Los Angeles Legendary Sleuth

"Why would she do such a thing?"

York said, "Betty's mother is a career woman who devotes most of her energy to work and has little time to spend with Betty.

Especially after her parents divorced, Betty saw even less of her mother.

They live in the same city, which would make meeting up quite convenient, but Betty's mother is too busy.

Even when they do meet, the time they spend together isn't long; her mother either has to leave for some matter halfway through or is busy taking calls.

This made Betty feel neglected, and she was angry and upset about it.

Especially seeing other children with their mothers by their sides, Betty felt a deep sense of injustice.

She's only twelve and, too, longs for her mother to be by her side like her classmates and friends.

Although her father and nanny are very kind to her, it's just not the same feeling.

So... Betty thought of using this method to blackmail her mother, to get her to give up her demanding job and spend more time with her."

"Why would she have you send a threatening email?"

York pursed his lips, "Betty didn't want people to know the threat came from her.

We're good friends, and she knows I'm great with computers. So she asked for my help to conceal the email's origin.

She was sitting right next to me when I sent it; it was just a prank, nothing to do with me, and certainly nothing to do with my parents."

Luke took notes on his notepad, "What happened after you sent the threatening email?"

York recalled for a moment and said, "At first, the email seemed to work.

Betty soon received a call from her mother, who asked if she was safe and where she was.

It was evident that her mother cared about her; Betty was so happy she stayed cheerful for several days just because of that call.

But later on, nothing changed; her mother was still very busy, only sometimes calling to check on her or sending gifts home—still no more time to spend with her.

I could sense that Betty was very hurt...

Disappointed is more like it."

Luke promptly asked, "So you guys concocted this kidnapping on your own?"

"What kidnapping? I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Now that it's come to this, you still want to hide the truth? Where is Betty?"

"I don't know, I'm telling the truth, I really don't know anything about a kidnapping..." York seemed to realize something, "Could it be that Betty has been kidnapped?"

"Yes, Betty was kidnapped the night before last, right in her own home."

"Oh my gosh, that's terrifying, how could this happen? Haven't you found her yet?"

Luke stared at his expression, "That's exactly why we're here, to find out where she is."

Cesar Gegil quickly said, "Hey, there must be some misunderstanding here; my son couldn't be involved in a kidnapping case, you must be mistaken." Cesar then looked to his son, "York, you better clarify things quickly; this is serious."

York was also somewhat nervous, "Sir, I assure you, I really don't know about Betty's kidnapping. I'm a good friend of hers; I wouldn't do anything to harm her."

Luke could not see any obvious signs of lying, but he also didn't want to underestimate the boy—today's children are smarter than you think, and while they may not have a full understanding of the world like adults, they can be just as sharp in certain areas and ways of thinking.

"When was the last time you saw Betty?"

"The day before yesterday; we're classmates, and she said goodbye to me after school."

"Did she seem unusual at the time?"

"Not that I recall."

Luke asked tentatively, "Since the last threatening letter, has Betty exhibited any other unusual behavior, or tried to improve her relationship with her mother in some way?"

"No, she seems to have given up."

"Do you think she could have staged her own kidnapping to get her mother's attention?"

York shook his head, "Impossible; Betty is a smart girl and wouldn't do something so foolish."

Luke was skeptical; if she could come up with a threatening letter, how clever could she be?

"Can you contact Betty now?"

"Betty doesn't have a phone; we usually chat on the computer through software.

She didn't come to school yesterday, and I asked the teacher about it.

The teacher told me she had taken leave, and I even asked her on the computer why she took the day off, but she didn't respond."

Luke hadn't found a computer in Betty's home during the search, possibly taken by the kidnappers.

He then asked for the messaging software they used and their account names.

After writing them down and highlighting the key points, Luke continued, "Besides you, does Betty have any other close friends at school?"

"Betty gets along well with a few girls."

"Their names?"

"Joanna Sandy, Ashara Boss, and Mevis Cardo; Betty often hangs out with them."

"Were these three girls at school yesterday and today?"

"Yes."

"Anything out of the ordinary?"

"I don't remember anything."

Luke noted the three girls' names, as it was essential to conduct a specific investigation at the school. Since Betty had a history of sending threatening letters to her mother, it was also possible she might stage her own kidnapping.

A girl her age would be highly trusting of her friends and likely tell her closest confidantes.

York asked, "Sir, do I need to go to jail?"