Chapter 73
Cindy Botto’s house.
The two Luke’s pulled over to the curb.
Bulletproof vests were put on and pistols were loaded.
If Cindy Bottu was really Tony’s girlfriend and deliberately deceived the police, it meant that she was probably related to the ‘Telson Manor disappearance case’.
The two had to be careful.
When they entered the courtyard, they didn’t call the door directly, and observed the surroundings first.
The two men went left and right, circling from the front door to the back.
Luke went to the window and saw Cindy Botto’s daughter on the phone, looking anxious.
He circled around to the back door and David came around the other side, “Any luck?”
“No,” David shook his head.
Luke said, “I saw Cindy Botto’s daughter on the phone through the glass window, but no Cindy Botto.”
Just as the two men debated whether to call the door, or break in, the front door burst open and Cindy Botto’s daughter hurried out.
Without further hesitation, the two men rushed straight to the front door.
Cindy Botto’s daughter was taken aback when she saw the two men heavily armed, “What are you doing?”
Luke questioned, “Where’s Cindy Botto?”
“My mom was taken by the FBI and I’m going to get a lawyer now. Don’t point a gun at me, what the hell is going on?” Cindy Bottou’s daughter cried anxiously.
“You watch her, I’m going in to check it out.” David said, entering the house with his gun.
“What the hell is going on? Are you guys here to arrest my mom too?”
It was the FBI again.
Luke was a little upset that he had been cut off, “When did the FBI get here?”
“Not long after you guys just left, my mom was about to go out to run some errands, and as soon as she left the house, the FBI grabbed her.”
Luke took out his hand phone and dialed Susan’s number, “Captain, we got to Cindy Botto’s house, but according to her daughter Cindy Botto was taken by the FBI.”
Susan’s voice came over the cell phone, “I just spoke to the FBI this morning and they are not involved in the ‘disappearance at Telson Manor’ investigation.”
Luke asked rhetorically, “Can the FBI’s word be trusted?”
“Don’t question my judgment, verify the other party’s identity and stay in touch.” Susan hung up her cell phone.
By this time, David came out of the house as well, “No sign of Cindy Botto.”
“Like I said, my mom was taken by the FBI.”
Luke put away his pistol, “What’s your name?”
“Lisa Botto.”
“What’s your father’s name?”
“My father is a rotten man who abandoned me and my mom many years ago, I don’t know who he is or care who he is?”
Luke asked, “How many people from the FBI came?”
“One man.”
“Describe his physical features.”
“He drove a black SUV, probably in his fifties, had a big beard, that’s all I remember.”
Luke pulled out Lawn’s picture for him to identify, “Is that him?”
“No.”
Luke pulled out Cole’s sketch again, “What about him?”
Lisa Botto looked closely and nodded, “Yeah, it looks a lot like this guy, only with an extra mustache. Is he FBI? Why did you take my mom?”
Luke and David looked at each other with a bad feeling.
Cole had a strong agenda to get back at his associates from back in the day and get back the precious painting.
Cole first attacked Tony, followed by Lawn, but neither found the oil painting worth tens of millions of dollars.
Now he’s posing as the FBI to hijack Cindy Botto, clearly prepared.
But if Cindy’s daughter could recognize Cole, there was no reason why Cindy herself couldn’t?
And if she knew Cole’s identity, why did she obediently leave with the other man?
“Hey, you guys haven’t answered me? Why did that guy take my mom?”
Luke said, “Cindy Botto’s situation is complicated, the person who took her is most likely not FBI, if you want her to be rescued as soon as possible, you have to cooperate with our police investigation, understand?”
“Is my mom in danger?”
Luke changed the question, “Where’s that oil painting?”
“What oil painting?”
“The Impressionist Schilder Hassan, Snowy Night.”
Lisa Bottou shook her head, “I’ve never seen any oil painting by an impressionist master, we’ve never had an oil painting in our house.”
“This is about your mother’s safety, that person who is trying to capture your mother is trying to get the oil painting, only if the police find the oil painting first, can they be able to rescue your mother.
If he gets hold of the oil painting, he will definitely kill and exterminate her.”
“I didn’t lie to you, we really don’t have any oil paintings in our house, never have. My mom doesn’t like oil paintings either, and has never even mentioned about oil paintings. Why do you guys think the oil painting is in my house?”
Seeing that the other party looked anxious and did not seem to be faking, David changed the question, “What kind of car did the man who arrested your mother drive?”
“I didn’t get a good look at the license plate, I just remember it was a black SUV.”
“Going that way?”
“East.”
David then stepped aside to report back to Susan, who was asked to coordinate with a nearby police force to come in and assist in the investigation of a black SUV ……
A few kilometers outside of Hym.
A black SUV drove off the highway, not caring if it scratched the paint, and drove straight into a wooded area.
Parked the car.
The driver was a white man in his mid-fifties who, with his beard removed, bore a strong resemblance to Cole Davis’s sketched likeness.
He turned his head to look at the woman in the back, “Cindy dear, it’s been a long time.”
“Cole, why did you come back? Not afraid of getting caught?” The woman was handcuffed to the back seat and looked ahead with an angry expression.
“It’s because of fear that I didn’t come back for so many years, otherwise …… I would have wanted to catch up with you a long time ago.”
“Then why did you come back now?”
“Because I’ve been exposed, and I’m very angry that Anna’s death had nothing to do with me, and yet I’m a wanted criminal by the police.
Don’t you have a guilty conscience that you real murderers are getting away with it instead?”
“No one intentionally betrayed you, it was your own bad luck to be seen by the surrounding neighbors. And you didn’t take less when the property was first divided.”
“Don’t mention the bullshit sharing of belongings, I only got one hundred thousand dollars, and all the really valuable things were shared by you guys. Especially that Schild Hassan painting ‘Snowy Night’, it can go for up to ten million dollars when sold on the black market.
I’ve asked around, and it’s rumored that the buyer is probably Bill Gates, who’s been collecting Schilder Hasson’s work.
Hand over that painting and I’ll let you go.
It’s what I deserve.”
“I don’t have that painting.”
“Where is it?”
“In Lawn’s hands.”
“I looked for Lawn …… At first he said he hadn’t seen the painting either, so I used waterboarding on him. After that, he gave an address, but I didn’t find it.” Cole sighed.
“Now that I think about it, either Lawn lied to me or he really didn’t have it.
If Lawn doesn’t have the painting, you must have it.
So for the sake of less pain, you might as well hand it over yourself.”
Cindy said with a sincere face, “Cole, I really don’t have that painting.
I recognized you the first time I saw you. If that painting was in my hands, I wouldn’t have followed you here.
I have a clear conscience.”
“Huh.” Cole sneered and shook the gun in his hand, “Come on, don’t make yourself sound so kind. The only reason you followed me was to protect your daughter.
Wow, you reminded me. How about trading your daughter for the painting?
Hand over the painting and I’ll let you go and reunite you with your daughter.
If you don’t hand over the painting, you’ll send your daughter to be reunited with Tony ……”
Cindy’s complexion changed slightly and her eyes reddened, “What do you mean? What did you do to Tony?”