The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 297

The officers taking her statement exchanged hesitant looks. One of them finally said, "Ms. Joplin, given the massive value of the item, going through the formal judicial process will be incredibly complex. You'll have to come in for multiple statements, accompany us to the scene for reconstruction... it's going to eat up a lot of your personal time."

Lavinia didn't flinch. "I don't care. Take all the time you need."

She was determined to catch Sigrid by her metaphorical tail and completely crush her this time.

The officer tried again. "There was no actual material loss tonight. The suspect voluntarily returned the item, so... strictly speaking, this might not meet the legal threshold for grand larceny."

Lavinia instantly flared up. "At the exhibition, the appraiser publicly pointed out that the bangle in the display was a fake. Sigrid was standing right there! Why didn't she speak up and pull the real one out? Instead, she secretly hid it in her bag! If someone hadn't caught her red-handed, she would have walked right out the door with it. If that isn't theft, what is? The malicious intent is incredibly obvious!"

The officer sighed helplessly. "We can only investigate the hard facts, not inferences. And the fact is, she handed it back."

The other officer chimed in. "We deal with cases like this all the time. Even if it goes to court, it almost always ends in a private settlement. You'd be better off negotiating a hefty financial compensation right now while you have the upper hand."

Lavinia shook her head. "Even if she avoids prison time, can't she at least get a few days in holding for a misdemeanor public disturbance?"

Both officers rubbed their temples in unison. "Do you have a law degree? You've got an answer for everything."

"Knowing the law and using it to protect yourself is every citizen's duty," Lavinia replied smoothly.

The officers shared a defeated smile.

"The application of the law has strict guidelines; it's not that simple. If you don't believe us, consult your lawyer. We're just offering practical advice."

By the time Lavinia finished giving her statement and walked out, it was 2:00 AM.

She had pulled all-nighters for a week straight preparing for the exhibition, only to end the night in a police station.

Charley and Julian had already finished their statements and were waiting for her in the lobby.

Lavinia walked over to them, but before she could even say a word, the sound of frantic, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Garnett had arrived.

His face was pitch black as he demanded, "Who called the cops on Sigrid?"

Coward.

Now, his precious sweetheart was locked in an interrogation room, potentially facing prison time, while he was drowning in a PR nightmare and a hostile corporate takeover. Karma really never missed a target.

Garnett sighed. "I am incredibly busy and I don't have the energy to argue about this. Bottom line is, the bangle wasn't stolen. Nobody lost anything. Can't you just let her off the hook?"

"Wow. What a devoted, righteous man," Lavinia sneered. "If the truth hadn't come out tonight, I'd be the one taking the fall for stealing it. Would you be begging someone to let *me* off the hook right now?"

Garnett stared at her, his thin lips pressed tight. After a long moment, he said quietly, "But you're fine, aren't you?"

"Am I fine because of you?" Lavinia fired back, holding his gaze. "I'm fine because Charley stepped up and explained everything! By your twisted logic, should I be thanking you and Sigrid for my safety?"

Garnett clearly didn't want to fight with her. He shifted his focus to Julian. "Julian, I know I messed up tonight, but you can't put this entirely on Sigrid. Either way, it was just a false alarm. I'll find a way to formally apologize to you and Judith. You represent the Gilmores. Can't you just..."

"No," Julian said coldly. "My family's reputation was nearly destroyed tonight. Why on earth would I let it go? The fact that tonight ended peacefully was entirely Charley's doing. It has absolutely nothing to do with Sigrid."