Chapter 37: Chapter 37

I hurried over because the police found something My memories of my death were already unclear. Some memories became blurry after awakening from unconsciousness, only to fall back into it again.

All I knew was that I was drugged on an old street. When I awoke, I was in a dimly lit warehouse, where I was stuffed in a wooden makeshift transport crate.

The crate was filled with hay, which seemed to be used to transport porcelain or fragile items.

Zion discovered an iron gate covered by weeds in the southeast corner of the welfare home. The gate was rusty, but the grass on the ground had shown signs of frequent movement. Even the lock was newly replaced.

“We searched here last time, but the grass was too tall. We couldn’t have found it without careful observation,” Zion’s colleague said in surprise.

As Zion glanced around, he noticed Steve, who had sneaked into the yard at some point.

“When did he get over there?”

“Who knows? This man comes and goes like a shadow. I saw him jumping over in a swift move,”

the colleague said with exasperation.

He never knew that Steve could be so agile as to jump over walls so easily.

Rachel and I followed behind Zion, who pried open the lock and entered the yard. It was a courtyard within the abandoned welfare home, usually where the director or other high–ranking officials resided.

The yard was spacious and looked desolate after being abandoned.

I clung tightly to Rachel, who was always braver than me. No matter what happened, she would always walk ahead of me.

“I… think they drugged me and brought me here.”

I began to suspect reasonably that the serial killer was not acting alone. Steve definitely had an accomplice. He was a murderer who was too good at disguising himself. His appearance and face had deceived everyone.

“He’s a murderer! He’s a murderer!” I screamed uncontrollably, running into the room. It was filled.

with many wooden crates used for logistics transport, resembling a small warehouse.

My breath became rapid as I looked around.

This was it. This was where I was locked up by that person when I woke up halfway through.

It was here that I saw Steve’s face. He had been searching around the room anxiously, looking for something, and finally picked up an ax from the floor.

I frantically searched around and saw the same ax in the corner, with dried bloodstains still on it.

“Officer Landon, there’s an ax here.”

Zion strode over and looked around before stating, “There are traces of dragging here, but this isn’t the primary crime scene.”

“There are bandages and clothing debris here.”

“There are a few strands of hair in this wooden crate.”

The forensic doctor, Keenan Sparks, was also Rachel’s senior. He inspected the scene meticulously, afraid of missing any traces.

On the wooden crate where I was previously held captive, he found several strands of hair entangled with the nails. Those were my hairs that got pulled out when I tried to escape.

1 remember crawling out in a daze, wanting to escape. But the person wearing a hood had grabbed my hair and covered my mouth and nose. Then, I lost consciousness again.

When I woke up again, I was lying on a cold, operating table–like surface. Blood was being drained from my body, and the person was injecting some other liquid into me.

I couldn’t see the murderer’s face. I could only feel my blood slowly draining and my detaching in despair.

When I regained consciousness once again, I was… dead.

For some reason, when I woke, my soul was at the Ford residence.

I, too, had no idea where the primary crime scene was.

“Officer Landon!” Michael called out from outside.

y soul slowly Zion walked out and saw him pointing to one corner with a pale face. A pair of blood–stained shoes and socks had been casually thrown there.

“These belong to… Stephie,” Michael said with a trembling voice.

He had started calling me Stephie instead of Stephanie with his usual detestable tone. I was so disgusted by how he said my nickname.

“Based on the current evidence…” Zion hesitated, looked at Rachel, and continued, “I’m sorry. But based on our experience, it’s highly probable that Stephanie… has been murdered.”

Rachel’s breathing became weak, her legs going wobbly, and she fainted.

Keenan quickly caught her and shouted, “Rach, Rach!”

I stood there bawling, not knowing how to comfort her My dear Rach, I had not been in pain. I’d just… experienced a despair I’d never felt before.

:

“Mike….”

On the side, Michael also seemed a bit unsteady, his figure shalding slightly.

I had no idea if he was acting, but I found his reaction hilarious.

“Impossible… She can’t be dead,” he murmured continuously.

“Officer Landon! We found a major clue!”

Outside the courtyard, a female police officer ran over in a panle.

“All the known female victims we found were all adopted from this orphanage. They were either orphans or abandoned by their parents.”