Chapter 120: Capture
"This is a huge loss," Frank thought, surveying the chaos in the bedroom. It felt as if his own belongings had been stolen.
He was puzzled about why the butler, who seemed fine, suddenly decided to clear out and flee. The butler had stolen from Joseph, a billionaire, and escape seemed impossible. The police, especially in a capitalistic society, would be as efficient as the police in some places in China, where they search the entire city for a foreigner's lost bicycle.
Moreover, the butler's betrayal would not only lead to imprisonment but also ruin his career. No one would hire a butler known for stealing from his employer.
Even if the butler fled abroad, Joseph could have easily placed a bounty to hire detectives or hitmen to find him.
However, Frank was unaware that the butler wasn't a professional butler at all. He was one of Joseph's trusted aides, raised along his path to wealth, without any professional ethics.
With Joseph's empire crumbling, the butler took the opportunity to escape with jewelry and valuables worth millions, enough for a comfortable life.
Not comprehending the full situation, Frank was nonetheless eager to see if anything valuable had been left behind.
He rummaged through the mess in the master bedroom, hoping to find something the butler had overlooked.
His eyes were immediately drawn to the open safe on the wall, previously hidden by a large painting now askew.
The safe's contents were gone, its door left ajar. Scattered on the floor were an open notebook and some empty boxes and cushions, apparently deemed worthless by the butler.
Frank picked up the notebook and glanced through it, discovering it to be Joseph's diary.
He hadn't known Joseph kept a diary.
Pocketing the diary, Frank continued his search but found nothing of value.
Being Joseph's confidant, the butler managed all household affairs and was even aware of the demon. He likely knew more about the valuables' locations than Joseph himself.
"Ah!" A maid's startled cry came from the doorway, and Frank turned to see her standing there.
"Wait, let me explain," Frank quickly said.
Chaos ensued, and Frank found himself surrounded by servants and maids, accused of being a thief. The commotion even drew the estate's security.
Despite being searched thoroughly, nothing incriminating was found on Frank, and the butler was nowhere to be found.
Frank insisted that it was the butler who had stolen everything and fled, but the others didn't believe him, assuming the butler was on an errand.
With no leadership, the group decided to call the police. Frank supported the decision, believing the police would clear his name.
As soon as they called, sirens blared outside the mansion.
"What's going on?" Everyone was bewildered, seeing a dozen police cars, along with vehicles from the FBI, CIA, and tax authorities, and even media reporters outside.
"Arrest everyone," the police ordered, storming the estate and detaining everyone.
Within half an hour, the entire estate was sealed off.
"Wait, what's happening?" Frank asked.
Amidst the chaos, no one paid attention to Frank as he was shoved into a police car.
Not only Frank but his drunken companions from Chicago, as well as all the maids and servants, were taken into custody.
They were detained for a full day and night, questioned one by one, mainly about their origins and occupations.
After a day, Frank finally learned what had happened: Joseph had gone bankrupt, was deeply in debt, and was dead. All his assets were seized.
Whether Joseph's death was suicide or murder remained unknown; he was simply dead.
"This is karma working fast," Frank marveled.
Barely half a day after sending the demon back to hell, everything had unraveled—Joseph's billionaire status collapsed, and his death caught everyone off guard.
This left Frank acutely aware of the demon's true power and terror.
"You're free to go," a police officer said, opening Frank's cell door just as he was reflecting.
Frank, along with the servants, was released. The police had determined that Joseph's situation was unrelated to them.
However, Frank's companions remained detained. They were still intoxicated and under the influence when arrested, with drugs openly displayed on the table.
After testing positive for substances, they couldn't be released. Their fate was uncertain to Frank.
Frank, having tested negative, was released without issue.
Upon leaving the station, Frank retrieved his belongings, which amounted to a few books and nothing else.
The gold, jewelry, and other valuables, including those Frank had hidden in his underwear, were confiscated.
The books were his only possessions, considered of no real value by the police compared to the jewelry.
Standing on the bustling streets of New York, holding only a few books and without a cent to his name, Frank felt lost in the unfamiliar city.
Despite brief visits to New York, he had always been chauffeured around, never exploring on his own.
New York, vast and complex, was not a city easily navigated without guidance.
To Frank, it remained a foreign city, leaving him uncertain of where to go next.
(End of Chapter)