Free Web NovelChapter 278: Chapter 281: The Police Come to the Door
All the police officers in the courtyard looked up at her.
Caught off guard by the sight of so many uniforms, her mind went completely blank.
"You are... Miss Cecilia Quincy?" The officer in the lead seemed to recognize her, sizing her up for a moment before guessing her identity.
Her heart sank, and the color drained from her face.
"Miss Cecilia Quincy." The officer started walking toward her, his face stern as he was about to ask a question. But Cecilia Quincy was so terrified that she spun around and scrambled back into the living room.
"..." The officer froze, stunned.
"It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!"
Cecilia Quincy was in a complete panic. Without even thinking to change out of her slippers, she frantically scrambled up the stairs.
Fiona Dalton was just coming downstairs and nearly collided with Cecilia Quincy.
"Cecilia?" She grabbed Cecilia’s arm, stopping her from blindly rushing past. "Why are you running? Who’s downstairs?"
"...The police are here!" Cecilia Quincy said through gritted teeth, her voice a mix of panic and fear. "There’s a group of them in the courtyard! They recognized me the moment they saw me. They’re almost certainly here for me!"
"Mom, hurry downstairs and stall them! Don’t let them find me! I don’t want to go to the police station, I don’t want to go to court, and I definitely don’t want to go to jail!"
"What?" Fiona Dalton was starting to get scared too. "Are you saying those officers are all here for you?"
"Yes!" Cecilia Quincy stomped her foot in frustration. "I never responded to the lawsuit notice from Felix Preston, so he must have sent them! They’re going to drag me to the police station!"
"Mom, I can’t go to the police station! You have to save me!"
The words "police station" were terrifying. Seeing the absolute terror on Cecilia Quincy’s face, Fiona Dalton couldn’t help but start to panic as well.
"...Alright!" She grabbed Cecilia Quincy’s hand, her resolve hardening.
"I’ll save you. I’ll stall them. You go upstairs right now and call your father and your brother. Tell them to figure something out!"
Cecilia Quincy: "Okay, thank you, Mom!"
With that, she scurried up the stairs.
Fiona Dalton took a few quick, deep breaths, feigning composure as she slowly descended the stairs.
The officers had just entered the living room.
"May I ask who you’re looking for?" Fiona Dalton asked, putting on a haughty air.
The officer in the lead replied impassively, "Hello. We’re from the Aethelburg Police Department. We’ve come unannounced because we need to speak with Mr. Finn Quincy."
"Mr. Quincy..." Fiona Dalton paused. "Are you... only looking for Mr. Quincy?"
The officer nodded. "Yes. At the moment, we only need to speak with Mr. Quincy."
"Oh..." Fiona Dalton breathed a secret sigh of relief. "Well, that’s unfortunate. Mr. Quincy isn’t back from the office yet."
The officer asked, "It’s already afternoon. Do you know approximately when Mr. Quincy will be back?"
"I don’t know." Fiona Dalton raised a hand to smooth her hair. "His schedule is never fixed. If he’s not busy, he comes home early. But if he’s busy, he’ll be back very late."
"Why don’t you come back tomorrow? Or you could just go to his office to find him."
"That won’t be necessary." The officer smiled politely. "If I’m not mistaken, you must be Mr. Quincy’s wife, Ms. Fiona Dalton?"
Fiona Dalton: "...Yes, I am."
The officer: "It’s fine that Mr. Quincy isn’t home. We can ask you just as well. After all, you are Mr. Willow Quincy’s mother."
"...Willow?" Fiona Dalton’s expression changed the instant she heard the name.
She eyed the officers before her warily and asked, probing, "Are you here today because of Willow?"
The officer: "Yes, we are here regarding the matter of Mr. Willow Quincy."
"What happened to Willow?"
Finn Quincy’s voice suddenly rang out from the courtyard.
The officers in the living room turned at the sound of his voice and greeted Finn Quincy very politely.
"Mr. Quincy, you’re back."
"Hmph." Finn Quincy sized them up, his slightly weary face clouded with grim caution.
"You’re from the Aethelburg Police Department?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his back as he strode slowly into the living room. "Which division? Who’s your captain?"
The officer in the lead answered with a smile, "Mr. Quincy, we’re from the Criminal Investigation Division of the Aethelburg Police Department. Our captain’s surname is Lane."
"Lane?" Finn Quincy took off his overcoat and tossed it into Fiona Dalton’s hands as if it were a matter of course. He frowned in thought. "Faye Lane?"
The officer: "Yes. Captain Lane is in charge of the Charlotte Shaw disappearance case. There are a few things she’s not clear on, so she specifically ordered us to come and verify them with you, Mr. Quincy."
"Hmph," Finn Quincy sneered, playing dumb. "What does Charlotte Shaw’s disappearance have to do with the Quincy family? Why come to me for verification? And what obligation do I have to cooperate with you?"
"..." The officer didn’t waste time explaining. He just pulled a document from the briefcase he was carrying and handed it to Finn Quincy.
Finn Quincy took one look, and his expression changed instantly.
"Our special task force has confirmed that your son, Mr. Quincy, Willow Quincy, is inextricably linked to the disappearance of Charlotte Shaw. We must ask for your cooperation, Mr. Quincy."
"..." Finn Quincy’s face darkened, all his earlier arrogance gone.
The officer raised a hand, making a "please" gesture toward Finn Quincy that was polite in appearance but forceful in intent.
"Please, Mr. Quincy."
Finn Quincy shot the officer a displeased glare before turning reluctantly to go upstairs.
"Follow me. We’ll talk in the study."
The officer: "Very well."
Five or six uniformed officers followed Finn Quincy upstairs. Fiona Dalton, left alone downstairs, was a nervous wreck.
Three hours later, the officers finally emerged from the study.
"We appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Quincy. For the time being, please remain in Aethelburg. You must not leave the city without our permission until Mr. Willow Quincy is cleared of suspicion."
"..."
Finn Quincy’s face was deathly pale, and he said nothing.
The officer didn’t seem to mind, his smile still in place. "It’s getting late, so we’ll take our leave. Goodbye, Mr. Quincy."
With that, he led the other officers out of the Quincy home.
"Quincy, what in the world is going on?" Fiona Dalton, with Cecilia Quincy in tow, rushed anxiously over to Finn Quincy. "Quincy," she asked urgently, "don’t tell me Charlotte Shaw’s disappearance really has something to do with Willow?"
Cecilia Quincy asked, "Dad, why won’t they let you leave Aethelburg? What did my brother do?"
The barrage of questions hammered at Finn Quincy. He closed his eyes in irritation, answering none of them.
"Call Willow! Call Willow right now!"
"Huh?" Fiona Dalton was stunned. "C-call him now?"
"CALL HIM!" Finn Quincy’s voice suddenly rose to a shout. "Call him now! Immediately! Hurry!"
"...Oh, I’m calling him now." Fiona Dalton quickly pulled her phone from her pocket, found Willow Quincy’s number, and dialed.
