Chapter 974

“I see,” Debra paused, her brow furrowed in thought. “Have someone go to the police station and check if there have been any recent arrests of prostitutes around Shelia’s age.”

“Prostitutes?” Ben was puzzled. He couldn’t see any connection between the two matters. Debra recalled the grim details from her previous life. When she finally found Jade, the newspapers had been quick to report that she was a prostitute. She had been imprisoned for her actions and suffered greatly, enduring illness and pain in jail for over six months before ultimately succumbing to her fate. Following this clue, they should figure something out.

“Just follow my instructions,” Debra said. “I believe it will lead us to some answers.”

“Got it.” Ben, though still bewildered, agreed to comply.

Debra hung up the phone, and Erica asked curiously, “Are you suspecting that the real Jade was imprisoned for prostitution and Shelia took her identity?”

“It’s just a guess,” Debra admitted. “Since Clarissa insists that Shelia is her daughter, Shelia’s identity must be fake. Given that she managed to change her identity, she likely came into contact with female prisoners during her time in jail.”

“Yeah, Shelia might have met someone in prison. With her cunning, pretending to be someone else isn’t new for her. It could very well be the case.” Erica seemed to grasp the core of the issue, her eyes widening with understanding. She nodded resolutely. “I’ll have Randy handle it right away.”

“Wait,” Debra called out to stop her. “We shouldn’t alarm them just yet, and I think things might be more complicated than they seem.”

“Why do you say that?” Erica asked.

“Edgar isn’t a simple person. If he had come all the way to Seamar City to find Jade, he wouldn’t have come unprepared. Do you think he could be fooled by Shelia’s poor acting so easily?” Debra replied.

Erica pondered the question. “Maybe he didn’t have time to think things through?”

Debra sighed. “I’m not sure. I just feel there’s something off. Let’s wait until Ben finishes the investigation.”

Just then, the door creaked open, and Randy walked in, his nose red from the cold. “The snow is so heavy. I almost froze to death.”

Erica looked behind him, but Marion was nowhere to be seen.

“Why are you alone? Where’s Marion?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Randy shrugged, a hint of defensiveness in his voice. “He’s out there.”

Erica’s concern turned to exasperation. “What do you mean he’s still out there? Why aren’t you with him?”

Randy explained, “He was unwilling to take me with him, telling me to come back and take care of you.”

“How could you let him go alone? Don’t you know his temper? What if…” Erica reproached.

Randy was frustrated. “I already got an earful from Marion. Do you have to scold me too? I feel like I’m buried under a pile of complaints.”

With a sigh, he placed a heavy bag in front of Debra. “Marion asked me to bring this back. It’s supposed to be good for swelling reduction.”

“So much? Did you buy this?” Erica asked.

“Of course not. How would a guy like me know about beauty products?” Randy cleared his throat and clarified, “Marion bought it with my credit card.”

Erica rolled her eyes. “Drop that miserly look, I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Randy grumbled under his breath, “You don’t know how much Marion spent chasing after a girl. He owes me a lot of money that he hasn’t repaid yet.”