Chapter 615: There Must Be a Thief in the House

Chapter 615: Chapter 615: There Must Be a Thief in the House

Hearing this, Renee Jennings frowned. "Your friend suspects you stole her gold necklace?"

"Yes." Braces Girl nodded vigorously, looking anxious. "She said her gold necklace went missing, but it was there right before I came over for dinner. Isn’t it obvious she thinks I stole it?"

"Indeed." Renee Jennings nodded slightly. "Her implication is quite clear."

[What kind of friend just immediately suspects you?]

[I’m calling it, you two are done as friends!]

[So, did you take your friend’s gold necklace? If you didn’t, then inviting you to dinner was a setup from the start.]

Seeing the on-screen comments, Braces Girl explained agitatedly, "I didn’t take it! How could I do something like that? I’m not short on cash; my parents give me 20,000 a month. And even if I were broke, I would never steal!"

"Then what is your friend’s attitude now?" Renee Jennings asked. "How much is the gold necklace worth?"

"Probably around twenty thousand." Braces Girl furrowed her brow, looking distressed. "She’s just convinced I’m the one who stole it. She told me that if I ’accidentally’ took it, I should just give it back because it’s very important to her. It was an heirloom from her grandmother."

Renee Jennings asked thoughtfully, "Besides you, was anyone else there for dinner that day?"

"No." Braces Girl shook her head. "It was just me, her, and her boyfriend—the three of us. That’s why she suspects me."

Hearing this, Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow. "Then why doesn’t she suspect her boyfriend took it?"

Braces Girl blinked, suddenly looking as if she’d had an epiphany. "Oh, right! Her boyfriend was there too!"

Renee Jennings said, "Besides, the burden of proof is on her. She’s the one who needs to prove you took it; it’s not up to you to prove your innocence."

Hearing this, Braces Girl slapped her forehead in frustration. "Why didn’t I think of that? I let her get me all turned around! I’m going to message her right now!"

Renee Jennings stopped her. "Braces Girl, wait a moment. Does this friend of yours have any pets?"

Braces Girl nodded. "Yes, yes, she does! She has a Westie, which is why I thought of coming here for help."

"Does she have security cameras at home?"

"No."

Renee Jennings pressed her lips together, thinking for a few seconds, then said softly, "Since you found your way here, let’s just say it was meant to be. I can communicate with the Westie and ask how the gold necklace went missing."

Braces Girl’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Really?"

Renee Jennings smiled slightly. "Really. But that’s only if your friend is willing to believe me."

"She’ll definitely believe you!" Braces Girl said. "She follows your stream too, I just don’t know if she’s online right now."

"Why don’t you ask her?"

"Okay! Host, everyone, could you please wait for me? I’m going to make a call."

Braces Girl went to make her call, and the chat immediately lit up with discussion.

[Who do you guys think took the gold necklace?]

[I think it’s a setup by her friend and the boyfriend. They know Braces Girl has money and want to scam her.]

[That’s what I think too. Otherwise, why would her friend only suspect Braces Girl and not her own boyfriend?]

Renee Jennings quietly watched as the comments flooded the screen.

Braces Girl quickly finished her call and returned, looking ecstatic, the worry in her eyes completely gone. "Host, my friend said she’s joining the stream right now. Her ID is Nakoruru."

"Okay." Renee Jennings nodded. "Is Nakoruru in the stream yet? Have her request to join the call."

[She’s here, she’s here.]

[Nakoruru is here!]

Nakoruru sent a request to join the call.

Renee Jennings tapped on her phone, and the screen immediately switched to a three-way split.

Nakoruru was a girl with short hair, wearing a sharp, ear-length bob. Her makeup was flawless, her eyelashes perfectly distinct, her lips a glossy red.

"Hello, Host! Hello, everyone!" she said, a brilliant smile on her face.

Renee Jennings smiled. "Hello, Nakoruru. Did Braces Girl explain the situation to you?"

"Yes," Nakoruru nodded. "She said you’re willing to help me communicate with my Little Turtle. I’m on my way home now, I’ll be there soon."

With that, she broke into a light jog.

Renee Jennings asked softly, "I hear there were only three people at your house the day the necklace went missing: you, your boyfriend, and Braces Girl. Is that correct?"

"That’s right," Nakoruru replied.

"Then why don’t you suspect your boyfriend?" Renee Jennings asked bluntly.

Nakoruru entered her apartment building’s lobby and slowed her pace, explaining between breaths, "Actually, I did suspect him. But he told me that he saw Maya taking the necklace in my room that day. He thought she had my permission, so he didn’t say anything at the time."

"What the hell?" Braces Girl’s eyes went wide with shock. "I never even went into your room! Ethan Eames is framing me!"

Ethan Eames was Nakoruru’s boyfriend.

"Huh?" Nakoruru looked just as surprised. "You didn’t take it?"

[Case closed! It’s Nakoruru’s boyfriend who’s behind this!]

[Holy cow, talk about the thief crying ’stop thief’!]

Nakoruru stepped out of the elevator, her expression turning grim. "Could Ethan Eames be lying to me?"

She recalled the night before last, when she discovered the gold necklace was missing. When she asked Ethan Eames if he’d taken it, he’d claimed he hadn’t even seen it, asking how he possibly could have.

Back then, she had torn the whole apartment apart, even searching Little Turtle’s bed, but there was still no trace of the gold necklace.

She told Ethan Eames she was going to call the police, but he just hemmed and hawed, urging her to keep looking and hold off on calling the police.

"Didn’t I just look?" Nakoruru retorted. "I can’t find it! A burglar must have gotten in!"

"Could it have been your friend?" Ethan Eames asked tentatively.

"My friend?" Nakoruru frowned. "You mean Maya?"

Ethan Eames nodded and sighed. "Yeah. She’s the only one who’s been over to our place these past few days."

"No way. Maya’s not that kind of person." Nakoruru immediately rejected his suggestion. "If Maya wanted a gold necklace, she could just buy one herself."

"Sigh," Ethan Eames said. "Lulu, I’ll be honest with you. The truth is, when I went to the bathroom that day, I saw Maya in your room, putting a gold chain in her pocket. I thought you had given her permission, so I didn’t say anything."

"For real?" Nakoruru looked shocked. "Are you sure you saw that right? How could Maya..."

"Lulu, your problem is you’re too trusting." Ethan Eames’s tone was laced with exasperation. "No one can resist the temptation of money, not even people who are well-off."

He then continued to persuade her, "Maya is your friend, after all. I think it’s better not to call the police. If this gets to the station, she’ll have a criminal record. She probably just had a momentary lapse in judgment."

Nakoruru was stunned for a long time before she mumbled, "If we don’t call the police, then... then what should I do?"