Chapter 431: I Figured Out This Woman’s Identity

Chapter 431: Chapter 431: I Figured Out This Woman’s Identity

Sean Hughes was slumped over his desk, his voice thick with exhaustion.

’Who would have thought a case we took on just because we were short-staffed would unravel into such a massive mess?’

"You must be exhausted. How did everything wrap up?" Zoe Sawyer asked, placing bubble teas in front of Sean Hughes and the others, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

After three consecutive days of intense tracking work, Vivian Dunn and Beau had received orders from Heath Hale and Evan Keller to keep a close eye on her. They insisted she needed to rest properly and was not allowed to use the door again.

Fortunately, over the past few days, the door hadn’t given her any warnings, and no particularly serious cases had come up.

And so, Zoe Sawyer had spent five days taking it easy at the office, finally seeing Sean Hughes and his team return.

Looking at the exhausted group, who seemed ready to drop and sleep right there on the floor, Zoe Sawyer and Vivian Dunn quickly served the bubble tea they had prepared earlier and asked for the latest developments in the case.

The others who had remained at the office also drew closer, eager to hear about the outcome.

Because they had managed to sleep a little on the drive back, Sean Hughes and the others were in relatively good spirits.

After hearing Zoe’s question, Sean Hughes took a large swig of his bubble tea before laying out the case’s final developments for them.

Since it was a raid, the buyers had no time to react, making it easy for Sean Hughes and his team to rescue the victims.

Most of the victims sold were women, but there were also many children, just like those rescued from the Yorke Family. All of them had been trafficked from abroad by Boss Yorke’s men.

The families of the small number of domestic victims have been found, and arrangements have been made for them to be taken home.

The buyers were mostly old bachelors from remote areas who couldn’t find wives. After purchasing their victims, they subjected them to relentless beatings, verbal abuse, and assault. When Sean Hughes led the team in, they even picked up farm tools to resist.

On several occasions, they came close to injuring the officers.

These buyers purchased trafficked women and children, and also committed illegal imprisonment and rape. With multiple convictions, they won’t be getting out for at least a decade, likely more.

As for their neighbors, those who knew but failed to report it, those who obstructed the rescue, and those who acted as accomplices were all sentenced to between three and ten years, depending on their crime.

The thugs who helped Gary Dawson by guarding the casino and acting as lookouts were charged as accomplices to "operating an illegal gambling establishment." Their individual sentences varied, but the crime was deemed severe due to its long duration and broad impact.

However, considering the leads they provided, the court granted them some leniency and slightly reduced their sentences.

Aside from restitution and fines, each person was sentenced to a minimum of two and a maximum of five years in prison.

As for Gary Dawson, Ms. Yorke, and the other ringleaders, the severity of their offenses led to them being transferred to a higher-security prison. They’re not getting out for the rest of their lives.

As for their finances, all of their gray-area income was confiscated, while the revenue from their legitimate businesses was used to compensate the victims they had trafficked.

"What about the children?" Vivian Dunn asked curiously.

"The domestic cases are one thing—they can be sent home. But what about the ones from abroad?"

"Some were taken by local thugs or gangs, but a good number of them were sold by their own families."

"If we send them back rashly, won’t they just be trafficked a second time?"

"How is that any different from sending a lamb back into a tiger’s den?"

Heath Hale pulled a chair over to sit beside Zoe Sawyer, draping his arm over the back of her chair as he joined in. "First, we’ll let them recover from their injuries here. Then we’ll use the funds confiscated from the Yorke Family to compensate them.

"Before sending them back, we’ll ask for their input. Whether they want to return home or go somewhere else will be their own decision to make."

"There’s no way we’d send back the people we worked so hard to rescue without first getting a clear picture of their situation."

After hearing the whole story, Zoe Sawyer and the others let out a long sigh of relief. ’All that matters is that it’s handled.’

"So what’s the final word on Kai Thorne?" Sean Hughes asked.

Gary Dawson’s case was resolved, so what was the resolution for Kai Thorne?

Kai Thorne committed premeditated murder and tried to mislead the police, so a heavy sentence was unavoidable.

What Sean Hughes was really curious about were the remaining details.

"Eliza Lynch filed for divorce. She’s getting custody of the child, and Kai Thorne is being left with none of their assets.

"However, Eliza Lynch is the one paying compensation to Marcus Thompson’s two children. The money will be transferred directly into bank accounts under Chloe Thompson’s and her sister’s names," Zoe Sawyer briefly explained the results of the Kai Thorne case.

When Eliza Lynch learned the full story of the case, including the actions of both Marcus Thompson and Kai Thorne, she clutched her child, squatted next to a trash can, and threw up.

She never expected it. She thought her husband had just turned bad, but in reality, that person wasn’t her husband at all.

But what had happened had happened. More words were futile. Compensation still had to be paid.

Eliza Lynch looked down on Catherine Miller and was repulsed by her past actions.

So, she requested a police escort to open a separate bank account for each of Chloe Thompson and her sister, and then to transfer the compensation money to the two girls.

However, since both sisters were minors, the assets under their names would still have to be managed by Catherine Miller.

Eliza Lynch’s request was purely to spite the other woman.

After compensating Chloe Thompson and her sister, Eliza Lynch held her child and met with Kai Thorne one last time, then found an agent and put their house up for sale.

She wasn’t going to live there anymore. It was better to sell it as soon as possible, take the money, and leave with her child to start over in a new city.

Zoe Sawyer, Sean Hughes, and the others exchanged final details about the cases. Seeing their weary faces, Zoe didn’t want to delay them any further and quickly urged everyone to head back to their dorms to rest.

’There aren’t any pressing cases right now, so it’s more important to take this chance to rest!’

"In that case, we’ll trouble you to keep watch. We’re going to get some sleep," Sean Hughes didn’t object. Looking at his obviously exhausted team members, he said his goodbyes to Zoe and her group, and then his team dispersed to their dorms.

Heath Hale stared at Zoe Sawyer’s profile for a long moment. Finally, he stood up, slapped his own cheeks, and said he was heading back too before leaving.

Early the next morning, when Zoe Sawyer arrived, she saw Evan Keller sitting at his desk, his face beaming with excitement.

"Zoe, perfect timing! I’ve made a major breakthrough!" Evan Keller spotted Zoe Sawyer standing at the office entrance and excitedly waved her over, gesturing for her to hurry. ℴ

"What kind of breakthrough?" Zoe Sawyer asked, walking quickly over to Evan Keller’s side with a curious expression.

Evan Keller pulled out a police sketch and placed it in front of her. "Do you recognize this person?" he asked.

"Her?" Zoe Sawyer took a closer look. ’Isn’t this the woman who got kicked to the ground and humiliated by having her face stepped on by that female gang boss?’

As this thought crossed her mind, she asked out loud, "I remember her. Why? Is the major breakthrough you mentioned about her?"

Evan Keller slammed his hand on the desk in excitement. "Yes! I’ve figured out who this woman is!

"We were looking in the wrong direction from the very beginning!"