"Calm down, calm down," Jack called out, trailing behind Daniel, who was dashing toward the parking lot. "We still have time. A single necklace isn't enough to convict; we need more information."
"You drive," Daniel replied, already pulling out his phone. "I'll call the Tampa police on the way and try to reach the missing girl's family. We need details on that necklace—if we can confirm it's the same one, my sister might be able to prevent the judge from releasing Donald Benz."
Daniel positioned himself in front of Jack's Dodge Hellcat. The detectives' cars were shared between day and night shifts, and ever since pairing up with Jack, Daniel had made it a point to avoid his own rundown vehicle whenever possible.
An hour later, Jack and Daniel found themselves once more at the front door of the modest two-story house in Long Island.
"Just because I said my husband's a jerk doesn't mean he's a monster. What you're implying is something I can't accept," said Maudrey Benz, standing in the doorway just as before, clutching the cross necklace at her chest. Her fingers instinctively rubbed the pearls embedded in it, a nervous habit much like some people fidget with their clothes when anxious.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Benz," Daniel said. "Given the time constraints, we're still investigating other missing cases. We're not yet certain how many young girls your husband may have abducted, but it seems likely that both Theresa and the Florida girl are not his only victims."
Daniel wasn't bluffing. After an entire night of piecing together scattered clues, they had solid evidence pointing to Donald Benz as the culprit. What they lacked was conclusive evidence, like this cross necklace.
Garcia had also found two additional files on missing girls from Catholic families, both from Florida. The case had even caught the attention of the BAU. As they'd gotten out of the car, Jack had received a call from Hotchner, asking if they needed backup, with the Gulfstream on standby for immediate departure.
Refocusing on the evidence, Jack knew that once they confirmed the necklace, they might not even need the FBI's involvement.
"Mrs. Benz, Detective Reagan just spoke with the missing girl's parents. Her name was Kathy, engraved on the back of the cross."
Maudrey's eyes widened, her pupils contracting as she instinctively clutched the cross tighter. "He said there's an engraving because it's an antique necklace," she murmured, though she seemed stunned by her own words, suddenly appearing visibly deflated. It was clear to Jack she had no knowledge of her husband's actions and was genuinely shocked.
"Mrs. Benz, we need to take the necklace as evidence," Daniel said, growing impatient as she gripped it so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Startled out of her stupor, Maudrey quickly removed the necklace, practically thrusting it into Daniel's hands as if it burned her. Tears filled her eyes. "Please, please tell her parents...I didn't know…"
Even though her words were hesitant, Jack and Daniel understood exactly what she was trying to say.
Daniel held the cross in his palm and flipped it over, revealing the engraved name "Kathy," the letters gleaming in the sunlight.
---
"Yes, that's correct. I'm Irene Reagan from the Manhattan District Attorney's office. I'd like you to initiate special procedures to extradite Donald Benz to Florida and charge him with murder. Yes, we've found the cross necklace Kathy McDonald was wearing when she went missing five years ago. Donald Benz gave it to his wife. Furthermore, Tampa police just found the girl's body in a storage unit in Orlando, leased by Donald Benz under the alias 'Monsignor Nicholas,' just as he did here in New York. Thank you very much."
Irene Reagan hung up and smiled at her brother.
"All set?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Irene replied, letting out a sigh of relief as she reached out for a congratulatory high-five.
"Told you I'd get it done," Daniel said, proudly lifting his chin, looking smug.
"Thank you for looking after my idiot brother." Irene ignored his boasting and extended a hand to Jack.
"Daniel's a solid partner," Jack replied sincerely. While Daniel could be a bit rough around the edges, he had a strong sense of justice and wasn't one to get bogged down by protocol. He was someone Jack could trust to watch his back.
But as he thought of Daniel's quirks, Jack suddenly remembered something: he had almost forgotten his actual partner.
Castle had given him an invitation to a party tonight, and of course, he'd need a date for the event. Coincidentally, Hannah was arriving in New York today, so he'd sent her the time and location. But after getting back from Long Island and diving into the case's latest developments, Jack had completely forgotten about it. Glancing at the time, he saw he'd just barely make it.
With a quick farewell to the bickering siblings, Jack left the assistant district attorney's office, hearing Daniel call out after him with a smirk, "I think Florida has the death penalty, right?"
---
For the first time since arriving in New York, Jack took the subway. True to its reputation, the New York subway was strewn with garbage, and fearless rats darted around. The hurrying office workers and stylishly dressed women seemed almost out of place in the dingy, history-laden subway stations.
Taking the steps up in a few strides, Jack emerged from the subway station and took a deep breath. He immediately felt better, as the stench of urine inside had been unbearable. He couldn't tell if New Yorkers were desensitized to it or if their sense of smell had just adapted over time.
He glanced at his phone to check the time and felt relieved; he was still on schedule.
The party venue was not far from the American Museum of Natural History. As Jack walked past the marble pillars in Romanesque style, he glanced up, mentally noting to visit the museum someday.
While it wasn't as famous as the Metropolitan Museum, Jack felt a certain familiarity with the Natural History Museum; it was where one of his favorite movies, Night at the Museum, was filmed. He couldn't help but wonder if the equestrian statue of Theodore Roosevelt at the entrance would resemble Robin Williams. If it did, that would be quite the sight to see.
------------------
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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