Chapter 6: A Clue

• Fetching the walk-in talking out of his pocket, the call soon got connected "Officer Nathan on the line...ok...where?..I am with her husband, we'll be right there"
• Before the police chief could say anything, Damian Cross beat him to it and blurted out "what, has my wife been found?" glaring at the police officer as if he would swallow him whole if he was not fast enough in answering his question.
• "Not really, but something that might give us a clue to her whereabouts" Police chief Nathan explained.
• Damian Cross sighed audibly before he heard the officer ask "I am afraid you have to come along to identify some objects that were found" His colleagues have found some vital things that might be linked to Mrs Lily Cruz's whereabouts.
• " Oh!.. sure I am more than willing to come along" Damian Cross agreed and took his phone and car keys and went out, walking behind the police officer .
• They drove for two hours non stop until they arrived at the boundary of the city. Some policemen were already there, who seemed to have been waiting for them.
• Damian Cross walked hurriedly and almost stumbled against the police officers. He was fidgeting and was sweating already.
• Officer Nathan held him to prevent him from losing his self control as they both walked towards the waiting detectives.
• As they stood before the detectives, they saw some items in a transparent bag, obviously these were the items they had found.
• "Chief, we found this wedding band and pendant and a rope at the edge of the cliff. We want to know if Mr Damian can identify them" Assistant Police chief Durotola explained, presenting the items before the chief.
• Before the Chief could ask if he could recognize the items, Damian Cross stepped forward and looked at the familiar items in the bag. Though they were in a plastic bag, it was transparent enough for him to see through.
• "Oh gosh!..no..no I can't be mistaken. This is our wedding ring" Damian Cross blurted out, trembling.
• He produced the one on his finger and compared the two. The officers saw it and readily agreed that it's a pair. Damian Cross was now quaking.
• "And the pendant?" Chief Nathan asked. He really felt pity for the trembling man whose complexion had now gone red.
• Damian Cross recognised it as well. " This is the pendant from the necklace I bought for her as a present on our first wedding anniversary". He broke down in tears, falling on his knees.
• The officers looked at one another and felt sympathy for the man. It's rare to see a grown man sob like a baby. They shook their heads in pity. Sympathy was all they could offer, after all they are police officers and not professional mourners.
• Everyone present could easily guess what might have happened. The young woman might have ended up below the cliff as a suicide case or a murder case.
• Damian Cross said he had never seen that rope in their Villa and pleaded that they help him find his wife, saying she might be in some kind of danger.
• Police chief Nathan demanded a thorough search of the entire cliff and below it. Without much ado, a rappeller was found. He got to the business of the day quickly:
• He took his rope and traveled down to the bottom of the cliff while the other detectives were searching the entire surface of the cliff from one end to the other.
• Damian Cross took his phone and called, "mum, I need you and Dad the most right now..yes, there's a clue. Just pray with me that Lily should be found alive, that nothing bad happens to her, otherwise, I..I.. just end my life" He stammered and was sobbing over the phone.
• Police chief Nathan shook his head, pray?at this time after she'd been missing for four days? Even Buddha will not be able to do much in saving her. If nothing is found below the cliff, then they'll conclude that she might have been kidnapped but if otherwise,...
• " Calm down and be a man that you are" officer Nathan tapped his shoulder gently. At least, that's all he can offer or say to him at this critical point in his life.
• That's exactly what Damian Cross wanted to hear. He sniffled and cleaned his tears. Trying his hardest to appear calm and composed.
• An hour later, the Rappeller came up and the first thing that the officers and Damian saw was a transparent paper bag that contained...