Moonlit Mountain (Caleb and Sarah)

Chapter Mountein 187



"From Ashes to Hope) Chapter 22

Weny

I frowned slightly, trying to recall the vague thought. After a moment. Lead

slowly, "I'm not really familiar with the company's affairs, but I can ask John be knows anyone from the Lincoln family."

Officer Lee replied, "We've already inquired about that Mr. Miller had be interactions with Mr. Payne at a few business functions, but he wasn't directly involved in the dealings, those were handled by the managers."

"I see," I said, unable to think of any other questions at the moment.

"We'll keep you updated if there are any new developmems in the case." Officer Lee added.

After hanging up the phone, I sat in deep thought for a long time.

Although I couldn't pinpoint what felt off, a thought kept nagging at me

Felix Payne might be connected to Lily's death somehow.

I waited anxiously at home for days, but there was no news.

The mix of anxiety and anticipation eventually drove me to revisit the stree where my mother was killed.

For years, I had avoided that place.

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Each time I remembered my mother's sudden departure, the

heart-wrenching pain would wash over me, a sharp pang in my chest.

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Nearly seven years had passed since the kidnapping, and everything had changed drastically,

The once familiar street now seemed foreign, the places that held memories

of the case slowly fading with time.

I tried to recall the old shops and asked door to door if they still had

surveillance footage from seven years ago.

But all I received were negative responses.

any

It was understandable. Under normal circumstances, who would keep years-

old surveillance footage without a specific reason?

I stood at the intersection, lost in thought, wondering where else might have old footage.

The noise from the street corner caught my

attention.

I saw a karaoke bar, newly renovated and reopened, with a lion dance troupe performing at the entrance.

A large screen at the entrance was playing a loop of old footage of the bar, fragments of time, recording bits and pieces of the past.

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clues.

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My eyes lit up as I stared at the screen, not wanting to miss any possible

In a scene of a past celebration at the bar, I spotted a blurry figure

The figure flashed across the screen, faint and fleeting, yet it sent shockwaves through me.

Although the footage wasn't clear, from the general outline and vague

movements, the figure strongly resembled Raina.

I remembered that outfit, it was a limited edition John had given her, and she

had even bragged about it to me.

My heart started to race. A strong intuition told me this could be the key to solving the case.

I hurried to find the manager of the karaoke bar and earnestly requested the footage.

The manager was very cooperative and quickly copied the original video file for me.

I felt like I had struck gold. With this precious piece of evidence, I rushed to

the police station without delay.

The police took this new discovery very seriously and immediately sent the 12:57

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video to the technical department for detailed analysis and processing. Menu

If the figure was confirmed to be Raina, it would be a crucial and powerful

piece of evidence, proving the truth of her confession at the detention center

My mind raced with speculation, my heart filled with anxiety and apprehension, unsure if this video would be enough to convict Raina

After a long and anxious wait, the video was finally restored.

The restored footage clearly showed Raina discarding something by the roadside.

As the image sharpened, Raina's figure and face became increasingly recognizable, her every move captured in detail.

She looked slightly flustered, clutching a magazine tightly in one hand, then

quickly tossed it under the bridge.

To further verify the magazine's details, the police immediately contacted

the magazine publisher.

Fortunately, the publisher had a meticulous workflow, and the layout

information for each issue was perfectly preserved.

The police carefully compared a screenshot of the magazine from the video

with the publisher's layout information. After repeated confirmation, they were a 12:57

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perfect match, confirming the the magice & housuk Recogenerado

the issue featuring the Millers photo

However, despite these new discoveries, the mo

wounde

Legally speaking, this evidence only proves the Phased b

magazine, it wasn't enough to definitively come be of sche

To convict Raina, they needed additional evidenor to c

involvement and complete the chain of evidence

So, the police began to re-examine the case, investigating Panas relationships, daily routines, and other aspects, determined to meath me evidence, preventing her from escaping justice forough her cunting les Soon, they had a new lead. A man named David Canter emenet daar afar Raina's life had been shrouded in darkness from the beginning

Her father, Rick Monroe, was a notorious gambler, a man who recklessly squandered his life at the gambling table. His wife, unable to bear in any longer eventually divorced him.

Rick, unrepentant, became even more reckless with his gambling after his wife left.

As his gambling debts piled up like a snowball, be even went so far as to

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almost sell his own daughter, Raina.

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John stepped in at the crucial moment, paying off his debts, saving Raina

from a tragic fate.

However, their relief was short-lived. Rick met an unexpected end.

He died from alcohol poisoning after accidentally drinking fake alcohol.

The police investigated and found that Rick had bought the alcohol himself, ruling out homicide.

During this investigation into Rick's death, the police found David Carter,

Rick's childhood friend.

David was a middle-aged man with a weathered face.

When the police asked him about Rick, he frowned and said with certainty," Rick must have been killed by his daughter."

The police were startled. Could there be something more to the case?


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