Chapter 62

As soon as Ruben heard it was work-related, he straightened up and said, "We're still looking into Lally's whereabouts. We've got our colleagues in nearby cities, high-speed rail stations, bus stations, toll stations, airports, and all that jazz helping out. The moment they spot her, they'll let us know. We won't nab her right away; we'll tail her and see what's up."

He paused and continued, "We're also considering she might be hiding out with someone. We've been checking out the Entertainment Club, her neighbors, and anyone she might've been in contact with, peeling back the layers bit by bit. Mrs. Smith, don't worry, we'll find Lally."

Ruben was thorough and on top of things. Benjamin's apprentice was doing a solid job. Then I asked, "What about Duke?"

Ruben replied, "Mrs. Smith, Duke's in mandatory rehab right now. His mental state is pretty shaky, not much different from when we found him at the Entertainment Club. If you want to talk to him, now's not the best time. He's too unstable, and his statements might mess up the case."

"Alright, thanks, Ruben." I nodded. It seemed like questioning Duke was off the table for now.

"Well... Mrs. Smith, if there's nothing else, I'll head out?" Ruben asked, a bit hesitant.

Before I could respond, Howard laughed and clapped Ruben on the shoulder, "Mr. Adams, don't rush off. Stay for a meal."

Ruben shook his head but then asked cautiously, "Are you... Zoey's dad?"

I almost laughed out of frustration. Seriously, he still had the nerve to ask if Howard was Zoey's dad? If he was, would Ruben really want to have dinner with him tonight?

"No," Howard said, standing tall. It seemed my comment about Zoey having two dads had cleared up some of his inner conflicts. He added happily, "But..."

"Then forget it, I have other things to do. Mrs. Smith, call me if you need anything, I'll be there anytime." Ruben looked disappointed, said his goodbyes, and left, leaving Howard standing there awkwardly, his expression shifting.

Suddenly, Howard chuckled, "This guy's something else."

"Don't overthink it, Zoey doesn't like him at all." I waved my hand, trying to cool down Howard's fatherly enthusiasm.

Howard glared at me and said, "What are you thinking? Marriage has to be a match in social status. This guy's just a regular cop. Not to mention, Zoey's dad is the deputy captain of the state criminal investigation team. That's a huge difference."

I looked at him with disdain, thinking, 'Weren't you just a struggling lawyer back then? Didn't your wife fall for you anyway?'

Howard added, "What I meant by interesting is that this guy's got a good head for work, but..."

"But what?" I asked.

"But in other areas, he's a fool," Howard replied.

I burst out laughing. This was exactly how Benjamin's mentor had described him back in the day.

At dinner, Zoey couldn't stop laughing as she recounted today's events.

Ever since Ruben added her as a friend, he'd been checking in three times a day, showing a lot of concern, just like Benjamin did when he was chasing Cindy. According to Zoey, it was almost identical-movies, dinners, park visits...

Unfortunately, Cindy and Zoey were like night and day. Cindy was the slow-to-realize type, not great at understanding her own feelings. Even though she fell for Benjamin at first sight at the train station, I figured it was because she already had a soft spot for him deep down. But Cindy had never been in a relationship, so she didn't really know what love felt like.

Zoey, on the other hand, was a whole different story. Despite lacking parental love growing up, she came from a wealthy family and was drop-dead gorgeous. Word on the street was that Zoey had been getting love letters from boys since elementary school, and in college, the line of guys chasing her could stretch from the cafeteria to the dorms. But she wasn't into any of them. Plus, Zoey was lively and had read tons of romance novels, so she was pretty much immune to all that lovey-dovey stuff.

Zoey told me that Ruben messaged her at noon, saying he'd come to her office in the afternoon to watch a movie with her. She was busy cranking out a draft and missed the Facebook message. By the time she finished, it was quitting time. Just as she was about to reply, Ruben was already downstairs at her office, ready to make a grand gesture.

Since Ruben had been busting his butt helping with Alan's case, she couldn't just blow him off. She was about to call me from upstairs when I sent her a Facebook video call first.

Now that I knew about her relationship with Howard, Zoey was super relaxed during dinner. She was polite, greeted both me and Howard, and even the waitstaff. She knew our tastes so well, she ordered without even looking at the menu.

Dinner was a blast. Zoey played the perfect host, sharing funny stories from her company, serving Howard food, and acting like the perfect daughter. Seeing that, Howard was over the moon.

When Howard and I talked about the case, Zoey stayed quiet, acting like she wasn't interested.

But knowing Zoey, that was a bit off.

After dinner, Zoey snuck off to pay the bill, making Howard even happier. He kept saying Zoey hadn't been spoiled in vain and that she was even treating him to a meal now.

As expected, when it was time to leave, Zoey held my arm and said with a smile, "Mr. Martin, you go ahead. Mrs. Smith and I will take a walk and then grab a cab back."

Howard was in such a good mood that he forgot all about Frank's matter and waved us off, saying the cab fare would be reimbursed by the company tomorrow, and drove home.

"Can you tell me now?" I looked at my apprentice. She had been so well-behaved today and hadn't complained about not being taken along, so she must have had an ulterior motive.

"I overheard your phone call with Mr. Martin today!" Zoey hugged my arm tightly, resting her head on my shoulder like a little girl. "This case is not simple. Even the higher-ups are on edge. Mr. Martin must be worried about me. But... I'm your apprentice. Your business is my business. If I asked too many questions during dinner, Mr. Martin might not let me participate in the future."

I was touched and patted Zoey's head, saying gently, "Howard treats you very well."

"Of course. When I was little, he even tricked me into calling him dad, saying it wouldn't hurt to have one more dad." Zoey wrinkled her nose. "But I refused."

I sighed inwardly. Zoey probably had more expectations and love for her biological father. Even though he was busy and she didn't take his last name, Carter, his importance in her heart was not diminished.

I heard Howard mention today that Zoey's father's name was Ronald Carter. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it before.