Chapter 499: "Dad!

Chapter 499: Chapter 499: "Dad!

Everyone followed Sean Hughes and Manager Young. As soon as they got downstairs, they were hit by a thick, foul odor.

The source of the stench was laid out on an open patch of ground nearby, covered by a white sheet.

The residents then noticed a young woman they didn’t recognize on the other side, sitting on the edge of a flowerbed. Her face was ghastly pale, her expression tinged with terror.

One of the residents quickly figured the young woman must know something, but they were stopped by police tape as they tried to approach and ask.

"Ma’am, this is an active police investigation. Please stay back," an officer said, holding out a hand to stop the resident from getting closer.

The elderly residents wanted to say more, but seeing the officer’s stoic expression, they ultimately held their tongues.

Sean Hughes led Manager Young past the tape and briefly explained the situation to Evan Keller.

Evan Keller nodded, then said to Manager Young, "Sir, please come with me. I need you to see if you recognize the deceased."

Manager Young took the face mask an officer offered him, hastily put it on, and followed Evan Keller.

When they reached the body and the white sheet was lifted to reveal a familiar face, Manager Young stumbled back a step, his own face turning deathly pale.

"Manager, is the deceased a resident of this complex?" Evan Keller asked, seeing Manager Young’s reaction.

Manager Young clamped his hands over his nose and scurried to the side, gasping for breath. "It’s Old Man Donovan! We just thought he’d wandered off for fun like he usually does... We never thought... that something had happened to him! That he was... gone!"

’He was found right here in this building, with a crowd of the neighborhood’s old folks watching from nearby.’

’It’s over. The property values are definitely going to plummet. People will move out in droves. With fewer residents, it’s a question of whether property management can even stay afloat!’

’And!’

’Most importantly!’

’This was a complete failure on property management’s part. A dereliction of duty! If we had increased patrols and installed cameras over here, maybe this never would have happened!’

The thought of losing his job made Manager Young forget all about the putrid stench. He lunged forward and grabbed Evan Keller’s arm, his voice desperate. "Officer, please, you have to catch the killer as fast as you can! The complex’s reputation is bad enough as it is. If any more vicious rumors get started, everyone in property management will lose their jobs for sure!"

Evan Keller only had to think for a moment to understand why Manager Young was so distraught.

"Relax. We’ve already arrested three suspects," Evan Keller said, patting Manager Young’s shoulder reassuringly. "They were preparing to go after Miss Rowan next door, but we got them in time. You don’t have to worry."

Hearing that another murder had nearly taken place, Manager Young felt his legs give out. If a nearby officer hadn’t caught him in time, he might have collapsed right onto the ground.

Meanwhile, Sean Hughes noticed Wren Rowan’s pale face and trembling body. He hurried over, helped her up, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Where’s the nearest public restroom? Does anyone know?" Sean Hughes asked the surrounding group of elderly residents, his voice urgent. "I need a stinky one. The stinkier, the better. Please, can someone show us the way?"

Though they didn’t understand the reason for his strange request, the ever-dutiful residents still pointed him in a direction.

Once he had the location, Sean Hughes didn’t waste any time. He flagged down an officer and had him drive him and Wren Rowan there.

The stench of a corpse is an immense shock to a normal person’s system, especially when the body was hidden next door and three assailants had been preying on her.

If he didn’t intervene now, it would have a serious negative impact on Wren Rowan’s mental state later on.

And right now, the quickest and easiest method was to find something even smellier and more pungent to overwhelm Wren Rowan’s sense of smell.

A poorly maintained, foul-smelling public restroom was the best available option.

As Sean Hughes rushed Wren Rowan to their destination, Evan Keller’s work hadn’t stopped either.

After confirming the deceased was Old Man Donovan and that his children had been contacted, Keller left the remaining officers on guard and turned back toward the crime scene upstairs.

It would take some time for the family to arrive, and he wanted to use that window to take a look at the scene.

The three connected rooms had all been cordoned off. The Bearded Man and his two accomplices were being escorted by officers, taking turns identifying key spots at the scene.

"Captain Keller, the preliminary survey of the scene is complete," an officer reported, walking over to Evan Keller to update him on their progress.

"Alright. This room is too clean to be the primary crime scene. Now that we have the victim’s identity confirmed, take a few men to his residence. See if you can determine whether that was the primary scene."

"And pull the surveillance footage from the surrounding streets. I need to confirm when these three suspects left the victim’s house and how they got here," Evan Keller continued, assigning more tasks after a quick look around.

The complex’s surveillance system had numerous blind spots, making it impossible to determine when The Bearded Man and his accomplices entered. Their only hope was to start with footage from the surrounding streets and pray for a lead.

"Understood!"

The officers who received the orders nodded, briefly handed off their current tasks to others, and went downstairs.

Evan Keller did one final sweep of the area. After confirming nothing had been missed, he left four officers to secure the scene while the others escorted the three suspects downstairs.

Although they had caught the killers at the scene, there were still many details that needed to be ironed out in interrogation.

There was no need for so many officers here anymore; it was time to take the suspects back to the station for a formal interrogation.

The crowd of elderly residents downstairs watched as police brought down three unfamiliar men. Glancing from the men to the white sheet covering the body nearby, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened.

One by one, they slapped their thighs in anger, pointing at The Bearded Man and his cohorts and yelling, "You’re monsters! Utterly heartless! A living person, and you just killed them like that!"

"You’re a plague on this earth!"

The residents shouted back and forth, unleashing a torrent of curses that ranged from the trio’s ancestors eighteen generations removed all the way down to their own internal organs, without a single repeated insult.

The Bearded Man’s eyes bulged as he glared murderously at the crowd.

If his hands weren’t bound and two officers weren’t pinning him on either side, he likely would have charged forward and started swinging his fists.

The apparent leader and the skinny man, however, were expressionless, as if they’d heard nothing, and let the officers shove them into the police car.

’We’re already caught. What’s the use of getting angry now?’

’We can’t hit anyone. Get angry for what? To torture ourselves? Forget it. No need to make things harder on ourselves.’

「And just then.」

"Dad!"