Marilyn’s smile faded.
Callie covered her mouth in surprise. “I think I’ve heard of him before. It was him, right? I remember… that year, there were quite a few people jumping off buildings in Ylosea. Was it because of this bankruptcy?”
The police chief looked at Callie with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, nodding repeatedly. “That year, because of this incident, dozens of people committed suicide, and countless families were ruined.”
“That’s no different from murder and arson, even worse!” Callie exclaimed, looking at Marilyn. “Miss Ellison, I have to say, at least he’s still alive. Some people, not only are they not reunited, but even their bones have decayed. You should be grateful.”
Marilyn’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, seething with anger.
“… There’s some truth to that,” she reluctantly admitted.
Callie wanted to laugh but held it back. “But it’s not good to suffer such serious injuries during imprisonment. Chief, how is he now?”
The police chief immediately turned to Marilyn and said, “He has received proper treatment and is in solitary confinement!”
This was the final act of leniency and a way to give her an explanation.
Marilyn slowly calmed her anger. “Well, thank you, Uncle.” Then she turned to Callie and sneered, “Miss Marsh, ever since I’ve known you, you seem to love meddling in other people’s affairs.”
Callie innocently replied, “Can’t help it. It’s in my nature to worry about others.”
Regan, standing behind Marilyn, could barely contain her laughter.
“My advice is to mind your own business,” Marilyn said, her expression turning dark. She picked up her bag and walked out, her footsteps echoing in the empty space, filled with anger.
Regan quickly caught up with her. Before leaving, she glanced at the second floor where a man stood still. He had a straight posture and when he wasn’t smiling, he exuded sharpness and hostility. But now, as he stared in Callie’s direction, his eyes were filled with smiles.
As they left, the police chief expressed his gratitude. “Miss Marsh, thank you for giving me a way out just now. Or I wouldn’t have known how to refuse.”
“It was nothing,” Callie smiled. “You’re caught between the Oconnor Group and the Ellison family, and things are not easy to handle. I understand.”
He was taken aback by Callie’s keenness and wisdom.
Cyrus’s incident in prison was arranged by Nelson, and now he was unwilling to work for the Ellison family, which meant he had already chosen a side.
Callie saw through this and stepped forward.
“May I ask for a favor, Chief? I hope you don’t mind.”
The police chief realized what she meant and slapped his thigh with a laugh. “You’re a clever girl. Tell me, what do you want?”
Almost forgot, Callie was Nelson’s ex-wife and now had complicated relationships with various people. If she wasn’t smart, she wouldn’t have come this far.
“My request is easier than Miss Ellison’s. It shouldn’t put you in a difficult position.”
“Tell me what it is.”
Callie pondered for a moment. “There’s a police officer named Malachi in the Ylosea Police Station. He has been temporarily transferred to the Traffic Police Department. I would like to ask you to reinstate him to his original position and let him continue with criminal investigation.”
As soon as she said that, the police chief furrowed his brows tighter. “You know Malachi?”
“He worked on my case before. He’s a good cop.” She hoped that Malachi could continue investigating her father’s disappearance because he must have the most leads.
“Malachi… He faced some resistance recently and was temporarily reassigned, but he has already returned to his original position in criminal investigation,” the police chief explained.
Callie was surprised. “He’s back?”
“Yes, the investigation on him concluded, so naturally he returned. You asked for this favor for nothing,” he said with a smile.