Chapter 339: Then Wasn’t the Thorne Family Scammed?

Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Then Wasn’t the Thorne Family Scammed?

The Thorne father and son, already in custody, were so enraged by the Wizard’s words that their eyes rolled back in their heads and they fainted on the spot.

"Hey, Officer! The old one might be the worst of them, but his health is really fragile. If he doesn’t get to a hospital soon, he could die." Seeing them both pass out, the Wizard was genuinely afraid Warren Thorne would just die, so he quickly spoke up.

’If he actually dies, could I be held responsible?’

’No, no, I can’t let it come to that!’

"I know. An ambulance is already on its way," Evan Keller said, signaling for the Wizard to relax. They had looked into the Thorne family’s situation before making the arrest, so they were well aware of Warren Thorne’s physical condition.

Besides, with Leo Bell also present, Evan Keller had called a nearby hospital to have an ambulance on standby just to be safe.

They couldn’t have their suspect die from a fit of rage right after being apprehended.

Just as he finished speaking, an ambulance pulled up to the villa’s gate.

Two medics quickly emerged, and after checking Warren Thorne’s condition, they had him and the still-unconscious Leo Bell carried onto the ambulance.

Two officers got in the ambulance to accompany them to the hospital; they were assigned to guard Warren Thorne and Leo Bell.

"There’s a butler inside the villa! He’s an accomplice too!" The Wizard glanced around. Not seeing any sign of Butler Taylor, he feared the man had escaped in the chaos and quickly alerted Evan Keller.

Evan Keller nodded. "I know. Our team surrounded the entire villa before we moved in. He’s not getting out."

Sure enough, less than three minutes later, two officers escorted Butler Taylor into the courtyard. "Captain Keller, we caught this one trying to climb over the back wall to escape."

"Good work. Take these two back to the station. The rest of you, secure the villa. Don’t let anyone else in and contaminate the scene." Evan Keller then assigned four officers to escort Milton Thorne and Butler Taylor away.

The remaining officers were to search the scene, looking for any other clues.

"Roger that!"

After giving his team their assignments, Evan Keller turned his attention to the Wizard, who was standing obediently to the side. "I’ll have to ask you to come back to the station with me as well. We still need to take your official statement."

"Of course, of course," the Wizard said with a placating smile.

’Since I reported the crime myself, I probably won’t be implicated,’ he thought. ’But I’m definitely in for a lecture about all my superstitious shenanigans.’

But then he thought about the money in his bank account and had to force back a smile.

’Oh well. A lecture in exchange for this much money isn’t a bad deal at all.’

And just as the Wizard had predicted, once they were back at the station, Evan Keller started by reprimanding him for his fraudulent activities. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

However, the Thorne Family had officially hired the Wizard under the pretexts of a "Lecture on the Book of Origins" and "environmental layout consultation." This framed it as a purely cultural consultation. The Wizard had, in fact, provided corresponding lectures and had never promised any "name change via Divine Power" or "cures for all illnesses."

Furthermore, to ensure the Wizard would serve his family wholeheartedly, Milton Thorne had specifically stated an hourly wage in the contract, labeling any additional payments as "voluntary donations."

Strictly speaking, it was a consensual transaction, meaning the Wizard’s actions didn’t technically constitute fraud.

"This is a pretty airtight contract. Did you anticipate you might be questioned by the police one day?" Evan Keller asked, raising a surprised eyebrow as he flipped through the contract the Wizard had given him.

The contract toed the legal line perfectly, though if one were determined to find fault, there were still a few angles to pursue.

The Wizard gave a sheepish laugh, nervously wiping sweat from his forehead. "Just a matter of experience, that’s all. A matter of experience."

"When I first started in this line of work, I got burned quite a few times and was fined a lot of money. After that, I wised up and really studied the relevant laws to make sure I wouldn’t get screwed over by a client again."

"We just provide emotional support, really, and the clients know that. Most of the time it’s a simple transaction, but it’s always better to minimize potential disputes."

After learning his lesson, he made it a habit to have a contract like this ready for every job, just to keep from getting burned again.

As for his payment for the job involving Leo Bell, the Wizard knew there was no way he’d get it now. He decided not to even think about it, lest he be overcome with regret and heartache.

"The Thorne Family was paying you a pretty penny for this next part. Why report it so readily? Aren’t you afraid that if word gets out, you’ll lose all your future clients?" Evan Keller asked, glancing at the amount and raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Hearing this, the Wizard waved his hands frantically, desperate to make his position clear. "I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare! If I had actually gone through with their request, I’d be an accessory to murder!"

"Before, the worst I could be called was a con man. This is murder!"

"Besides, I’ve already made plenty of money—enough to retire and do nothing. There’s no need for me to take a risk like that."

Evan Keller stared at the Wizard for a few moments. Convinced the man was being sincere, he finally nodded. "Alright, I understand. The initial contract you signed with the Thorne Family was a consensual private transaction. The police won’t pursue that part."

"However, any payment you received for this ritual will have to be turned over. Do you have a problem with that?"

The Wizard shook his head frantically. "No problem at all! None! I just wanted to ask... when can I leave?"

"You’ll have to wait a while. We need to interrogate the other two first. For now, just rest here. Someone will come get you when you’re free to go."

"Once you’re out of here, stop doing this kind of work. You got lucky this time. There’s no guarantee what you’ll run into next," Evan Keller said, then picked up his notebook and stood up.

Realizing he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, the Wizard silently shut his mouth. ’Oh well,’ he thought, ’I’ll just treat it as a break.’

As for Evan Keller’s advice? This whole experience had been enough to make the Wizard completely give up any thought of continuing in his line of work.

He’d been lucky this time; things hadn’t gotten truly out of hand.

’Who’s to say I’d be able to get a message out in time if something like this happened again?’ he mused. ’Next time, I might really end up with the title of murderer or accomplice pinned on me.’

After finishing the Wizard’s interrogation, Evan Keller turned and headed for the room where Milton Thorne was being held.

Before he could enter, Heath Hale stopped him and handed him a file. "This is the butler’s statement. Take a look."

Evan Keller quickly scanned the document. After reading one particular passage, he looked up in astonishment. "Are you serious? If this is true, then doesn’t that mean the Thorne Family got scammed?"