Chapter 2075: Blue Ring

Lucian, usually composed, felt a surprising surge of anxiety as he accelerated. He couldn't wait to discover if his mother-in-law's heirloom was hidden within the photo frame. Roxanne's expression was grim; her heart pounded. Winnie cared deeply about the object her mother left behind, searching for it unsuccessfully for over a decade. Whatever it was, it had to be important. Perhaps it was evidence she killed her mother. Roxanne desperately wanted to know how Winnie had administered a slow-acting poison, given their lack of direct interaction at the time.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Jarvis residence. It was morning, yet Bill and his bodyguards were still searching, knocking on the walls to locate a hidden compartment. Seeing the couple rush in, Bill asked, "Did something happen?"

Lucian shook his head, dashed through the living room, and entered his mother-in-law's room. Seeing the wedding photo still hanging, he relaxed slightly. The picture hung high, so Roxanne fetched a chair for him to stand on before he carefully lowered the frame. "This is heavy!" he exclaimed. "The mahogany frame must be expensive."

Confusion flickered across Bill's face as he watched. A few seconds later, understanding dawned. "I examined the picture earlier," he said, "but didn't notice how unusual the frame was." As an experienced detective, he quickly grasped what he'd missed.

Lucian nodded. As before, he swiftly removed the heavy mahogany frame columns. He ran his hand along them, grinning. "The difference in weight is subtle, but I can tell one side is lighter." He set aside three columns and meticulously inspected the remaining one. Its peculiarity was invisible to the naked eye, but Lucian had another method. He tapped the column from top to bottom, listening attentively.

Knock, knock. Knock, knock… The sound was mostly dull and quiet, but near the end, it became crisper.

Lucian and Roxanne exchanged a delighted look. Bill's elation was evident. "You found it! That section is clearly hollowed out. Wait for me. Don't break it; I'll get some tools."

Lucian nodded; damaging the contents through clumsy force was a risk. Moments later, Bill returned with a small saw and carefully cut the column. The sawn section revealed a tiny, concealed tube, almost damaged in the process. It was nestled within the hollow section, its ingenious design masking its presence.

"There should be a piece of paper inside," Lucian said, slowly removing the tube. He noticed a hollow center. Then, a faint blue light flashed before them. Bill reacted swiftly, catching a ring as it fell. He opened his palm, offering it to Roxanne. Lucian's gaze was drawn to the ring. "This is a priceless sapphire!" he exclaimed.