"Helping out is a minor issue, but can you explain what exactly a 'wild night' is first?" Jack's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Danny glanced awkwardly at Jack's new partner, Jim Aubrey, who was standing beside him with wide, innocent eyes. Turning away, Danny lowered his voice to explain.
"We had this agreement—every so often, we'd send the kids off to stay with their grandparents and then go to a nice hotel for a great weekend getaway. You know, the kind with no interruptions and complete freedom."
Danny's face reddened slightly as he continued, "It's been crazy busy lately, and I've already missed several of these 'wild nights.' This time, Linda gave me an ultimatum."
Jack instantly understood. "Ah, so it's like the 'game nights' Hannah and I have." He wasn't sure if Danny had genuinely been too busy or if the man had been feeling a little... less energetic these days.
He patted Danny on the shoulder with a grin. "We're all friends here, of course, I'll help. By the way, have you been drinking that goji berry tea I recommended?"
Danny looked a bit embarrassed. "I completely forgot about it. Is it too late to start today?"
Jack casually cast a small healing spell, giving Danny an unseen buff, then smiled mysteriously. "Maybe. Double the dosage—it might work." He could already picture Danny treating those little red berries like sacred artifacts after tomorrow.
After this brief exchange of middle-aged man banter, they walked to the roadside near the hospital's main entrance, where NYPD officers had already cordoned off the area with police tape.
"The suspect is male, average build, possibly around 5'10'' (180 cm), wearing gloves, armed with a handgun, and with his face covered by a ski mask.
According to eyewitnesses, the victim initially thought it was a robbery and even took out her wallet."
As Danny spoke, he stopped by a small yellow evidence marker on the ground, next to which lay a brown Gucci handbag. "The kidnapper threw the wallet aside. I checked earlier; the victim's phone is still in the bag."
Jack put on gloves and retrieved the phone from the handbag, only to find it password-locked. He glanced at Jim Aubrey, who had already prepared an evidence bag and brought it over.
Not far away, a pink wallet lay on the ground, also marked by an evidence marker. Jack inspected the handbag and wallet thoroughly. The victim's ID, credit cards, and cash were all there, along with some random items like lipstick and other small personal effects.
After securing everything in evidence bags, Jack continued asking questions. "Was the victim alone at the time?"
Danny shook his head. "She was with a male companion—either a friend, a colleague, or maybe someone pursuing her romantically. Doesn't really matter. That poor guy is in the ER right now.
The kidnapper pistol-whipped him, breaking his head open, and then shoved Nicole Wright into the trunk of a gray BMW before driving off."
"Did he provide any leads? Maybe he saw or heard something?" Jack glanced at Danny's notepad, already guessing that the answer wouldn't be detailed since the notes didn't even fill half a page. Still, he had to ask.
"The BMW's license plate had been removed. The guy with Nicole is Adam Lee, a young intern working at the same hospital. I just came from the ER before you arrived.
The guy was completely terrified. He couldn't even describe what the kidnapper was wearing—just kept repeating that he had a gun pointed at his head."
Danny closed his notepad and gave Jack a knowing look, as if to say, "That's all I've got."
"Sounds like someone just lost their chance to woo a rich, beautiful woman," Jim Aubrey muttered under his breath.
"Saving the damsel in distress only works if you survive the encounter," Jack replied, slightly exasperated. Based on the victim's ID, Nicole Wright was in her early thirties, fairly attractive, and reportedly came from a wealthy family. As a doctor, she indeed fit the definition of a "rich and beautiful woman."
"Okay, I'll leave this to you. My partner, Jackie, will handle follow-ups and coordination. Let me know if you make any progress," Danny said, looking completely at ease as he handed the case over.
Jack waved him off and, together with Jim Aubrey, circled around the crime scene. Luck was on their side—there were several traffic cameras near the hospital entrance.
Seeing Jack preparing to leave, the newbie looked puzzled. "Uh, aren't we going to question the witnesses and that guy in the ER again?"
"There's no need for now. Danny has more experience with on-site investigations than both of us combined, and the NYPD has a great working relationship with us. You'll see when we get back."
Sure enough, as Jack had predicted, by the time they returned to the operations center, the NYPD had already sent over formal witness statements, crime scene photos, and traffic camera footage. Their efficiency was impressive.
"Has anyone checked into the victim's background yet?" Jack asked, quickly finishing a burger he'd grabbed on the way back and washing it down with a gulp of Coke. "A case is no excuse to skip meals—if you miss this one, who knows when the next chance to eat will come?"
Jim Aubrey, a fellow foodie, seemed to share Jack's philosophy. Before joining the FBI, he'd worked on Wall Street, and though he hadn't been back in New York for years, he still remembered all the best street food spots. He had recommended the burger they'd just eaten, and it didn't disappoint.
Jubal, uncharacteristically, wasn't in his usual spot in front of the big screen. Instead, he was holed up in a small office, busy with something unknown. So Jack went straight to Alice Taylor, a tech specialist he often worked with.
"Nicole Wright is a senior anesthesiologist," Alice began, flipping through some documents. "She works at Hope General Hospital, which has no lawsuits or warnings flagged. She has a good reputation among patients and the community.
She doesn't seem to have any active social media accounts, and there's no sign of her using dating apps. Her life appears simple and busy—pretty much like my doctor friend."
Alice, the office "goddess" among the computer geeks, was both beautiful and charming. Despite being a single mom, she had countless admirers, though none had the courage to approach her.
"Did the hospital provide any information? Like unreported conflicts or difficult patients?" Jack asked.
Alice shook her head. "The hospital said Nicole is well-liked. She keeps her relationships with colleagues professional and hasn't had any recent trouble, as far as anyone knows."
Jack turned to Jim Aubrey, who was still devouring his food. This guy's appetite rivaled Jack's—he had already polished off two burgers.
Sensing Jack's gaze, Aubrey quickly downed several gulps of water to clear his mouth before speaking. "Nicole Wright is a young, wealthy, and attractive doctor. Based on eyewitness accounts, the kidnapper's target was very clear—it was her.
The kidnapping happened in broad daylight, in a public place, and the perpetrator acted aggressively. This is unusual. By now, her family should have received a ransom call."
Impressed by Aubrey's quick thinking, Jack gave him an approving nod. "Make sure the agents watching her family stay sharp. We can't have another situation where the family secretly negotiates with the kidnapper behind our backs."
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