A New Beginning

Chapter 98: Tips and Troubles

Chapter 98: Tips and Troubles

Emma hands Sybil to Peter and races back to the room everyone had been waiting in. She pulls out a notepad and pencil and jots down what Susan Hockley had told her—information that could be the key to rescuing their friends and finally putting Caledon behind bars for good.

Everyone looks on confused at what Emma had said. Peter hurries to catch up with her.

"Emma, what are you doing?"

"Does it have something to do with the case?" Joel inquires as well. He's wondering if this young woman was able to get more information than his hour-long torture session with an angry millionaire with a filthy mouth and the foulest disposition he's ever encountered... and he arrests people for a living. While he should feel embarrassed that someone who was not an officer was able to get something when he couldn't, he didn't. If it would help bring Jack and his beloved pregnant (should be) wife back home safely, nothing else mattered, including his pride. He also greatly respected Emma and Peter, seeing how they handled themselves professionally during the investigations, despite Emma's occasional outbursts against the chief, but no one could blame her for that. Joel could see why Jack was friends with these people as they were just as passionate and compassionate as he was, free thinkers and strong-willed.

"Yes," she responds.

She finishes writing down the locations and hands them over to Joel.

"What is this?" he asks.

"Locations of the additional Hockley properties," Emma says, beaming proudly. "Of course, rich people have more than one place to live."

"Ye got that right," Molly chimes in. "And it costs an arm and a leg to maintain them, too. I always told J.J. we didn't need six other places to stay. All we needed was Denver and New York. When do I ever go to Lake Geneva in Wisconsin? Nothing against the folks there, but I only visit once, maybe twice a year and that's when the weather is good."

"What will that do for the case?" Ruth butts in, very skeptical about how this information would help find her daughter.

Emma answers while she writes everything down. "Susan said that these might be places that Cal would escape to..."

"Their main home is in Philadelphia, but they have homes in Maine, Virginia, Illinois, and California," she says.

Joel gazes down in amazement. This was a big break for the case, and it needed to report to the chief.

"This... this is great, Emma... are you sure you don't want to be a detective?"

"Thanks, I have enough on my plate running my father's law firm," Emma says. "I help with the convictions, you put them behind bars."

"All right, but seriously, she gave you more than I could get out of the screaming Hockley man."

"Sometimes the best information comes from a woman, Sonny," Molly smirks.

"I'm going to report this to the chief," Joel says. "Hopefully, we can do some searches for these homes. Possibly smoke out Cal."

Emma's heart flutters with excitement and anticipation. This could be it... the way to save Jack and Rose.

Once Joel disappears, Emma turns to the others and shrugs. "All I did was listen and show her some kindness in a difficult time."

"Sometimes that's all it takes, Honey," Molly agrees. "Women like that don't have a voice in the world that they live in, so the once in a lightning strike's time that someone will hear you out, it's always nice to be listened to."