In the courtyard, Callie was playing with Grape, their figures occupying all of Nelson’s attention. The weight in his heart lifted instantly.
“Hello? Mr. Oconnor…” Anthony’s voice came through the receiver. Nelson snapped back to reality. “It’s nothing,” he said hastily and hung up the phone.
Callie noticed him too. “You’re awake?” Her words carried a hint of formality and unfamiliarity that made Nelson uncomfortable.
Callie continued, “I have some things to handle, and I’ll take Grape to daycare later.” Her words clearly hinted at wanting him to leave.
“I’m fine, I can take care of Grape,” Nelson blurted out without hesitation. He walked over to Grape and picked her up. “You go ahead, I’ll take care of her.”
Callie was skeptical, imagining Nelson struggling with the child, which amused her slightly. “Are you sure?”
Nelson nodded firmly, looking into Grape’s eyes. “No problem.”
“Well, alright then.”
Callie had an appointment with a private detective. At ten in the morning, she arrived at the agreed location on time. Shortly after, a blond man in a black trench coat and black-framed sunglasses walked in.
“Miss Marsh, sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s fine, I just got here myself.”
The man sat down and got straight to the point. “Miss Marsh, regarding your father, I’ve found some leads…”
For the past two years, Callie had been searching for Reuben’s whereabouts without much progress. Now that there was news, she couldn’t help but feel excited. “Have you found Reuben?”
The man pulled out a thick file from his bag and handed it to Callie. “Miss Marsh, I’ve combed through almost every community in Switzerland. The Scarface you mentioned did appear in Switzerland two years ago. He came illegally and didn’t stay long due to lack of a visa-only about three months before he left.”
“What about my father? His disappearance is tied to Scarface. If Scarface was in Switzerland, could my father have been taken there too?”
“I’ve checked. He came to Switzerland alone; there were no traces of Reuben with him.”
A wave of disappointment washed over her. “How is that possible… Scarface clearly took Reuben!”
Callie felt the mystery was perplexing, as if the truth was being deliberately hidden.
“Miss Marsh, I understand how you feel. But all current investigations suggest that Reuben’s presence in Switzerland is highly unlikely.”
Callie’s eyes became vacant, feeling a surge of helplessness.
The man adjusted his glasses. “Miss Marsh, based on my years of experience, could it be that Scarface was just a red herring? We might have been looking in the wrong direction from the start.”
His conclusion was not baseless but derived from comprehensive information analysis.
“Are you saying my father isn’t in Switzerland? Then where could he be?”
Callie felt lost. For two years, she believed Reuben had been taken abroad by Scarface and might be in Switzerland.
But now she was being told that their initial direction might have been wrong…
“Miss Marsh, there’s a possibility that Reuben never left the country and has been at home all along…”