The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 247

Starlite Center.

Jamie sat hunched over in a chair in the mall’s security room. His collar was askew, and his hair was a mess from repeatedly running his hands through it.

His fierce gaze was locked on the security monitor, replaying the footage of Suzie entering the restroom countless times. He couldn’t accept it—there had to be some trace of how she got out.

“Check everything! Don’t miss a single frame!” Jamie commanded, his voice sharp.

The mall owner, who was standing respectfully to the side, wiped sweat from his forehead and replied humbly, “Yes, Mr. Baylor. Please, try to calm down. The cameras at the restroom entrance have no blind spots, and there are no other exits. As for the ventilation ducts… even if a woman could reach that high, the screws can’t be opened with a standard screwdriver…”

Jamie cut him off impatiently. “Tell me how to find her. Spare me the useless details!”

The mall owner’s back stiffened. He stammered, “Mr. Baylor, my security staff… they’re only human. With your connections, if you could hire a private investigator or a forensics expert, I’m sure finding her wouldn’t be a problem.”

Jamie’s brow furrowed at the suggestion. He crooked a finger at Aaron, who was standing nearby.

After a few brief instructions, Aaron immediately left the security room and hurried toward the parking garage.

Jamie’s eyes swept over the room before he ordered a security guard to cue the footage to the exact moment Suzie entered the restroom.

He stared at the screen himself, desperately trying to find any clue, any shadow of Suzie. But after watching it over and over, he found nothing.

The mall owner bowed his head even lower. “Mr. Baylor, please, stay calm. Based on the timing, if she intended to escape, she would have left the mall immediately after leaving the restroom. Locking the place down…”

“Do you have a death wish?” Jamie said in a low, gravelly voice, pinching the bridge of his nose with a hand that held a cigarette.

The mall owner immediately fell silent.

Just then, there was a frantic knock on the door, and someone burst in.

“Sir, this is bad! A customer called the police. There are officers surrounding the mall. They seem to think we’re harboring criminals!”