Chapter 38 The Secret of the Undead
"Hey, someone wants to see you, but we don't have much time," Joshua said, glancing nervously at the door. "I've got two trusted officers outside, but there might be informants lurking around."
Joshua stepped out, and a moment later, Nolan walked in, dressed in black. Seeing him made me want to cry.
The fight with Edward earlier had drained me. Seeing a friendly face brought a wave of relief.
Nolan pulled out a notebook crammed with notes. It had all the evidence he and Lila had gathered. I flipped through it, thinking of some new questions.
"Did you see those kidnappers?" I asked Nolan.
Nolan nodded. "Yeah, but just a glimpse. Didn't get to talk to them. They're just reckless, saying whatever they want without any care."
I nodded, lost in thought. Suddenly, something clicked, and I looked up at Nolan. "Were they young?"
Nolan squinted, trying to remember. "Yeah, early twenties, maybe."
"That makes sense!" I closed the notebook.
"What makes sense? Do you know something?" Nolan asked.
"I think I remember those two punks."
"You know them?"
"Not really. But I think I know who they are. Anne and Edward mentioned one of them, and Anne might be connected to him," I said.
"Connected? Like dating?" Nolan asked, confused.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure. Anne always claimed she never had a boyfriend. But you saw her with Edward; something wasn’t right. Who knows if she has other…relationships."
"Could Anne have conspired with her boyfriend to kidnap you but accidentally grabbed Anne instead?" Nolan suggested, following my line of thinking.
I shook my head again. "Probably not. They're not biological siblings, but they've been close since childhood."
"I'll keep digging. Also, I want to look into the guy who attacked you with a dagger. Are we sure he's just some random homeless guy?" Nolan flipped to the next page of his notebook.
"What other kind of background could a homeless man have? Could he be a millionaire slumming it?" I joked.
Nolan chuckled. "No, I mean, maybe someone sent him to attack you. Joshua told me that when the police questioned him, his answers were too perfect, like he rehearsed them. Even a well-educated person might crack under that pressure."
"I thought about that too, but he got hit by a car close to vital organs. Who would risk their life like that? Was he that desperate for money?"
"Maybe he's got someone he cares about in this world," Nolan said, his face darkening.
I was about to ask what he meant when there was a knock at the door, and a young officer poked his head in. "Time's up."
Before leaving, Nolan turned to me and said, "You can't go out for the next couple of days anyway, so just rest here. We'll handle the rest." Before I could respond, he was already out the door.
While I was stuck with no clues, Joshua was busy stirring things up next door.
Joshua sat at the interrogation table, looking stern and determined, his eyes sharp and focused.
Facing Martin Collins, Joshua's mind was like a well-oiled machine, analyzing every detail, searching for a breakthrough.
"Martin, do you know these two people?" Joshua asked, sliding a photo across the table. It showed a young mother and her child feeding pigeons on a lawn.
Martin was stunned for a moment, then silently lowered his head.
"Who are they?" Joshua's tone grew heavier.
"My ex-wife and my daughter."
"What are their names?" Joshua's tone softened a bit.
"My ex-wife is Elara West, and my daughter is Echo Collins."
Joshua nodded. "Where are they now?"
Martin sighed. "I don't know. We haven't been in touch for a long time. Look at me now—no house, no car, no job. What woman would stick with me through tough times? My child doesn't even acknowledge me as her father anymore. Do you know what it's like to have nothing? Of course, you don't. You have everything. You're a cop. You have a respectable job, a house, a big family. But I have nothing."
Martin's voice grew softer, almost like he was talking to himself or confiding in Joshua.
"As far as I know, you wired Elara fifty thousand dollars last week?" Joshua seized the moment when Martin was emotional. "How does a homeless man have that much money?"
"Is fifty thousand dollars a lot? It can't even buy a bathroom in this city," Martin said, getting agitated.
"Where did you get the money?" Joshua pressed.
"I earned it!"
"Houses and money are in the hands of you rich people. We poor folks are destined to starve on the streets. But I'll have a lot of money soon. I can buy a big house, a nice car! When I get the money, I can give my daughter a life like your kids have. By then, won't you be envious of me?"
"How did you get the money?" Joshua leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed on Martin.
"Haha, someone gave me money! Lots of money." Martin grew more agitated, eventually standing on the table. The clinking of his shackles, combined with his laughter, sounded eerie.
"Do you realize you're enabling bad people to do evil? How can Elara and Echo spend it with peace of mind?" Mentioning Elara and Echo made Martin's body tremble slightly. He avoided Joshua's gaze and fell silent.
Joshua waved his hand, and two officers rushed in, pulling Martin off the table. The forensic doctor took the opportunity to inject something into Martin's arm. Within half a minute, Martin was drowsy and fell asleep.
Joshua took out his phone and said, "Hey, Martin's got issues. Let's talk in person."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
