Chapter 488: Old Man Miller

Chapter 488: Chapter 488: Old Man Miller

Many new clients, hearing about their behavior regarding their daughter and the subsequent public boycott, feared it would affect their own businesses and chose to find other partners.

Many long-time clients also took the opportunity to drive down prices when it came time to negotiate new contracts.

For a time, the Rivers Family’s factory suffered a severe loss of clients. Their customer base was carved up by numerous local competitors, and their revenue plummeted.

But none of this had anything to do with Zoe Sawyer. She was currently rushing to the high-speed rail station with Heath Hale.

The day after the Brellwood kidnapping case wrapped up, Zoe Sawyer was hastily transferred to another team to handle a cold case.

After coordinating with her colleagues there to capture a suspect hiding in the train station and preparing to flee, Zoe and the others were just about to leave when something else happened.

"I’m in a real hurry. I need to go see my son. He’s all alone in the hospital, and I’m very worried about him."

Just as Zoe and her team walked into the train station’s main hall, they saw a hunched-over old man desperately pleading as he tugged on the sleeve of a nearby railway police officer. He was clutching a burlap sack, his expression filled with sorrow.

The officer patted the old man’s arm reassuringly. "Sir, please try not to worry. The next train hasn’t arrived yet, and we’re working on getting you a seat."

"Once the train gets here, you can just get on."

The old man calmed down a little upon hearing this, but he continued to pace back and forth anxiously.

Just then, the old feature phone he was gripping tightly in his hand rang, and he answered it in a fluster.

The phone wasn’t of the best quality, so the audio was loud enough for Zoe and the others to overhear as they passed by.

"Hello? Is this Mr. Miller’s father? Where are you now?"

The anxious voice of a young nurse came from the other end. Old Man Miller quickly replied, "I’m waiting for the train! Tell my son to wait for me. Tell him his dad will be there soon."

Zoe Sawyer stopped and looked at Heath Hale beside her, her gaze questioning.

’Something’s up. Should we check it out?’

Looking at Old Man Miller’s anxious face as he periodically glanced toward the tracks, Heath Hale thought for a moment before walking over. He showed his badge to the two of them and asked, "What’s going on?"

After seeing Heath Hale’s badge, the railway officer’s tense posture relaxed slightly. He answered, "This gentleman is in a hurry to take the train to Vardenburg to see his younger son. His son works there as a food delivery driver to make money, but he’s fallen ill and is in the hospital."

"His condition isn’t good. It seems like he might not make it, so the old man is very anxious."

The officer whispered the last sentence in Heath Hale’s ear, afraid that Old Man Miller would be heartbroken if he overheard.

Standing next to Heath Hale, Zoe Sawyer naturally heard the officer’s words as well.

She looked at the anxious Old Man Miller—at his clothes, faded and worn with holes; his somewhat messy hair; his ill-fitting shoes; and his extremely flustered expression. Every detail spoke of his dire financial situation.

Zoe poked Heath in the side. When he looked over, she pointed to herself, then to Old Man Miller.

’I can use a door to get him to a police station near the hospital. If I cover his eyes and ears with a blindfold and earplugs beforehand, I won’t have to worry about exposing my ability.’

Having worked together for so long, Heath Hale naturally understood what Zoe’s gestures meant. He thought about it, then nodded in agreement.

"We’ll take it from here," Heath said, patting the railway officer’s shoulder to signal that he would handle it.

Seeing the officer leave, Old Man Miller’s expression grew flustered. "Why did that young man leave?"

Heath quickly walked over, placed a hand on the old man’s shoulder, and reassured him, "Don’t worry, sir. We’re not abandoning you."

"It’s just that the next train is still half an hour away. We police have a way to get you to the hospital much faster. We were wondering if you’d like to try it. It’s much quicker than waiting for the train here."

Hearing this, Old Man Miller hesitated. "But... I only have enough money for a train ticket."

"Besides, it would be too much trouble. You all have other things to do. I can’t be taking up your time."

Before he left, he had specifically asked the young people in his village, and they had told him the train was one of the cheapest options. He couldn’t afford anything more expensive.

’Anything faster than the train must be much more expensive.’

"It’s free, don’t worry. We’re heading back anyway, so giving you a lift is no trouble at all," Heath said again, dispelling Old Man Miller’s worries.

Upon hearing that it was just a lift and that he wasn’t troubling anyone, Old Man Miller nodded quickly. "Alright, alright. Then I’ll have to impose on you."

"If it weren’t for you all, I wouldn’t have known what to do."

The police station that had requested Zoe’s assistance for this case wasn’t far from the train station, and its chief was aware of her abilities.

Once they decided to help Old Man Miller, Sean Hughes quickly texted the chief, explained the situation, and asked if he could clear out an office for them to use for a few minutes.

Soon, the chief replied to Sean Hughes that it was ready and they could come over anytime.

"Sir, come on, we’ll take you there now." Sean Hughes gave a look to a team member beside him, signaling for them to come over. The two flanked Old Man Miller, supporting him as they walked toward the police car at the entrance.

Zoe Sawyer walked up to Heath Hale, her tone a bit sheepish. "I thought you guys would disapprove of what I did."

’After all, doing this carried a risk of exposure, and by making the decision on my own, I was undoubtedly adding to their workload.’

Mindful that they were in public, Heath reached out and patted Zoe’s shoulder with restraint. "Why would I oppose it? Isn’t helping people within our capabilities what we’re supposed to do?"

"Besides, this is a special situation. If you were offering help indiscriminately, without any boundaries, then I would object."

’After the nationwide sweep in the past few months, most of the criminals have been caught, and the rest have basically hunkered down in some corner.’

’And it’s not like Zoe is just casually opening doors out in the open. Didn’t she arrange to borrow an office from the local chief?’ ℯ

’Besides, serving the public is their duty. The methods are just a little unconventional this time.’

Once she was sure that Heath and the others genuinely didn’t object, Zoe’s anxious heart was instantly put at ease, and she caught up with Sean Hughes ahead.

The police car waiting outside started driving toward the station.

In the car, Sean Hughes learned about Old Man Miller’s family situation from the man himself.

Old Man Miller had twin sons. His wife had passed away not long after giving birth.

Old Man Miller raised the two boys by himself, being both a father and a mother to them. The children were sensible and would help with chores and cooking at home, so their father would have a hot meal waiting for him when he returned.

Life seemed to be heading in a good direction. If they just held on until the two boys were grown and could work to earn money, Old Man Miller’s hardships would be over, and he could finally stop working so hard.

But things didn’t go as planned.