Chapter 520: Conspiracy (13) A Genius

Hannah's heart leaped, but she maintained her composure, smiling as she said, "Oh? But I didn't see any camera at the door."

"It's hidden," the old man chuckled. "Oscar helped me install it. My apartment was burgled, and all my cash was stolen. The police couldn't catch the thief. Oscar suggested a security camera, but said a visible one would be useless; they'd just knock it down. So, he installed a hidden one on the wall. Come see."

He led Hannah to the door, pointing. "Here! It looks like a doorplate, but there's a camera in this tiny hole."

Hannah hadn't noticed the hole until it was pointed out. Others wouldn't have either, she realized.

Her heart pounded, but she calmed herself, smiling. "Oscar is so thoughtful. I bet no one else knew about the camera."

"Exactly. He also reminded me not to tell anyone. He suspected some neighbors might have been responsible for the theft. After all, thieves are often people we know."

"That makes sense," Hannah murmured, suspecting Oscar himself was the "thief," perhaps only to install the hidden camera. She admired his genius. He knew a visible camera would be discovered, but overlooked neighbors wouldn't suspect such a cleverly concealed device.

She pursed her lips, taking the cellphone and beginning to work. "I haven't done this before. It might take some time."

"No rush. I have plenty of time."

"Aren't you video-chatting with your granddaughter?"

"Yes, at 8 p.m. I'm looking forward to it," he said, a touch embarrassed. "Come in, please. Have a seat and take your time."

"Okay."

Inside, Hannah sat on the couch, appearing engrossed in her work. The old man watched for a while, then said, "Take your time. I'll make some tea."

"Thank you," she replied politely.

She simply needed to connect the phone to the camera, a quick task. However, her real goal was to download a video from his phone without his knowledge. The fewer people involved, the better.

Hannah worked diligently. The old man, after making the tea, went to prepare dinner.

After downloading the video to her phone and deleting it from his, Hannah approached him. "It's done, sir. You can watch the surveillance footage now."

"Good. Thank you so much," he said warmly. "Stay for dinner, my treat."

"That's very kind, sir, but my husband's waiting."

"Tell him to join us."

"We'd love to," Hannah smiled, "but he's having a colleague over. Perhaps another time."

"Of course," he said, a little disappointed. "Do come with your husband next time."

"We will," Hannah agreed, exchanging pleasantries before leaving.

Outside, Hannah trembled, leaning against the elevator wall, clutching her phone. She had the evidence. Oscar's foresight had made their plan potentially vulnerable.

Returning to Jimmy's car, he noticed her distress. "What's wrong, Mrs. Wells?"

"I think I've found the evidence. Let's go back," she said, striving for composure. She hadn't fully watched the video but had seen enough to suspect something was amiss.

"Already?" Jimmy was astonished. He'd resigned himself to failure after the previous two fruitless days.

He sped back to the nightclub's secret chamber. Hannah played the video.

It began when Oscar left River Town. She fast-forwarded until 11 p.m. the following night. Two men in black, masked and wearing caps, appeared, carrying several large cases. They entered Oscar's apartment and remained for about an hour, emerging with the cases, now seemingly empty.

"See! Mr. Wells was framed," Jimmy exclaimed. "Those two men planted the cash while he was gone."

Hannah nodded, but they couldn't definitively prove the cases contained cash. She zoomed in on the two men, their identities crucial to proving Oscar's innocence. She noted their features and called Manuel.

"Hannah."

"Theodore said I could contact you," she said.

"Yes. How can I help?" Manuel's serious tone suggested he anticipated important news.

"I have evidence Oscar was framed, but it's not conclusive. Around 11 p.m. on December 5th, two men in black entered his apartment with large cases – presumably the cash. But we can't see inside the cases. We need to find these men to testify. They're likely local, possibly from a River Town gang. One had a black fish tattoo on his wrist, the other a colorful neck tattoo. The video quality isn't great, so that's all I have."