Chapter 193: Bernadette: Everyone says I look a lot like my cousin, so I'm very well-behaved.
"Has Scarlett shown any unusual behavior?"
Jane, suppressing her urge to comment on the competitive Beth Boland, asked very professionally.
"She only said she was under a lot of pressure,"
Beth Boland said somewhat awkwardly, "both her own and her husband's, so she asked me to go relax with her..."
She couldn't continue under Jane's knowing gaze.
Jane understood the look.
Going to a spa to get this kind of service was both embarrassing and painful.
While doing it, when asked why she did it, she frankly explained the reasons, but was still harshly mocked by the female aesthetician whose workload had increased significantly, saying something like, "Could it be that you're not tired from work and taking care of the children, or that too many TV shows have distracted you..." This wasn't relaxation at all; it was just that she hadn't been intimate with her husband for a long time, so even though it was embarrassing and painful, she forced herself to go, thinking of pleasing her husband.
"Her relationship with her husband?"
Jane's eyes flickered.
"It's not what you think,"
Beth Boland quickly explained. "They have a very good relationship. She dragged me there to do this, saying it would help keep the spark alive."
Outside the house,
Detective Rostenkowski kept glancing at his watch and muttered to Chuck, "Women, huh."
In his opinion, this conversation should have ended long ago.
Chuck didn't react.
He knew Jane's mindset and wasn't surprised at all.
Detective Rostenkowski glanced at Chuck, opened his mouth several times, but seeing that Chuck had noticed and pretended not to, he finally whispered, "Dr. Wolfe, I know you're very knowledgeable. My Bernie is 12 years old, still young, so I shouldn't worry about anything, but I've noticed she hasn't grown much taller in a long time. I'm tall, and my wife isn't short either, but Bernie doesn't seem to be growing taller anymore..."
He sighed deeply as he said this.
How could he have imagined this?
However, his subordinates, those guys, would occasionally chat about the notable figures in Haven, mentioning his Bernie a few times. Although they were restrained, the implication was clear.
What bothered him even more was that, reminded of this, he noticed that while his Bernie was still developing, she wasn't growing taller.
His Bernie's current height wasn't short for a child, but it was still too short compared to his height. If she stopped growing, she'd be noticeably petite.
The key wasn't that he was worrying unnecessarily while Bernie was so young; there was an example: his niece, even as an adult, was only around five feet tall the last time he saw her.
"Height is a combination of dominant and recessive genetic traits,"
Chuck explained. "Tall parents can still have short children. Besides genetics, there are also primary growth disorders, congenital metabolic disorders, skeletal developmental issues, constitutional growth delays, endocrine disorders..."
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Detective Rostenkowski, his head spinning, interrupted, "So you're saying it's normal, right?"
"Yes."
Chuck nodded. "In my opinion, it's normal. If you have any concerns, you can consult a pediatric endocrinologist."
"Okay."
Detective Rostenkowski smiled wryly and touched the cross on his neck. He could only pray that his Bernie would grow taller.
The two waited a long time before Jane was finally seen being escorted out by Beth Boland. After Jane got into the car and drove away, Detective Rostenkowski glanced at Jane in the rearview mirror. "How was it?"
"Very candid."
Jane looked at the back of Chuck's head in the passenger seat and explained to Detective Rostenkowski with a strange look in her eyes. "She doesn't know the details of Scarlett's drug dealing either, but she's heard a few things from her sister."
"Looks like it really is 'common knowledge' after all,"
Detective Rostenkowski remarked.
That day, accompanied by Chuck and the others, Jane visited the entire town of Haven, talking to all the housewives and men involved.
Indeed, those who needed to know knew about Scarlett's drug dealing, but unlike the real drug traffickers, Scarlett was a small-time operator, mainly buying stolen prescription drugs from the neighboring town—painkillers, tranquilizers, and diet pills—and selling them.
These drugs are prescribed casually by doctors, leading many to unknowingly become addicted. Furthermore, the manufacturers heavily promote how these legitimate drugs can be easily abused, making them a form of "currency" in certain circles.
While their effects aren't as potent as illegal drugs, their availability, difficulty in detection, and psychological appeal make them an ideal starting point for newcomers like Scarlett.
Night fell.
"That's enough for today,"
Detective Rostenkowski said with a smile. "We won't have results until tonight from arresting the dealer who made transactions with Scarlett in the next town. We'll interrogate him tomorrow. Shall we go to my place for dinner now?"
"Okay,"
Jane agreed with a smile, getting out of the car and walking towards Chuck's vehicle.
In the morning, Chuck drove Jane to the town's police station to meet Detective Rostenkowski, parked the car there, and then spent the day following Rostenkowski's vehicle.
"Dr. Wolfe, I have to say something here."
Detective Rostenkowski watched Chuck and his companion get out of the car and walk towards the vehicle parked outside the police station. He couldn't help but walk over and stand in front of the car, complaining, "Why don't you buy American cars? Powerful engines and muscular designs, how great! Why buy this Japanese car?"
Jane didn't know much about cars, but she recognized the Toyota Camry logo. With economic concerns and rising gas prices, these small-displacement, fuel-efficient Japanese cars were becoming increasingly popular among American families.
"Fuel-efficient,"
Chuck said succinctly.
Detective Rostenkowski felt something was off about that. After all, in his eyes, a multi-millionaire like Chuck wouldn't be concerned about gas money.
As for Jane, she had seen all sorts of cars in the garage of the hillside villa, from various countries, so she wasn't surprised that Chuck was driving a Toyota Camry today.
Detective Rostenkowski only made a passing comment, and seeing Chuck's reaction, he could only shake his head and walk back to his large Ford SUV. He honked the horn, signaling Chuck and the others to follow, and then drove off towards his house.
The two cars stopped one after the other in front of a detached house. A knock came at the door, and a middle-aged white woman opened it, smiling broadly at Chuck. "Dr. Wolfe, you've arrived!"
Then, seeing Jane, she remained silent, only smiling.
"This is Jane Banner, Dr. Wolfe's detective assistant."
Detective Rostenkowski, used to his wife's quiet nature, took the initiative to introduce her, being the 'talkative' one in the family.
Just as they were exchanging pleasantries at the door, a cacophony of voices erupted, and a group of children surged forward.
"Chuck!"
"Chuck!"
"Chuck!"
Five children, four boys and one girl, called out in sweet voices, surrounding him.
Jane couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Chuck being pulled and tugged by the children. She carefully observed them, noticing they were all roughly the same age, almost all about two years apart. Looking closer at the girl, she realized she was also very young, only six or seven years old, probably not the Bernie she wanted to meet.
"Stop it!"
Detective Rostenkowski, knowing Chuck's temperament, quickly intervened to stop his children from pulling and surrounding him, worried that Chuck would either turn away now or never come back.
Unfortunately, the five children weren't afraid of him at all and ignored his commands.
"Children, stop bothering Chuck,"
Mrs. Rostenkowski said with a smile.
The five children still didn't react, continuing to pester the expressionless Chuck.
"Stop it!"
Just then, a clear child's voice rang out.
The five children immediately turned to look in one direction, where a blonde girl in a Catholic school uniform and wearing glasses was walking down from upstairs. She stared at the five children and said, word by word, "What did I say?"
"Don't bother Chuck,"
the five children shouted in unison, immediately releasing their grip on Chuck.
"But..."
The only girl among the five children pouted, seemingly about to say something, but was interrupted by the blonde girl, who pointed at the sofa in a slightly shrill voice. "I'll count to three, sit down. One!"
As soon as she counted to one, the four boys had all rushed to the sofa and sat down, while the only little girl dawdled over as well, before the blonde girl even had to count to two.
"Dr. Wolfe,"
the blonde girl turned around after the five children were settled, calling out shyly in a soft, childlike voice.
"...This must be Bernie."
Jane looked at the commanding presence the childlike voice held over her younger siblings, the contrast between her authoritative demeanor one second and her shy vulnerability the next—a dissonance no less striking than the undeniable development hidden beneath the loose-fitting Catholic school uniform. She couldn't help but be amazed.
No wonder the patrol officers, knowing she was the daughter of a senior detective, couldn't resist gossiping a bit; no wonder she could help her mother with chores and manage her younger siblings and the daycare children at such a young age.
Seeing is believing, and meeting her was even more impressive than hearing about her.
What a town!
Whether intentional or not, Chuck chose quite the place!
Truly remarkable!
"Yes,"
Detective Rostenkowski immediately introduced proudly, "This is my eldest daughter, Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski. Bernie, this is Dr. Wolfe's detective assistant, Jane Banner, a current FBI agent."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Banner."
Bernadette adjusted her glasses and smiled shyly at Jane.
"Just call me Jane."
Jane glanced at Chuck, then smiled at Bernadette, "It's a pleasure to meet you too. You're really amazing; your younger siblings listen to you so well."
"I can't help it,"
Bernadette said, a hint of distress on her face. "They're too noisy. Mom and Dad can't control them. If I don't take a firm stance, they simply won't listen."
"I understand."
Jane looked at the shy and gentle Bernadette as she softly explained the source of her stark contrast, and found it quite endearing.
"Detective Rostenkowski said you're attending St. Mary's Catholic School as a day student? How's it going?"
"Not so good."
Bernadette glanced at her mother, who was busy in the kitchen, and gave her a sweet smile as her mother looked over. She said softly, "The rules there are strict."
"Honey, if you get bullied, you must tell Daddy. You know Daddy will protect you, right?"
Detective Rostenkowski said immediately.
"I know, Daddy."
Bernadette smiled sweetly at her father. When he happily got up to get a beer, she said to Jane, "It's just some minor troubles at school, you know?"
She then looked at Chuck, "Even Dr. Wolfe went through that during his student days. Even my dad, a detective, couldn't avoid it."
"Really?"
Jane's focus was different. She glanced at Chuck, "Did he tell you about this?"
"It was mentioned in the newspapers and magazines."
Bernadette lowered her head shyly.
"..."
Jane's lips twitched. At this moment, for some reason, she didn't know whether to hope that Chuck had told Bernadette, or that the shy young girl had secretly kept track of all of Chuck's information and knew more than she did.
"With your personality and abilities, you can definitely manage on your own, right?"
Jane couldn't help but encourage her. "Just look at how you manage your younger siblings."
"It's different,"
Bernadette said softly. "Younger siblings are family, but classmates aren't. A lot of times, attitude doesn't matter; it all comes down to who can assert themselves."
"I know,"
Jane said in surprise. "But I think you can hold your own!"
The scene when she appeared earlier had impressed her greatly. She genuinely felt that among her peers, this kind of young girl should be the one commanding respect, not the other way around.
"Perhaps,"
Bernadette thought for a moment, then shook her head. "But I don't want to give others the impression of being too aggressive."
"Why?"
Jane asked, puzzled. "Isn't it better to be yourself?"
"Dr. Wolfe should know,"
Bernadette glanced quickly at Chuck. "They all say I'm a lot like my cousin. She's assertive and outspoken, always trying to fight back against any setbacks, but what happened to her was really, really difficult. I don't want to become another version of her, so I'm very well-behaved..."
There was one more sentence she didn't say, but Jane understood: "I'm very well-behaved, at least I appear well-behaved."
"Is she okay?"
Jane frowned.
"I haven't seen her in a long time, and I've only heard things about her,"
Bernadette shook her head. "What's better about her than me is that she's so sunny and cheerful. No matter what setbacks she encounters, she can laugh it off with a self-deprecating laugh, as if nothing can defeat her."
"You're amazing, and your cousin is amazing too. No wonder everyone says you two are so alike."
Jane glanced at Bernadette, whose figure was already quite striking, and sighed, "Now that I've met you and heard you talk about your cousin, I understand even more."
Bernadette noticed where Jane's gaze lingered, and her lowered face flushed slightly. She realized that this older woman obviously knew the most important characteristic that others said made her and her cousin look alike.
The dinner was very quiet.
Chuck, needless to say, was always like that.
Mrs. Rostenkowski was also concise, often answering all questions with just a word or two. Jane tried to strike up a conversation a few times, and then decisively gave up.
It was like texting someone a long message and only getting an emoji in return.
The other children wanted to chatter, but under their older sister's stern gaze, they all dared only eat silently.
Bernadette always looked shy, occasionally glancing at someone out of the corner of her eye, leaving Jane speechless. Finally, she simply gave up on most conversation with Detective Rostenkowski and silently started eating.
The dinner ended in this strange atmosphere.
On the way back,
Jane hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Chuck calmly drove his Toyota Camry into the hillside villa, but Jane didn't say what she wanted to say.
"Wash up!"
Chuck succinctly outlined the pre-training preparations.
"Understood."
Jane was startled, gritted her teeth, and went into the guest room's bathroom.
When Chuck came to check on her after a while, he heard Jane gasp in pain coming from the bathroom.
"What are you doing?"
Chuck frowned at the scene in the bathroom.
"Foam rolling!"
Jane's pretty face contorted slightly, but her eyes were resolute as she said, "Rolling as hard as I can, as long as it doesn't kill me!"
(End of Chapter)
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (50+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01