The outdoor press conference was still in progress. Dana Molle exchanged a look with Jack, and the two of them quietly left the scene.
"Any thoughts?" Dana's question was straightforward but ambiguous at first.
"A resilient veteran, but far from stubborn. He's tactful and resourceful, flexible in thinking yet unwavering in his principles. He may seem devoid of political ambition, yet he's like a lion, fiercely guarding his territory."
Jack provided a quick profile of Frank Reagan, wondering if this was some sort of test.
Dana nodded with satisfaction. "Exactly. Dealing with him is simple—just make him believe you're approaching him sincerely."
"Uh, thanks." Jack recognized this as guidance from his boss. He had mentioned earlier that he planned to visit the Reagan household.
Whoever said Westerners weren't subtle? Her words were tactful yet clear. What exactly does "sincerity" mean? Maybe helping Reagan's son solve a high-profile case would be a good start.
He hadn't forgotten her earlier words on the phone: "Someone wants to make a mountain out of a molehill this time."
Adding to the reporters he'd seen at the crime scene, it seemed someone intended to use this child abduction case as ammunition against the NYPD—or, more directly, against Frank Reagan.
The reporter, Miguel, had practically broadcasted that he was there to criticize the NYPD, questioning if the police only prioritized cases involving the wealthy. He had conveniently ignored the fact that the detective on the case was also named Reagan. Of course, in the event the case dragged on or ended tragically, the media would likely pounce with sensational headlines like "Father Fails His Son."
Even if the case ended positively, with the girl rescued in time, they might still spin it as a simple case, implying nepotism as the father helped his son gain recognition.
This reporter was merely a pawn used to stir up public sentiment. Dana Molle must have been tipped off and had hinted at the involvement of the mayor. Jack started to understand.
"Someone wants to undermine the mayor's support while sowing discord between him and Frank Reagan?"
Dana paused, then turned back with a smile. "You certainly know how to surprise me, Jack. I thought you might think the mayor wanted to use this to put Reagan in check. After all, I hinted at it."
Jack saw right through her. The supposed "tension" between the mayor and Frank Reagan, and any notion of Reagan's ambitions, were intentional misdirections.
Politics was always about interests. This mayor had just proposed slashing the NYPD budget. To then leverage a high-profile child abduction case to scrutinize the NYPD would be counterintuitive, given his need for public support.
The forces behind this media push were undoubtedly the mayor's rivals or opponents. This looming media storm appeared directed at the NYPD but was a veiled strike against the mayor, with multiple goals in play.
The longer the case dragged on, the more pressure the mayor would exert on the NYPD, both publicly and privately. Meanwhile, from the NYPD's perspective, this looked like a classic case of demanding results without resources, fostering inevitable resentment and deepening the rift.
Jack cracked a smile. "It seems that Davidson from the news station might be a supporter of Frank Reagan."
Dana nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
"You said Reagan aims to go further, yet the police commissioner role requires the mayor's endorsement. Clearly, Reagan isn't eager to tie himself to the current mayor, who has a limited term. Davidson's challenging questions seem like a subtle reminder to the mayor that he should approach the NYPD, and its leader, with the 'right' attitude."
"Exactly. You've got it, Jack. Now go do what you're best at: find that poor girl and end this before it spirals out of control. If you pull it off, you won't even need a bouquet when you visit the Reagans—they'll be more than pleased with you."
With that, Dana stepped into the elevator, presumably heading up to Frank Reagan's office, while Jack took the stairs back down to the second floor.
"Any good news?" Danny asked, slouched at his desk and gesturing at the FBI agents occupying half the office.
"They've gone over the family's neighbors with the RTCC, but the most suspicious guy is already locked up on Riker's Island."
"Then keep digging," Jack replied nonchalantly. He'd seen cases with far fewer initial leads.
As night deepened, they cleared all registered offenders in the neighborhood, but despite ongoing monitoring of traffic footage, they lost track of the suspect near the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Maybe we should try another approach." Traditional investigation methods weren't yielding results, so Jack picked up the phone to call Mike Taylor in CSI for an update.
As the phone rang, he heard the same ringtone coming from the hallway. Moments later, Mike Taylor walked in.
"Heard you were looking for me?"
He grinned at Jack, holding up his phone before tossing a clear evidence bag containing a doll onto the desk.
Jack caught the doll, noting Taylor's expression and sensing a breakthrough. He accidentally pressed the doll's stomach, triggering a childlike voice saying, "Change my clothes; I had an accident!"
"Did you find DNA or fingerprints? Or did your fancy machines finally pick up some trace evidence?"
Taylor kept smiling and shook his head. "We didn't find anything."
"Huh?" Danny, who had been eating a slice of pizza, looked baffled. If they'd found nothing, why the confident smile?
"This doll is too clean. Apart from some grime from the storm drain, we found no trace evidence."
Danny swallowed his bite, visibly disappointed. "Figures. The guy must have used it to lure the girl into his car. He was probably wearing gloves, avoiding any clues."
But as he watched Taylor's unchanged expression, a thought occurred to him. "Is there something special about this 'change-me' doll?"
"Exactly." Taylor pulled out a report. "This doll is a sample from a Chinese toy company. It hasn't been released to the market yet. I called in a favor with someone who knows Mandarin, and they gave me a list. Only three people on the East Coast have this doll."
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