Chapter 14

Chapter 14 SummaryJennifer arrives in St. Louis on an evening flight and checks into the Hyatt Regency at the Arch, conveniently located near GenaSeed’s offices. After settling briefly into her room, she decides to have a proper dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. Opting for the dining room over the bar, she orders surf and turf and requests a local newspaper to catch up on developments surrounding Walter Jenkins’s disappearance.The headline confirms what she already expected: Jenkins’s abduction dominates the news cycle. The article notes the FBI has spoken with GenaSeed executives but highlights that no ransom demands have surfaced, raising doubts about the authenticity of the supposed kidnapping. A news conference is scheduled for the following day, though the article omits the time and place, prompting Jennifer to resolve to track down the details so she can attend.As she eats, Jennifer chats with her waiter, Marcel, who shares the divided public opinion: some view the abduction as genuine, while others view it as staged. Their conversation touches on GenaSeed’s controversial reputation, which is both reviled by activists and credited locally for its economic benefits and civic projects. When Jennifer mentions her intention to attend the FBI’s briefing, Marcel assumes she is a reporter, and she admits to being a journalist from Chicago. However, she is covering the story more out of personal interest than for the sake of her publication.By the time dinner concludes, Jennifer has enjoyed her meal but is already thinking ahead. Determined to attend the press conference, she plans to spend the rest of her evening gathering the necessary information to advance her investigation.