"It's me," Benjamin replied, stepping forward.The cashier frowned, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Please choose another ring from our general display area, not from the private viewing section."Benjamin's brows furrowed in confusion and annoyance. "Why? She was the one who sent us there," he said, pointing to the sales associate who had assisted him.The cashier glanced at the associate and then back at Benjamin. "Don't you know the rings there are expensive? Does he look like someone who can afford it?" she remarked dismissively. Benjamin's eyes hardened, and he stood taller. "Is this how you treat your customers? Judging their ability to pay based on your own instincts?”Helen and the driver exchanged glances, clearly uncomfortable with the situation but ready to support Benjamin.The cashier looked slightly taken aback by Benjamin's response but held her ground. "It's company policy to ensure—"Benjamin cut her off, his voice firm and unwavering. "Your company policy should i
Sensing Cordelia's lack of interest, Rose switched topics, trying to find something that might engage her niece. "Or maybe we could look at some accessories? A new handbag, perhaps? You can never have too many handbags.” Cordelia forced a small smile, trying to muster some enthusiasm for Rose's sake. "Sure, let's look at handbags." As they moved from store to store, Rose kept up a steady stream of chatter, suggesting items and asking for Cordelia's opinion. Despite her efforts, Cordelia's responses remained subdued, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. "So, how about we get some lunch after this? There's that new café everyone has been talking about. We could grab a bite and maybe a coffee," Rose suggested, trying to lighten the mood. Cordelia nodded absently. "That sounds fine." Meanwhile, a sleek black car pulled up to the side of the mall, its tinted windows concealing the identities of the passengers inside. Three men sat inside, each wearing black face masks that hid their feature
"Good, bring it," Benjamin said, taking a seat.Rakshasha retrieved a newspaper from a nearby table and handed it to Benjamin. The newspaper looked extremely old, its yellowed pages brittle and edges frayed. It was more than 8 years old, and its age showed in every crease and tear.Benjamin unfolded the paper carefully, revealing a headline that read: "Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Winslow Family CEO and Wife." The accompanying photograph depicted a horrific scene: a car, utterly crushed, with a large truck looming ominously in the background. The truck's registration number, partially obscured by the wreckage but still legible, read: "TRK-45829.”"Write down the truck's registration number," Benjamin instructed the team, ensuring everyone had the critical detail documented."Finally, we have the truck number," Benjamin said with a note of relief. "We need to check its registration."Cipherella looked up from her computer. "Master, I can check the database for all registered numbers
Parker provided his details, and Benjamin swiftly transferred the money. "Check your account," Benjamin instructed.After a moment, Parker's voice came back, astonished. "I got it. Five thousand dollars. Alright, I'll help you. Let me check the records now."A few minutes later, Helen's phone rang again. She quickly answered, and Parker's voice came through, now respectful and cooperative."Helen, it's Parker. I checked the records. The car from the Winslow accident is still here, archived in the back section of the lot.Benjamin took the phone from Helen again. "Mr. Parker, is it possible for us to come and take the vehicle?"Parker sighed. "I'm afraid that's impossible. No outsider is allowed to come and take a look, let alone take the vehicle. It's against the regulations."Benjamin frowned but kept his tone calm. "Is there any way around this? We really need to examine that car."Parker hesitated. "I understand, but the rules are strict. There's no way I can authorize that.”Benja
As he finished, a sense of relief washed over him. The hard part was over, and he could now report back with the vital information needed. Meanwhile, back at the base, Benjamin was pacing around the room, his mind consumed with anticipation and impatience. With each step, he mentally urged Parker to hurry with his task, knowing that time was of the essence in their investigation. Helen observed Benjamin's restless demeanor and finally spoke up. "What will you use the VIN number for, Benjamin?” Stopping in his tracks, Benjamin turned to face her, his expression focused. "The VIN number is crucial. It will help us trace the car's manufacture and gather important details about its history. With that information, we can piece together the puzzle of what happened and who may have been involved." Helen nodded, understanding the significance of the VIN number in their investigation. "I see. So, it's like a key that unlocks vital information about the car's origins and past.” "Exactly,"
Cipherella's fingers flew across the keyboard as she quickly navigated through various databases and online resources. Within minutes, she turned back to Benjamin, a look of satisfaction on her face."I've got the information you need," Cipherella announced. "Here's the historical data on the truck."Benjamin leaned in, eager to hear the details."Firstly, the ownership history," Cipherella began. "The truck was originally purchased by a construction company in Denmark in 2006. It changed hands twice before the accident in 2009. The second owner was a logistics firm, and the third owner, right before the accident, was an individual named Lars Johansen."Benjamin's eyes narrowed as he absorbed this information. "Lars Johansen... we'll need to look into him further.”Cipherella continued, "As for recall information, there were two recalls issued for this model. One in 2007 for a braking system issue and another in early 2009 for a potential fault in the steering mechanism."Benjamin nod
After successfully logging in and entering her password, to her relief, the system granted her access, and she began her search for Lars Johansen. She input the name into the search field, adding any additional details they had gathered, and waited as the database scanned through its extensive records.Meanwhile, at the bustling shopping mall, Rose and Cordelia were enjoying their day, completely unaware of the two individuals who had been discreetly watching and following them for some time. The shadowy figures lurked at a distance, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and kidnap Cordelia.Rose and Cordelia had spent hours perusing the stores, their arms laden with bags full of clothing, accessories, and various other items. Cordelia placed all her strange feeling for Rose aside so the two chatted animatedly as they made their way to the counter, their laughter echoing through the store.At the checkout counter, Rose began to reach for her wallet to pay for their purchases.
Meanwhile, Benjamin was with his team, anxiously waiting for the names to load on the computer screen. The progress bar inched forward, showing 25% as they waited for it to reach 100% to identify the person they were looking for. Suddenly, his phone started ringing, breaking the tense silence.Taking it out, he saw Cordelia's name on the screen and smiled lightly before clicking the answer button. "Hey, hun," he greeted warmly."Hello... Hello, Mr. Hayes, this is Rose," came the urgent reply.Benjamin frowned, a sense of unease creeping in. "Rose? Why are you calling from Cordelia's phone? What happened?""Mr. Hayes, Cordelia has been kidnapped!" Rose said, her voice panicky and breathless."What? Kidnapped?" Benjamin exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock. The team members around him turned to look, their expressions mirroring his alarm. "What do you mean by kidnapped?" he pressed, needing to understand the gravity of the situation.Rose, her voice trembling, quickly explained, "We we