Chapter 108: You Are a Genius

“Well, you know what? All these women kind of resemble Wendy,” Zynn said, walking back around her desk after watching the computer screen. “Men, huh. When they can’t get the real thing, they find a substitute. What do they think they are?”

Wendy’s expression remained unchanged. She slowly sipped her coffee and calmly commented on Henry’s appearance.

“I have to admit, Henry looks way older than he did a few years ago,” she said.

The scene on the screen was too much; Wendy shut off the monitor.

“Mr. Fred said the kidnappers still haven’t called again. They only made one demand, but they send a video every hour to Aimee’s parents, just to prove she’s still alive,” she added.

Clearly, that hard drive mattered.

“Actually, I think there’s a really simple way to find out what’s on the hard drive,” Zynn said.

Wendy looked up at her.

“Don’t forget,” Zynn continued, “Shanelle’s still here. When it comes to leverage, what she has might not be any less valuable than Aimee’s hard drive.”

Since Dawn stopped shadowing Shanelle, the woman hadn’t left the hotel. With Henry keeping the money flowing, she seemed content to stay indefinitely. Wendy had discreetly provided her with ample support.

“Aimee’s just a girl. According to the kidnappers, the hard drive wasn’t on her, so it must’ve been at her house. But Mr. Fred already searched her place thoroughly and still didn’t find it. So where could it be hidden?” Wendy asked.

The office fell silent. After a long pause, a lighter clicked, and white smoke slowly curled upward. The smell of tobacco filled the room. Zynn smoked frequently—more so than Wendy now.

Suddenly, something clicked in Wendy’s mind. If it wasn’t at her house, the only other place Aimee had been in the past few months was the hospital.

Her eyes lit up. She quickly called Chase.

“Has Room 316 already been taken by a new patient?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Chase replied, sounding confused. “Someone moved in the same day Aimee was discharged.”

Wendy’s voice was urgent. “I’m thinking, since they couldn’t find the hard drive at her house, what if she hid it in her hospital room? Somewhere in there?”

He hung up without saying more. Melody had already arranged for Room 316 to be searched.

“Don’t alarm the patient,” she told her team. Patients in Room 316 typically had long-term stays. Aimee had been there previously after a car accident. This time, an elderly patient awaiting a heart transplant occupied the room. The patient’s family was understanding and cooperative. Melody explained they were installing an air purifier for the patient’s health, necessitating a thorough cleaning. Taking advantage of the pleasant weather, the family wheeled the patient outside for some sun.

Once the room was clear, Waylon arrived from downstairs.

“Move quickly,” Waylon instructed his plainclothes team as they swiftly entered Room 316. Melody locked the door from inside and whispered, “Ms. Quinn and the chief aren’t entirely certain. It’s just a possibility.”

Waylon stood by the window, still able to see the patient outside. “If there’s even the slightest chance, we can’t let it slip,” he said.

The room was small, so the search didn’t take long. By the time Chase arrived, they still hadn’t found anything.

“Nothing?” he asked.

Melody shook her head and walked to the door. “We even looked under the bed. There’s nothing. Maybe it’s not here after all.”

Chase frowned. Aimee had only recently been discharged, and Dawn had been watching her the entire time. She hadn’t met with anyone. If the hard drive wasn’t at home, then it had to be at the hospital. And along with Aimee, her car had also gone missing. The car from the accident belonged to the company; Aimee’s own car had been parked downstairs. Given her condition, she couldn’t drive—but she’d taken her house key when she left, and the car key was attached. Whoever left in her car probably went alone, taking Aimee's car and disappearing from the scene.