the screen as we watched several surveillance videos together. The videos confirmed our worst fears: Luca had indeed been taken away by a woman approximately 3@ years old.
Curiously, the footage revealed that Luca let go of the woman’s hand after leaving the kindergarten and continued on alone. He headed in the opposite direction of his home.
Upon uncovering this vital clue, Zoe instructed her people, “Follow this route and concentrate your investigation on shopping malls and entertainment venues.”
Without hesitation, Riley declared, “I’ll come with you.”
Zoe cast a cold glance at Riley and sternly warned, “Ma’am, please remain calm. If you don’t, the responsibility for not finding your child will rest on your shoulders.”
Fear drained the color from Riley’s face, leaving her pale and trembling.
Feeling a sense of urgency, I rushed to Riley’s side and pleaded with a touch of helplessness, “Zoe, please show some compassion. Don’t frighten her any further.”
Despite my plea, Zoe’s impatience got the better of her, and she reprimanded, “Is this how you fulfill your role as a mother? You’ve already lost your child, and now you’re being intimidated by the police just from a brief conversation. Can’t you try to regulate your emotions and find a way to calm down?”
Debra’s POV:
Zoe’s unkindness towards Riley was apparent, and it seemed that there was a personal issue between Zoe and me. Riley, being innocent, became an unintended target of Zoe’s anger and frustration.
Realizing that allowing Zoe to lose her temper as she pleased would only result in harm to Riley, I resolved to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Frowning at Zoe, I firmly addressed her, “Zoe, Riley’s child is missing. As a police officer, your role should be to provide comfort and reassurance, not to instill fear in her. While it’s true that you’ve dealt with numerous kidnapping cases before, Riley has no prior experience in such situations. It’s unrealistic to expect her to instantly adjust her mood.”
Zoe found herself unable to come up with a retort to my statement.
As my words sank in, Zoe’s gaze shifted to Riley, and she finally noticed the tears welling up in her eyes.
“Fine, I’m sorry. I let my emotions get the best of me.”
She then turned to Riley and explained, “Ma’am, I was concerned that if the kidnapper were to contact you, being too flustered while searching for your child could put you in a disadvantageous position. You can stay with the police and wait for updates. This way, we can assist you in finding the best approach to communicate with the kidnappers when they call.”
This time, Zoe’s tone was noticeably softer.
Tears welled up in Riley’s eyes, but she silently nodded in response.
Relieved by the calmer atmosphere, Zoe added, “By the way, Luca’s disappearance is a significant matter. I will have to inform Adam.
After all, Luca is his child as well.”
Witnessing Zoe reaching for the phone, I swiftly intercepted, grabbing her hand to halt the action. “No. Adam must not be informed about this!”
Zoe’s frown deepened, and she expressed her discontentment.
