Chapter 198: This Is Not Human Blood

Chapter 198: Chapter 198: This Is Not Human Blood

Noticing the gossipy stares around him, the boy instinctively lowered his voice and explained the situation in his room.

Just then, the text message the boy had sent to the police arrived on the station chief’s phone.

Evan Keller’s mind raced. ’Could the person hiding in this room be the murderer?’

"Is anyone else home?" Evan Keller asked, looking at the boy.

The boy thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, my parents are both out at work right now. My grandma is staying with my uncle, and my older brother and sister are still away at school. I’m the only one home."

Evan Keller looked in the direction the boy was pointing and saw a figure moving faintly behind the curtain.

’Has he realized something is wrong? Is he about to run?’

’We can’t delay any longer!’

"Get your gear on. The suspect may already know we’ve found him.

To keep him from escaping, we need to be fast and efficient. The suspect might be armed, so be careful!" Evan Keller whispered to the team members who had gathered around him.

The team members knew not to be too loud; it wouldn’t do to startle the killer.

After finalizing their plan, they all moved quickly and silently to the base of the boy’s house.

The gaps between these self-built houses in town were generally not wide. Someone brave enough could easily jump across.

To prevent this, several officers were assigned to watch these spots, specifically to stop the killer from jumping across when they weren’t looking.

The boy hadn’t locked the door when he ran out, so Evan Keller and his team pushed it open and went inside easily.

Evan Keller and Sean Hughes split their forces. One team continued to sneak upstairs to the second floor, while the other team searched the first floor.

They needed to make the arrest in the shortest time possible, not only for tactical reasons but also to reassure the local residents.

Watching the group of well-equipped police officers enter his home, the boy finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he saw Zoe Sawyer being protected by Heath Hale and the other two. With a hint of curiosity in his voice, he asked, "Hey, Officer, what are you guys doing? Are these guys staying here to protect you?

Those three uncles with you look pretty tough. Are they super strong?"

’And that one over there... she doesn’t look much older than me, but she’s a cop too?’

’Is she that amazing?’

Barry Quinn and Monkey sized up the boy. Once they determined he wasn’t a threat, they lowered their guard.

Heath Hale had no intention of interrupting, but upon hearing himself called "uncle," he couldn’t help but puff out his chest and shoot the boy a look.

’He’s calling me ’uncle’ and her ’sister’. We’re a whole generation apart!’

Beau looked at herself, then at the boy. ’Good, I’m taller!’ Then she lifted her head, her face full of pride. ’That’s right, I’m the big sister!’

"Aren’t you worried there might really be someone hiding in your house? Why are you more interested in this?" Zoe Sawyer asked, looking at the boy with amusement. He didn’t seem scared at all anymore.

The boy waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about. You guys will definitely catch him."

Just as he was about to say more, the boy’s parents rushed back. Seeing their youngest son standing there, they quickly pulled him over, checked him from head to toe, and only truly relaxed after confirming he wasn’t hurt.

"You little brat! We told you to get up early and come with us, but you wouldn’t listen! All you do is lie around playing on your phone all day. Now look! Something almost happened!

No, starting tomorrow, you’re sticking with me, or with your dad!" Seeing that her son was okay, the woman let out a sigh of relief while also slapping him hard on the shoulder.

The force of the blow made him stumble forward a few steps.

Since he was the one in the wrong, the boy could only lower his head and accept his parents’ "loving lesson."

"Ahem, no hitting the kid. Young people have their pride, you know. It’s embarrassing in front of such a big crowd." The station chief glanced at the onlookers who were slowly gathering, coughed pointedly, and reminded the family of three to be mindful of their surroundings.

Just as they were making a scene, Evan Keller and his team emerged, escorting a man.

"Hey, look, look! They really caught someone!"

"Could that be the killer who murdered the Ford family of three? He looks so mild-mannered. Other than his dirty clothes, he doesn’t look like a vicious person."

"Get out of here. You can’t judge something like this by looks."

"But why is he gagged? Are they afraid he’ll go crazy and bite someone?"

Some of the onlookers had curious expressions as they watched the scene unfold.

As Evan Keller’s group got closer, Zoe Sawyer noticed their expressions weren’t as happy as she’d expected.

"We’ve caught the person who was hiding under your bed. We’ve also searched the whole house, and there’s no one else hiding. You can relax.

It’s safe now. You don’t have to worry. You can go straight back inside." Evan Keller nodded at the boy and his family.

The boy’s parents stared at the man being held between the officers and couldn’t help but shudder. After a series of thank-yous, they pulled their son and headed home.

Zoe Sawyer was about to ask about the situation when she saw Sean Hughes give her a slight shake of his head, his expression grim.

Zoe Sawyer understood immediately. ’There’s more to this than meets the eye!’

The station chief also sensed something was off. Looking at the gagged suspect who couldn’t speak, his sense of unease grew.

Seeing the surrounding crowd, the station chief quickly walked over with some men to disperse them. "Alright, the show’s over! Don’t you all have work to do today?

Get back to work, go pick up your kids, and stop crowding around and obstructing a police investigation."

Although reluctant, the crowd decided to show the chief some respect and began to scatter.

As the crowd dispersed, Zoe Sawyer walked up to Evan Keller. She was about to ask what had happened when she suddenly whipped her head around, her eyes meeting those of a man in the distance.

’There it is again!’

’That strange, scrutinizing gaze!’

The man seemed surprised by Zoe Sawyer’s sharp senses. He raised his eyebrows with a hint of astonishment, then gave her a wave before turning to leave.

The man’s steps were light, as if something wonderful had just happened.

"What is it?" Heath Hale asked, walking to Zoe Sawyer’s side and scanning the surroundings warily.

Zoe Sawyer frowned in confusion and pointed. "That man... his stare was strange. But he just left. Let’s not worry about him for now. Let’s see what’s going on with Evan Keller’s team."

Following the direction Zoe Sawyer pointed, Heath Hale could only see a retreating back.

He could only suppress the uneasy feeling in his gut for the time being.

"What exactly happened?" Zoe Sawyer asked in a low voice, sidling up to Sean Hughes.

The others also gathered around, their faces filled with concern.

Evan Keller handed an evidence bag to Barry Quinn. "Smell this."

Barry Quinn took the bag from Evan Keller, confused. He carefully opened it, took a sniff, and his expression changed dramatically.

"This isn’t human blood!"