Chapter 281: The Glass Greenhouse Covered in Surveillance

Chapter 281: Chapter 281: The Glass Greenhouse Covered in Surveillance

Mr. Lynch’s expression flickered with panic for a moment, but he quickly composed himself.

"Officers? Is there a problem? Why did you come through the back, instead of using the front door?" Mr. Lynch’s tone was tinged with suspicion.

Evan Keller put away his badge, his tone turning serious. "We have a very important matter we need to confirm with you, Mr. Lynch.

As for why we didn’t use the front entrance, it’s because there are paparazzi staked out there. This operation is confidential; we can’t let anyone else know.

Mr. Lynch, we have something very important we need to understand. Could we please come inside to talk?"

Hearing Evan Keller’s words, Mr. Lynch hesitated for a moment, but ultimately agreed, stepping aside to let them in.

Once Zoe Sawyer and the others were inside, the officers who had driven them there nodded, drove away from the immediate area, and stopped near an intersection.

From there, they could watch the back door to prevent any escape attempts, while also keeping an eye on the front to see if anyone else came to visit.

Heath Hale followed Mr. Lynch. As they passed the glass greenhouse in the backyard, he spotted a pile of quicklime powder outside.

"That’s a lot of quicklime for making compost. You must have a lot of plants, Mr. Lynch," Heath Hale remarked, feigning casualness.

The others sharply noticed that Mr. Lynch, who was walking ahead of them, stiffened for an instant.

Mr. Lynch followed up with a slightly awkward explanation. "I’ve gotten very interested in this sort of thing recently. I want to experiment with different compost ratios to see which fertilizer works best for the flowers.

That’s why I need so much quicklime. I figured I’d buy extra just in case I ran out when I needed it."

’He’s lying.’

’You wouldn’t need that much just for making compost.’

The officers all refuted him in their minds, but their expressions remained neutral.

As he explained his experiment, Mr. Lynch couldn’t help but glance back. He seemed to relax, breathing a silent sigh of relief when he saw no suspicious looks on Zoe Sawyer’s or the others’ faces.

Once they were seated in the living room, Evan Keller got straight to the point. "Mr. Lynch, did you receive a phone call in the last couple of days? Did someone tell you to sell them your patent?"

Mr. Lynch’s expression soured. He sat up straight, his gaze fixed on Zoe Sawyer and the team. "Are you bugging my phone?"

"Not at all. You’re reading too much into it, Mr. Lynch.

The man who called you is a member of an international criminal organization our department has been tracking for a long time. We’ve been monitoring their movements, so naturally, we knew he contacted you.

And the only thing you have that they’d be after is that patent of yours."

Evan Keller explained why they were there, though he omitted certain details, of course.

After hearing the explanation, Mr. Lynch relaxed slightly, his initial wariness toward Zoe Sawyer and her team subsiding.

"You officers are right. I got a call yesterday. A man came right out and said he wanted my patent, and then he told me my wife and daughter’s current location.

He said that if I didn’t cooperate, I’d receive news of their deaths in two days." As he said this, his expression contorted for a moment before he quickly composed himself again.

Heath Hale chose this moment to interject. "You don’t seem... particularly worried about your wife and daughter’s safety, Mr. Lynch. Faced with a situation like this, wouldn’t most people’s first reaction be to call the police?"

Mr. Lynch smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. Right after I hung up, I called my wife and told her to take our daughter to the nearest embassy.

They’ll be safe from any danger there."

Hearing this, Zoe Sawyer frowned. ’Something still feels wrong.’

’His answer only explained why he wasn’t worried about them. He completely brushed past the question of why he didn’t call the police.’

Just as she was about to ask, Zoe Sawyer noticed Heath Hale, who was sitting across from her, give her a subtle shake of his head.

"I see. In that case, you really don’t have to worry," Heath Hale said with a smile. Then he added, "These people are unpredictable. To avoid tipping them off by coming and going, would it be possible for us to stay here for a day?

When the man who called you shows up, we’ll arrest him and be on our way. That way, we can also guarantee your family’s safety, Mr. Lynch."

Mr. Lynch wanted to refuse, but the officers’ reasoning was sound. If he said no, it would make him look like he had something to hide.

"Of course. I’ll have someone prepare rooms for you," Mr. Lynch said, forcing down the unease he felt.

"No need to go to any trouble. I noticed a tool shed in the backyard for storage. We can just make do in there. You can just pretend we’re not here, Mr. Lynch," Evan Keller said, stopping him.

With things having come to this, Mr. Lynch had no choice but to agree.

He then made the excuse that he had work to attend to, and after leading them to the tool shed, he left in a hurry.

Evan Keller swept the entire tool shed. After confirming there was nothing out of place, he gave a hand signal to Zoe Sawyer and the others to indicate it was all clear.

"Is it really okay to just let him leave like that?" Zoe Sawyer asked, watching the direction Mr. Lynch had gone with a hint of confusion.

’I thought we were going to stay with him the whole time.’

’What if he’s not on the level and tries to secretly contact someone?’

Hearing Zoe Sawyer’s concern, Heath Hale shook his head and explained, "We only suspect he’s been replaced; we don’t have any concrete evidence.

If we stuck to him constantly, it would be overt surveillance."

As for Zoe Sawyer’s other concerns, Sean Hughes, who had been silent until now, held up a device in his hand. "Our colleagues have already set up equipment around the perimeter. It can capture any calls made to or from this house.

If Mr. Lynch makes a move, we’ll know immediately."

This was another reason they had chosen the tool shed.

Staying by his side would only make Mr. Lynch nervous and wary, which would hinder their operation.

Knowing that Evan Keller and the others had a plan, Zoe Sawyer relaxed and began to think about what the next day would bring.

The premonition from the door indicated it would happen around dusk.

Zoe Sawyer stood at the door of the tool shed, staring at the glass greenhouse in the distance, lost in thought.

In stark contrast to the tool shed and its surroundings, which had no security, the glass greenhouse was covered. Both sides, the entire perimeter, and even the interior were fitted with 360-degree cameras, leaving no blind spots.

With that many cameras, there wasn’t a single blind spot in the entire greenhouse.

But this very fact also indirectly proved that the greenhouse held an enormous secret.

That had to be why Mr. Lynch was so afraid of anyone getting near it.

Just then, Evan Keller spoke up again.

"I have a question."