Hearing this, Jack couldn't help but take a second look. This little girl was extraordinary strong; not only was she calm-headed, but she also possessed a resilient and patient character. In that situation, there weren't many adults who could achieve what she did.
"Do you rember his place?" Hannah pressed.
Kara nodded. "I've been trying to rember the details of the house. I know he has a girlfriend nad Winnie, and they talk on the phone occasionally. I also heard them agree to go to Disneyland on the 20th, and he wrote the hotel na on the calendar. Oh, and I also rembered his family doctor's na and phone number, Greg Newbrin, 803-555-6714."
"But I was too scared when I ran away to stay. I didn't recognize the neighborhood. I only rember it was a gray bungalow with a red brick roof. I didn't see the house number."
"I was so scared, constantly worried that he would find and shoot . I could only keep running. I'm so sorry, sob...sob...sob."
"It's okay, it's okay, darling. You did a great job. You're an amazing girl, you know?" Hannah hugged Kara and comforted her softly, glancing back at Jack.
Jack nodded, his face ashen, indicating that he had recorded all the details. Suddenly, the hospital room door was flung open, and a furious roar erupted from outside: "Get away from my daughter, you damn cops!"
A brightly dressed middle-aged couple burst into the room. The blonde woman, who bore a resemblance to Kara, rushed to her daughter and began to weep uncontrollably. The father, with his graying hair, angrily pointed at the door and yelled at Jack and Hannah: "Get out! We don't need you bastards here! You have no right to harass my daughter until my lawyer arrives!"
Hannah tried to calm them down: "Sir, please calm down. We just want to help Kara. There's another girl in danger. We need leads to find the kidnapper as soon as possible."
But they continued to roar: "Leads? Now you know what kind of bullshit leads you need? We ca to you, offered you so many leads, begged for your help, and you wouldn't even issue an Amber Alert!"
"And now my daughter has been defiled like this, she's lost her purity." He even turned to the girl and began to complain, "Damn it, Kara, I warned you long ago to stay away from your slutty friends, and look at you now."
Before he could finish, Jack grabbed the him by the collar, dragged him out of the ward, and pinned him against the wall outside, staring into his eyes as he spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Sir, I understand how you feel right now, but Kara is a smart and good girl. She's been doing everything she can to survive, just to see her family again."
"I don't care if you're so conservative Catholic family or if you value so damned chastity, she's still your daughter. If I hear you utter another word that insults your daughter, don't bla for being ruthless."
The middle-aged man was quite burly, about the sa height as Jack, and was now being lifted up and pinned against the wall by Jack with one hand. He was montarily at a loss, while Hannah watched coldly from the side, seemingly ready to take matters into her own hands at the slightest provocation.
"Jack, that's enough." Commander Gray, accompanied by two unfamiliar detectives, hurriedly arrived after being called by Carrie. They had witnessed the entire scene, so he only intervened out of his position.
Carrie's face was frosty, and her words were blunt, clearly indicating her displeasure with the father's earlier remarks.
"Mr. Robinson, I'm warning you, this is a hospital. If I hear you making a scene here again, I will imdiately notify hospital security to have you thrown out."
"Furthermore, please refrain from making any inappropriate comnts that could affect my patient's emotional state. This child has suffered inhuman abuse, but she hasn't been..."
Carrie seed to realize she had misspoken, paused, and continued, "What she needs most right now is the care of her family, not your unreasonable accusations."
Commander Gray's expression was equally unfriendly, his eyes filled with contempt as he looked at the father.
"Mr. Robinson, I also have a daughter your age. If this happened to , I would simply stay by her side and help her through this difficult ti."
He paused, then continued, "There are other parents outside who are even more anxious than you. Their precious daughter is still missing. If you have any sense, you should do everything you can to help the police find that beast. You seem like a respectable businessman; you surely want to resolve this matter quickly, rather than attracting reporters and causing a public uproar."
Jack thought to himself, 'As expected of a commander, this is a masterful combination of persuasion and threat. He uses moral blackmail while subtly threatening him.' As he thought this, his gaze inadvertently swept over Carrie's right hand, noticing sothing missing from her ring finger.
Sure enough, Mr. Robinson opened his mouth with difficulty but said nothing more. At the sa ti, Mrs. Robinson, wiping her red and swollen eyes, ca out to help her husband out of the predicant.
"I'm so sorry, everyone. My husband was just acting impulsively. He was too concerned about Kara. Kara is our only daughter, and we called the police the mont she went missing."
"But the two detectives behind you refused to investigate further, citing reasons such as the lack of witnesses. They claid that teenagers this age are prone to running away from ho, so I hope you can understand my husband's rudeness."
Mrs. Robinson was clearly much more emotionally intelligent than her husband. Although equally dissatisfied, her tone was neither humble nor arrogant, and she shifted the bla to the two newly arrived detectives.
The others fell silent. Carrie led the couple back into the ward, while Commander Gray introduced the two detectives behind him to his two subordinates with a helpless expression.
"These two are Detectives Motta and Peggy from the Major Cris Division."
Detective Motta was a short, stout, balding middle-aged white man with gray hair and a small mustache. Detective Peggy beside him was a mixed-race African Arican woman with an afro.
Hannah eagerly inquired, "Have you found out the identity of the girl nad Emma?"
Clearly, Mrs. Robinson's earlier accusations had embarrassed Detective Motta, and for so unknown reason, he pointed at Hannah and Jack, mockingly spouting nonsense at Commander Gray.
"Excuse , are you just going to watch your two officers criticize our work?"
He clearly underestimated the commander's protectiveness towards his subordinates.
"I think they're very dedicated. On the contrary, if you had done your job properly, perhaps that child inside wouldn't have had to suffer for so long."
Seeing Commander Gray's direct retort, creating an awkward atmosphere, Detective Peggy glanced at her partner and quickly changed the subject.
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