Chapter 194: A Good Start on the First Day?

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: A Good Start on the First Day?

"Hey, so Sawyer’s gone? I heard you have another kid in your department who’s an amazing artist. Bring him out, let’s get acquainted. Maybe we’ll have a chance to work together in the future." The stout chief’s eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to spot Beau.

At the same time, he reached out, trying to put an arm around the Chief’s shoulder.

"Stop, stop, stop. You really think I can’t see what you’re up to?

"Beau really relies on Sawyer and Hugh. There’s no way he’d stay behind, so just give it up." The Chief took a step back and held up a hand to block the stout chief’s face.

After a moment of this back-and-forth, the stout chief realized it was a lost cause and stopped his attempts.

"All right, no more joking around. Two fugitive murderers have surfaced in another province recently. One of them specifically targets young, attractive women. You should be careful." The stout chief clasped his hands behind his back and leaned against a nearby table.

Hearing this, the Chief frowned and asked, "And the other one?"

Zoe Sawyer always had Barry Quinn and Monkey with her whenever she went out. Plus, both she and Beau were homebodies who avoided going out unless absolutely necessary, so he wasn’t too worried about her.

Comparatively, the Chief was more concerned about the other fugitive.

He’d been so busy handling the remaining cases for the handover these past few days that he hadn’t noticed this was happening.

"The other one’s a bit more complicated. He specifically targets people who interfere in other people’s marriages." The stout chief scratched his head. "And he picks the arrogant, ostentatious ones who cause a big scene."

He also picks places with poor surveillance coverage and strikes at night. As soon as he succeeds, he’s gone.

Some people having clandestine affairs were attacked just like that.

Now that the incidents have been exposed online, netizens’ opinions are divided.

And now, it looks like he’s heading this way.

That was why the stout chief had brought it up.

The Chief’s expression turned grim, and his fingers began to tap subconsciously on the tabletop.

"Don’t worry. The country’s a big place; it’s not like he’s guaranteed to come to Varden," the stout chief said quickly, trying to break the heavy atmosphere. "Besides, their local police already have leads. They’re organizing a full-scale manhunt and believe they’ll catch him soon."

’That’s true. A high-profile case like this won’t be allowed to drag on for long.’

After hearing the stout chief’s reassurance, the Chief decided to put the matter aside for the time being.

If they really needed Zoe Sawyer’s help, the higher-ups would notify them. He didn’t need to agonize over it now.

The two chatted for a little longer before heading toward the office.

’There was still a pile of handover work to get through. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could leave.’

It was almost ten o’clock at night before the Chief could finally free himself from the burdensome handover tasks.

"Have Sawyer’s family and Beau’s grandparents been moved over as well?" the Chief asked, looking at Evan Keller, who had stayed behind in the office waiting for him. He popped a mint into his mouth to stay awake.

Evan Keller nodded. "They’re all settled. As planned, we informed Zoe Sawyer, and they had a reunion dinner tonight.

"But Zoe Sawyer also said that after dinner and a short visit, she’ll have Barry Quinn and Monkey pick her up and take her back to her new place. She won’t be staying the night."

They had previously moved her family to a place near the station because they were worried Ruby and Six might track them down.

Now that Zoe Sawyer was getting a promotion, they couldn’t just leave her parents here. Plus, with the New Year approaching, it was time for the family to have a reunion dinner.

Evan Keller understood Zoe Sawyer’s reasoning. Besides ensuring her team could provide timely backup if she were suddenly called to a scene, she was also worried that staying at her parents’ home might bring them trouble.

Besides, her parents weren’t living far from her now, so it would be convenient to visit whenever she had free time.

"I’ll leave the arrangements to you." The Chief had no objections and asked about a few other matters.

He nodded in satisfaction only after confirming that everything was in order.

"Alright, go home and get some rest. Tomorrow brings a new place and plenty of new challenges." The Chief rubbed his own shoulder and told Evan Keller to go home and get some sleep.

’There was a lot to do tomorrow; it was more important to be well-rested.’

While Evan Keller and the others were resting, in a small town on the outskirts of Varden, a figure jumped down from the back of a large truck. Just as they were about to look for a place to get some food, they heard the voices of two people gossiping up ahead.

"Hey, have you heard? The Ford family’s daughter up ahead, the one who had an affair with a married man? The wife tracked her down at her company, caused a huge scene, and she lost her job.

"After that, the wife even went to Mr. and Mrs. Ford and told them to get their daughter under control, but the couple refused," one woman said, nudging her companion suggestively.

Her companion shook her head, giving her a look that said, *you’re behind on the news*. "Your information is outdated," she chimed in. "My sister’s daughter’s classmate’s younger sister’s friend works at the hospital. She told us that the man Faye was having an affair with was poisoned by his wife and father-in-law, and then he got into a car accident. He’s dead.

"Now his wife and father-in-law are in jail. Faye got an abortion, took the car accident settlement money, and came back here to recuperate. I hear she’s already found a new target.

"You know our houses are right next to each other. I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night yesterday and heard her on a video call with some guy. Her tone... tsk, tsk... I can’t even describe it."

The first woman’s voice was tinged with surprise. "No wonder I saw her at home today! I asked her why she was back, but she just ignored me."

"Of course she wouldn’t dare tell you!"

The two women chatted for a little while longer, then, seeing it was getting late, they parted ways and headed home.

And the figure followed one of them.

After confirming which house it was, the figure hid behind a large rock and waited.

Not until the lights in both houses went out did the figure grope their way to a nearby drainpipe and deftly climb up.

「The next morning.」

When Zoe Sawyer followed Sean Hughes to their new workplace, she found the office was much more spacious than their old one in Varden.

"The department knows your situation, so they had two adjacent rooms knocked through for you. Next time something happens, we won’t have to wait around outside. We can come in through the other side," the Chief explained, pointing to the obviously vacant office next door.

Zoe Sawyer leaned over for a look. The other office only contained a few shelves, but they were already filled with things she might need. The whole setup was modeled after her old office at the Varden West Precinct.

"Thank you, Chief. This is great." Zoe Sawyer looked around, completely satisfied.

Outside the office, people kept walking by, some intentionally and some not, poking their heads in to peek at the situation inside, their eyes full of curiosity.

Evan Keller leaned against the wall, looking at Zoe Sawyer with a teasing tone.

"How about you give it a try? Start our first day off with a bang?"