Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law-Chapter 666: Poisoning Incident (1)_1
The test results for the vegetable samples came back quickly. They showed traces of pesticide residue on Rachel Bailey's greens, but only on those supplied to several factory canteens; elsewhere, there was none.
"All my markets are uniformly managed, and the crops are planted in a standardized manner. If my workers had sprayed pesticide, then it should be present on all the vegetables, not just those for a few factories. If you don't believe me, you can go to my Food Market and test them yourselves," Rachel Bailey staunchly defended herself upon learning the test results.
Since she was Hansen Ruiz's wife, a lady of high society, and a close friend of the Horne Family's eldest daughter-in-law, the Police Station personnel were reluctant to provoke the stern-faced Hansen Ruiz and Glades Horne. Therefore, the investigation of the case was assigned to Criminal Investigation Division Captain Benjamin Robinson. They had little choice; he was fearless, had powerful backing, and was well acquainted with both influential men.
"Benjamin, I'm certain my wife has been framed. She's been selling greens for years and has an excellent reputation and credibility," Hansen Ruiz said in a cold tone, leaning forward with his hands braced against Benjamin Robinson's desk.
Benjamin Robinson glanced at the couple and said with official impartiality, "After the report was filed, I immediately dispatched personnel to Bailey Village to collect samples from all of Rachel Bailey's Food Markets and submit them to the Health Department for testing. We should have the results soon. Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this."
"Rachel, don't worry. An upright person has nothing to fear. If your vegetables weren't sprayed with pesticides, then they weren't. No matter how others try to frame you, the police will find the truth," Julia said, sitting down next to Rachel and soothing her emotions.
She also exchanged a look with Glades Horne.
Glades had warned her that Noah Reyes might target her first, so she had been extremely cautious lately. She visited and inquired about all her properties daily, which made her employees highly vigilant, assuming she was looking for slackers to fire.
However, no one had expected Noah Reyes to target Rachel Bailey first.
Rachel nodded, but her heart was still pounding.
Hansen Ruiz held her hand tightly, offering her strength and comfort.
The support between a husband and wife often needs no words; a simple handhold can convey complete understanding.
The investigation continued. Benjamin Robinson, with his considerable experience, didn't need Rachel Bailey's defense to consider the possibility that someone else had deliberately poisoned the vegetables; he had already begun to arrange an investigation into that.
As evening approached, some of the workers who had been hospitalized for poisoning with only minor symptoms were discharged.
Hansen Ruiz covered all the hospital expenses upfront. Rachel Bailey wanted to pay herself, but Hansen stopped her, saying that as his wife, her problems were his problems, and there was no need for such distinctions between them in a marriage.
"RING, RING, RING..."
Suddenly, the office phones of Hansen Ruiz, Glades Horne, and Benjamin Robinson all rang at almost the same time.
The three men immediately answered their calls.
After listening, Hansen Ruiz and Glades Horne rushed to tell Benjamin Robinson, "Benjamin, this is a deliberate poisoning..."
"I know," Benjamin Robinson interrupted before the two men could finish, his handsome face taut as he replied. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
The police had also found something suspicious.
According to the workers from those factory canteens who purchased the vegetables, on their way back, they had all encountered a strikingly beautiful young woman with an alluring figure who claimed she was being robbed. The young woman pleaded for their help to chase the supposed robber, offering to watch their vehicles and vegetables in the meantime. Seeing she was a beauty and wearing high heels, clearly unable to pursue a thief herself, and considering they were able-bodied men who could run faster, they agreed without a second thought.
Unfortunately, they failed to catch the thief.
When they returned, full of apologies, the woman thanked them, saying it was fine that they hadn't caught the thief as they had tried their best. Then, the woman left. What puzzled them was that her demeanor afterward showed no trace of the shock, anger, or distress one would expect from a robbery victim.
They didn't dwell on it, riding their electric tricycles with the groceries they had bought, hurrying back to the factory to prepare meals.
Glades Horne and Hansen Ruiz exchanged another glance. Now, it seemed the likelihood of Noah Reyes being the perpetrator was merely fifty percent.
"Damn it! They even dare to frame my wife!" Hansen Ruiz roared, his face dark with anger. "When I find the poisoner, I will tear her to pieces!" He had been with the Valence Group for many years and was a commanding figure in T City, capable of wielding immense influence; his status and power were comparable to Glades Horne's. Moreover, his methods and the moniker "Smiling Tiger" were enough to make people hold him in awe.
Whether it was Noah Reyes or not, he wouldn't let anyone who dared to harm his wife get away with it!
"Leave everything to the police!" Benjamin Robinson immediately warned him.
He was afraid Hansen might find the poisoner first and actually tear the person to shreds. Benjamin Robinson was well aware of Hansen Ruiz's ruthless methods. He sincerely hoped his unforgiving handcuffs would never have to be clasped around Hansen Ruiz's wrists.
Hansen Ruiz wanted to say something but held his tongue. This is the Police Station, he thought, and Benjamin Robinson is a man of integrity. I'd better not reveal too much of my darker intentions, lest that fellow assigns someone to watch me.
Hansen Ruiz took out his cellphone and stepped aside to make more calls, naturally mobilizing his vast network to conduct an exhaustive investigation into the beautiful young woman who was currently the prime suspect.
He also didn't dare to relax his vigilance regarding Noah Reyes. Considering the number of subordinates Noah Reyes had, it was certainly plausible he could have arranged for a woman to carry out the poisoning.
Before long, the test report for the vegetables from Rachel Bailey's Food Market also came back: completely non-toxic.
Therefore, it was certain that the poisoning incident was caused by someone else.
With the suspicion that Rachel Bailey's Food Market had caused the poisoning through pesticide use now ruled out, Rachel was permitted to leave the Police Station, though she was still required to cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.
After such a tumultuous day, it was already past eight in the evening when Rachel Bailey finally walked out of the Police Station.
Of the poisoned workers, only three to four hundred required continued hospitalization for observation; the others, after receiving medical treatment, were mostly fine and had been discharged.
The media waiting outside had already gotten wind of the developments in the case. Although they knew someone else was responsible for the poisoning, the media's imagination ran wild, and they began to speculate about motives such as revenge or personal vendettas.
As the group left the Police Station, reporters swarmed them, encircling Rachel Bailey and her husband.
Glades Horne shielded Julia as they got into their car. The reporters didn't dare to excessively crowd Glades Horne, merely snapping photos of the couple's retreating figures.
Hansen Ruiz's expression was grim as he put an arm around the exhausted Rachel Bailey, guiding her towards his Land Rover. He didn't say a single word in response to the reporters' questions.
Once inside the car, he immediately drove off, leaving the reporters behind. If they wanted an interview to learn the poisoner's identity and motive, they could wait for the police to conclude their investigation.
