Chapter 324
Inside a black Ford Explorer automobile.
Xiao Hei sat in the passenger compartment, looking out the window from time to time, and lamented, “You know what? The most annoying thing about some cases is not the suspects, but the families of the victims who are unwilling to assist the police in their investigations and always cause trouble for the police.
They always have all sorts of reasons, thinking that they are doing it for the good of the victim, but they are totally delaying the police investigation.
Like right now.”
Jackson said, “Maybe it’s just that everyone thinks about things differently, hurray for understanding.”
“You say that lightly, even if I understand them, can they understand me?” Black glanced at his watch, “Originally at this time I should be back home, having a cozy dinner with my wife.
But now I can only stay in the car like a fool, my butt is numb from sitting.
A man can’t sit still for long.”
Jackson said, “I can understand where you’re coming from, but it’s pointless to complain like that.”
Black asked rhetorically, “Do you have a girlfriend?”
“Uh …… no.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Why don’t you get a girlfriend? That’s the right age to be energetic, don’t tell me you’ve been using your hands to settle things.
I’d despise you.”
Jackson rolled his eyes, “I’m too busy to have a relationship. Besides, aren’t the captain and Jenny single too?”
Blackie laughed, “I don’t know if Jenny is single or not, but the captain is not someone who is idle.”
Jackson asked, “Does the captain have a girlfriend? How come I don’t know.”
Black squeezed his eyes and asked in a mysterious manner, “Curious?”
“Sure.”
“Then ask him yourself.”
Jackson “……”
He felt like talking to Black was just redundant.
A gray sedan drove up to the front of Tayana Haney’s garage and a white man got out of the car and entered the house.
Blackie said, “This man should be Tayana Haney’s father.
It’s now eight o’clock at night and Tayana Hanni’s father is back, but Tayana Hanni hasn’t come back from her friend’s house yet.
She’s already had one disappearance and her parents aren’t worried at all?”
Black dialed Luke’s number, “Captain, Tayana Hanni’s father has returned, but there is still no sign of Tayana Hanni.”
Luke’s voice came from the cell phone, “I’ve met with Tayana Hanni’s teacher, and according to her, Tayana Hanni called in sick today and didn’t attend school.”
“You guys keep an eye out there, I’ll bring my men over there.”
Luke hung up his cell phone and fell into deep thought as well.
After leaving Tayana Hanni’s house, Luke contacted Tayana Hanni’s teacher, and according to her teacher Tayana Hanni did go missing once in June, and then came back to school normally, only occasionally calling in sick.
This is not the first time that Tayana Hanni has called in sick.
Because of the reason why Tayana Hanni disappeared once, the school felt that she might have been psychologically affected, so they were not too strict with her in terms of calling in sick.
This made Luke even more puzzled.
The case of Tayana Haney was even more confusing than Olive Browning’s clear abduction; what had happened to her?
And did his parents know anything about it?
Suddenly, a bold speculation crossed Luke’s mind; was it possible that Tayana Haney had been kidnapped again?
That’s why Luke had never found out about Tayana Haney.
That’s why her mother was hiding something, most likely because she was worried that the kidnappers would rip off the ticket if the police intervened.
Luke considered this carefully for a moment, it was unlikely, but not necessarily impossible.
If that was the case contacting Tayana Haney’s parents would have to be more careful.
But not contacting them was not an option, and it could be dangerous for Tayana Hanni to keep dragging on.
More importantly, this was all just speculation on Luke’s part and needed to be confirmed.
The priority now was to keep the victim safe, assuming the victim was kidnapped again, then the robbers might send someone to stake out the victim’s house, then Luke had to reach out to the victim’s parents in the safest way possible.
With a plan in place, Luke began to act in a step-by-step manner.
First, he sneaked into the yard of Tayana Haney’s house in the dark of night.
Observing the house through the window, he saw three people having a meal in the living room, none other than Tayana Hanni’s parents and a six or seven year old girl, who was supposed to be Tayana Hanni’s sister.
The three people were talking and laughing, and the husband and wife were still drinking red wine, and Luke didn’t see any expressions of sadness.
This made Luke even more puzzled, it was true that Tayana Hanny was not at home, that meant that she might indeed be ‘something’, but on the contrary, the demeanor of her parents did not look like they were worried at all.
It was contradictory.
He had been having a very contradictory feeling ever since he had found out about Tayana Hanni’s situation this afternoon.
Since Tayana Hanni’s parents weren’t worried at all, it meant that the probability was that Tayana Hanni was not in danger, and Luke didn’t want to speculate any more and was ready to go straight for a one-liner and see how the couple reacted.
Luke gathered his men over, and then Jenny was in charge of knocking on the door, “Knock knock ……”
A few moments later, the door opened and a white middle-aged man stood in the doorway.
The white middle-aged man sized up Luke and the others, “Who are you people?”
Luke flashed his badge, “LAPD, is this Tayana Haney’s house?”
“Yes.”
“What can I do for you guys?”
“We’d like to get some information from her, what’s your relationship to her?”
“I’m her father.”
“What’s the name?”
“Clemen Haney.”
“Mr. Haney, is your daughter, Tayana Haney, at home?”
“Uh …… Tayana went to a friend’s house.”
“Will she be back tonight?”
“No, she might be staying over at a friend’s house.”
“Tayana Haney had a kidnapping experience in June, aren’t you worried about her staying alone at a friend’s house?”
“Uh …… she’s safe and not in danger. There’s no need for you guys to worry.
If there’s nothing else, please go back to your homes.”
“Where is she? We’d like to talk to her.”
“If it’s because of her disappearance earlier, then there’s nothing to talk about, and bringing it up again will only make her feel uncomfortable.
I want her to forget about that and start a new life.”
Luke said, “From what you’re saying, something bad happened to Tayana Haney during her disappearance, didn’t it?”
“Just a kid throwing a tantrum and running away from home, nothing serious.”
“We’ve found out some new evidence, it’s not simple for Tayana Hanni to go missing, something bad may have happened to her.”
Clemen Haney shook his head, “It’s all in the past, all I care about is that she’s safe now.
She’s fine now and that’s all that matters.”
“I understand she called in sick today, where is she?” It wasn’t the first time Luke had inquired, but Hanni had been avoiding the question.
Clemen Haney sighed, “My daughter isn’t in a very good mood, she’s out for a break with a friend and won’t be back until a few days, you won’t be able to see her for a while.”
Luke asked, “I need her friend’s contact information.”
Clemen Haney said, “Why? Even if you guys are cops, you can’t just break into my house.
We’ve dropped the case, and we’re the ones who are Tayana Haney’s guardians and who care about her the most, so we don’t need you guys sticking your noses in here.”
Luke asked back, “Is that what your wife thinks?”
Mrs. Hanni stepped forward as well, “Officer, my husband is correct, my daughter is safe now, you have nothing to worry about, please leave.”
“We’re not just here for the case of your daughter’s abduction, but equally for another case, I need to show you some evidence, can we come in and talk?”
Clemen Haney hesitated, “Can I refuse?”
“If you will not assist, we will have to use our own means to find Tayana Hanni and confirm her safety.”
“OK, you guys come on in, I’m also curious to know what evidence you have.”
Luke led Jackson into the house while Jenny and Blackie stood guard outside.
Once inside, the little girl went up to her room on the second floor and Luke pulled out his tablet and played the tinted video of Tayana Haney straight through.
The couple had a strange attitude, and they probably wouldn’t tell the truth if they weren’t given something hard.
After Luke played the video, the couple’s faces became very ugly.
Clemen Haney pointed to the video, “Is that my daughter?”
Luke didn’t answer, he believed that Clement Hanny should recognize it more clearly than him.
Mrs. Hanny revealed an unbelievable look, “God, how could this happen, why would my daughter shoot this kind of video.
I just can’t believe it!
That animal actually did this to my daughter ……”
Luke turned off the video, “That’s why we’re here for Tayana Haney.
I’ll ask again, where is she?”
Clemen Haney asked, “When was this video?”
“That’s something you should ask Tayana Hanni, she’s the one who knows best.”
Mrs. Haney choked back a sob, “I always thought she was just missing for a few days, why did this happen ……
My baby, she was so young, why did this have to happen to her ……”
Luke asked, “Haven’t you guys seen this video before?”
Mrs. Hanni looked agitated, “We didn’t even know about it, Tayana never told us.”
“Where is Tayana Haney now?”
“Since her last disappearance, my daughter has often been depressed, which is why I helped her take time off from work.
She wanted to take a walk in the wilderness, but neither my husband nor I had the time, so …… our neighbor Mr. Toure took her for a walk.”
“What is Mr. Toure’s full name?”
“Franco Toure.”
“Where did they go for a walk?”
“The wilderness.”
“How did they get there?”
“Mr. Toure has an RV and they went in it.”
Jackson frowned tightly and interjected, “You guys are actually comfortable letting a man take your daughter? Aren’t you guys worried about her being in danger.”
Mrs. Haney said, “Mr. Toure is a good man, he wouldn’t hurt Tayana, and this isn’t the first time.
Every time Tayana has come back there has been nothing out of the ordinary, she loves Mr. Toure and they get along very well.”
Luke asked, “What happened to Tayana Haney the last time she disappeared? Was she also taken by Franco Toure?”
Mrs. Hanni replied, “No, Tayana ran away from home on her own last time, and I mobilized everyone around me to look for her, and it was Mr. Toure who found her and brought her back.
That’s why we trust him so much.”
Luke asked rhetorically, “You guys think of Franco Toure as Tayana Haney’s savior?”
“That’s right.”
Luke was a bit speechless, “How did Franco Toure find your daughter?”
Mrs. Hanni said, “Mr. Toure is a very good person to get along with, my daughter has always liked him, she wandered outside for a few days, ran out of money and took the initiative to call Mr. Toure.
Then Mr. Toure picked her up.”
Luke looked aside at Clement Haney, “Mr. Haney, is that what you think too?”
Clement Hanni said, “Mr. Toure is really nice and gets along well with our family, and he often helps us take care of Tayana.”
Jackson wondered, “Aren’t you guys the least bit guarded?
Why would a middle-aged man be nice to a girl for no reason?”
Mrs. Haney said, “Mr. Toure had a tragic experience when he was an hour old and his doctor advised him to have more contact with children, and he doesn’t have any children of his own, so that’s why he’s so nice to Tayana.”
Luke pressed, “What tragic experience?”
Mrs. Hanni said, “It concerns Mr. Toure’s privacy, and I’m not at liberty to disclose it without his permission.”
Luke felt that this couple’s brain circuits were really different, “It also concerns your daughter’s safety!”
Mrs. Hanni hesitated slightly and replied, “Mr. Toure said that he was bullied by his aunt when he was a child, and the doctor suggested that he spends more time with children, which can ease the trauma of his early years.
So, Mr. Toure loves children and offered to be a surrogate father to Tayana.”
“Surrogate father? You guys agreed to that?”
“Yes.”
Luke had handled many cases as well, and it was the first time he’d seen such irresponsible parenting, “And you trusted him?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know him?”
Mrs. Haney said, “He and I met at a church function three years ago, he was humble and poised and we became friends.
Later, he moved to live in our community and we became neighbors.
He is a frequent visitor to our home and gets along well with every family member, and we have come to think of him as part of the family.
His bond with us has become more than just ordinary neighbors, it’s more like family.”
“Family?”
“Yes.”
Luke pulled out his tablet again and clicked on the video, “Is the man in the video the man you said was Mr. Toure?”
Mrs. Haney looked it over and sighed in relief, “No, Mr. Toure is forty years old and definitely not the man in the video.
He’s a good man and would never do such a thing.”
Luke took out a pen and paper and handed it over, “Write down Franco Toure’s cell phone number?”
Mrs. Haney wrote down a cell phone number.
Luke handed the cell phone number to Jackson, “Have someone check this cell phone number.”
“Mrs. Haney, did your daughter say when she’d be back?”
“About two or three days.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Hanny, don’t contact Franco Toure for the time being.”
Mrs. Hanny asked, “Officer, do you still suspect Mr. Toure? Even if my daughter was forced to make a video, it’s not necessarily related to Mr. Toure?”
Luke didn’t answer positively, “Ma’am, can we talk alone?”
“Yes.”
Luke then led Mrs. Haney out of the house and into the police car to talk.
“Ma’am, you were the first to know Franco Toure?”
“Yes.”
“What was your relationship?”
“Friends.”
Luke didn’t believe in ordinary friendships, and he could safely hand over his daughter to the other party.
Moreover, just now when Luke asked Franco Toure about his cell phone number, the other party directly mimeographed it.
Unless it was someone particularly close, it was difficult for most people to remember other people’s cell phone numbers.
“Mrs. Hanny, Franco Toure took your daughter out alone, alone with a man and a woman, aren’t you worried that he will do something to hurt your daughter.”
“Mr. Toure is not that kind of man, and he’s the one who retrieved my daughter the last time she went missing. I have no reason to doubt him.”
“Then have you ever thought that your daughter’s last disappearance also had something to do with Franco Toure. Your daughter might not have been retrieved by him, but abducted by him.”
“No, that’s not what my daughter said, she didn’t say she was abducted by Mr. Toure and still trusts him.”
Jackson was a little hard of hearing, “Mrs. Haney, you keep putting in a good word for Mr. Toure, if you can’t tell if he’s a good guy or a bad guy.
Let alone a twelve year old girl?
Maybe she too has been mesmerized by Franco Toure’s words.”
Mrs. Hanni covered her forehead, “My God, why did this happen ……
What has happened to my poor daughter?”
Seeing the other party’s tone loosen, Luke struck while the iron was hot: “Mrs. Hanny, what exactly is your relationship with Franco Toure?”
“We are friends.”
Luke got right to the point, “I don’t believe a woman would be so comfortable entrusting her daughter to the care of a common friend.
There’s no one else here, your husband isn’t present, and whatever you say, we’ll keep it a secret for you.
And what you say may well concern your daughter’s safety.”
Mrs. Haney was silent for a moment, her face changed and changed, and she said, “Mr. Toure is my lover, and he is kind and loving to me, and he is kind to Tayana out of love for her.
He has said himself that I am his favorite, and my daughter is his daughter.
That’s why I was so relieved to give Tayana to him.
He’s a good man and worth trusting.”
Luke asked, “Does your husband know about your relationship?”
“No.”
“Does Tayana know about your relationship?”
“No idea either.”
“Did you receive any extortion calls from kidnappers after Tayana’s last disappearance?”
“No.”
“Has Tayana changed at all since she returned?”
“She’s become a little quiet and prefers to be alone. Nothing else has changed?”
“And her attitude toward Franco Toure?”
“I don’t sense any change, and the outing was initiated by my daughter.
Mr. Toure has taken my daughter out more than once since her last disappearance and nothing dangerous has happened.”
Luke said, “After seeing that video, you’re still willing to trust Franco Toure?”
“I …… don’t know, my head is messed up.”
Luke admonished, “Mrs. Hanni, for Tayana’s safety, do not contact Franco Toure for the time being.”
Mrs. Hanni pondered for a moment and nodded, “I know.”
“We will find Tayana as soon as possible and get to the bottom of the video.
If Tayana has any news, I also hope that you will contact me first.” Luke handed the other party a business card.
“I will.”
“If Franco Toure takes the initiative to contact you, don’t say that the police are investigating him.”
“Okay.”
Luke gave a few more instructions and let Mrs. Haney out of the car.
At this point, all the suspicions were centered on Franco Toure, and if, as Mrs. and Mrs. Hanny said, he was a good man who was warm-hearted and liked to take care of children, then Luke had probably misunderstood him.
If, on the other hand, Franco Toure was behind the disappearance of Tayana Haney, then he was probably a demon.
All that needs to be done now is to find Tayana Haney as soon as possible, make sure she’s safe, and get more valuable clues out of her.