Chapter 276
Mirabella adjusted her cap firmly on her head. Just a second before the jammer ceased its buzzing, she took down the two guards stationed at the corridor entrance with swift grace, leaving them sprawled on the floor. With no one left to stand in her way, she blended seamlessly into the crowd and strolled out of the gallery without a hitch.
As she departed, a chilling sense of danger grazed her, but she didn’t bother to look back.
After a brief blackout, the gallery’s lights flickered back to life, and the normality was restored as if by magic. The shrill of the alarm had been silenced in less than a minute.
The chaos that had erupted was swiftly managed by the security team, and order was reinstated. Aside from those who had exited through the emergency passageways, and a small cut on the glass case that once secured the emerald, it was as if nothing had transpired.
Those visitors who hadn’t yet left were cordially escorted to the VIP lounge. When Wyatt ascended to the second–floor gallery to report, he was met with a glare from his boss that could curdle milk. He didn’t dare say more than necessary.
James stood before the now–vulnerable glass case. His eyes were fixated on the emerald inside. After a few seconds, he tilted his head slightly. “Let everyone go.”
Wyatt blinked in surprise. “But we haven’t finished screening everyone…”
“No need. The person we’re looking for has already left,” James said flatly.
At that moment, Curtis, who had finished interrogating two suspects, approached. “Boss, those two have spilled the beans. The person who took the emerald and then returned it isn’t one of their crew.”
Curtis hadn’t been wearing night vision goggles, but he was aware of someone approaching him at the time. He hadn’t expected the intruder’s speed and agility, which allowed them to complete the task and trigger the alarm in under twenty seconds.
–
Wyatt recalled the individual in a baseball cap that his boss had ordered to be checked out in the surveillance room. He asked his team through the earpiece about any updates. Seconds. later, Wyatt relayed, “The person you asked about, James, he’s got no records. It’s as if he’s appeared out of thin air.”
“Who is it?” Curtis turned to Wyatt.
Wyatt pulled out his phone, showing Curtis the snapshot taken from the surveillance feed. “This one.”
Despite the clear image, the individual’s head was covered with the cap, never once lifted, which concealed not only the face but even the gender from the cameras.
Because of the extensive surveillance coverage in the gallery, there were no personnel
Chapter 276
stationed inside. After making inquiries, it was clear that no one, not even the guards at the main entrance or the two who had been knocked out, had noticed the person in the baseball cap. This was a clear indication that the individual was a pro with exceptional skills in avoiding. detection.
Curtis zoomed in on the photo. The cap was nondescript, and although he had seen the cap in the surveillance room before, he hadn’t paid close attention to the person beneath it.
“Could this be the same person who stole the Flying Apsara two years ago?” Curtis mused with a grave tone.
Wyatt looked up, surprised. “I doubt it. If it were them, they would’ve swiped the piece without any fanfare, right?”
This level of commotion didn’t match the thief’s known style.
“Well, that’s anyone’s guess.” Curtis paused, and then added, “But there’s one thing that puzzles me. If he had the emerald in his possession, why return it?”
“Do you think he realized it was a fake?” Wyatt stroked his chin, arriving at the only plausible conclusion.
Curtis shot Wyatt a look, replying, “Impossible. Even a specialist can’t identify authenticity instantaneously, let alone under those circumstances.”
