Chapter 215: A Different Situation

Chapter 215: Chapter 215: A Different Situation

Any drop in grades was immediately followed by a barrage of practice tests.

In other words, the child was still young and lacked the ability to resist, forced to silently endure the immense pressure.

"Even other helicopter parents aren’t this crazy," Hayden Shaw said, shaking his head in resignation as he looked at the schedule.

If Linda Pierce was a case of high pressure, then the other boy of the same age, Wallace Donovan, was the complete opposite.

However, his situation was slightly better than that of the girl Ms. Sherman had reported.

Wallace Donovan’s parents had a hands-off policy. What did their child want to eat? Whatever. School? As long as he could read, that was good enough.

Nothing else was important. As long as their child was alive, that was all that mattered. It wasn’t like he would starve.

His parents, absorbed in their own hobbies, ignored Wallace Donovan. Even when he was bullied outside of school, they would ask a question or two, and that would be the end of it.

Once the bullies realized Wallace Donovan’s parents wouldn’t intervene, they became more and more brazen, their humiliating torments growing increasingly frequent and severe.

Slowly, Wallace Donovan grew increasingly silent, and the smile vanished from his face. It wasn’t until three days after he went missing that his teacher, noticing his continued absence, felt something was wrong. Only after the teacher called them did Wallace Donovan’s parents learn that their son was gone.

They reported it to the police, but when questioned about their son, they couldn’t answer a thing.

"Two sets of parents on opposite extremes. But it looks like this boy, Wallace Donovan, was actually the first to disappear." Zoe Sawyer pulled out Wallace Donovan’s file and placed it on top of the pile.

Linda Pierce’s parents were so strict that they knew their daughter had no free time to go out and play. Her daily route was completely fixed.

That’s why they noticed something was wrong the moment she disappeared.

"But it’s not like we have no clues. Both kids disappeared during school hours, and neither had their phone with them.

The local police department is already trying to recover data from them. We should be able to find a good deal of relevant evidence there." Evan Keller felt reassured as he looked over the files.

There was another, more important reason: Zoe Sawyer.

Unlike the first victim, whose name and appearance were unknown, they had plenty of information on these two children.

Zoe Sawyer could open the door at any time and see what happened right before the children disappeared.

They had to find them, and they had to figure out what happened.

Only by getting to the root of the problem could they stop these kinds of disappearances from happening again.

However, Zoe Sawyer’s gaze fell on the two children’s home addresses. They were very close to where Murphy Lynch lived. ’Is that a coincidence, or was it deliberate?’

"So what’s our next move? Do we check on the children’s situation first? Or should we go look into this Murphy Lynch?" Zoe Sawyer set down the files, and all eyes turned to Evan Keller.

"Let’s ascertain the two children’s condition first. As for Murphy Lynch, we’ll need to confirm a few more things on that end." Evan Keller tapped his knuckles on the table. After a moment of contemplation, he quickly made his decision.

The two children’s safety was the priority.

"Alright. Give me a moment."

Having received a clear directive, Zoe Sawyer wasted no time and strode over to the door.

Evan Keller and the others quickly followed.

Zoe Sawyer focused on the details of Linda Pierce’s case in her mind. When the familiar sensation washed over her, she carefully opened the door just a crack.

Through the gap, Zoe Sawyer could see a wall.

Before she could slip the miniature tracker and listening device through the opening, she heard the voices of two children.

"Is it really okay for us not to go back? I bet Mom and Dad are furious. They’re probably looking for us right now." The girl’s voice was filled with uncertainty, even a little fear. "Is what we’re doing... bad?"

Linda Pierce sat on the sofa, a worried expression on her face.

Her small hands twisted the hem of her shirt. She just wanted less homework, fewer tutoring sessions, and a chance to make some friends she could play with on the weekend.

’Is faking my own disappearance to get what I want a bad thing to do?’

Having always been a good, obedient girl, Linda Pierce couldn’t help but tremble at the thought of her parents’ furious faces.

According to what the older sister had said, after she was missing for a few days, her mom and dad would get scared. Then, when she went back, they wouldn’t hit or scold her. They would just be grateful she was safe.

’Then it would be easy to ask for things.’

’Even dropping just one tutoring session would be a huge win!’

"What’s there to be scared of? Look at me. I’ve been gone for days, and my parents haven’t even noticed."

"They probably won’t even have realized I was gone by the time I go back home," Wallace Donovan said, his voice laced with dejection.

’Why did I end up with parents like that?’

"But I really miss my mom and dad," Linda Pierce said plaintively. She was homesick. She missed her family’s cooking, her own little bed, and even her classmates.

Wallace Donovan’s voice was tight. "It’ll be soon. In a few more days, the older sister will send you back."

As for him?

’Going back to that house where no one cares about me... I’d rather just stay here with her...’

Zoe Sawyer carefully slipped the device through the gap without making a sound.

Just as she was about to close the door and wait for an update from Officer Lee, she heard a door open inside the room.

Then came the TAP-TAP-TAP of little feet as the two children jumped down from their chairs and ran over.

"Sister Lynch, you’re back! Did my mom and dad come look for me?"

Linda Pierce’s voice was filled with anticipation.

"You must be tired from work, Sister!"

Wallace Donovan’s voice, in contrast, was tinged with reliance.

"I just got off work. Thanks, Wallace, I’m not tired.

Linda, I haven’t heard anything about your parents yet. They probably haven’t come looking. Don’t be anxious. The moment I have news, I’ll be the first to tell you." The young woman’s voice was slightly hoarse, as if she hadn’t had a drink in a while, and she spoke with a thick regional accent.

Linda Pierce’s tone instantly turned crestfallen. "Oh. Okay."

"Linda... I just had someone ask today. The police station hasn’t received any missing-child reports. Your parents probably think you’re just throwing a tantrum and will be home in a couple of days.

We have to stick it out. Let’s wait a few more days until they’re really scared, then you can go back. When you tell them you don’t want to go to tutoring anymore, they’ll definitely agree to your request." The young woman hesitated slightly when she said Linda’s name, but her composure quickly returned, and her words took on a coaxing tone.

"I understand. I’ll be good," Linda Pierce said, her voice subdued as she sadly tugged at her clothes.

’Aren’t Mom and Dad worried at all?’

’Are they really going to have another, smarter baby to replace me?’

In contrast to Linda Pierce’s dejection, Wallace Donovan, standing beside her, never once asked about his own parents. He trailed closely behind the young woman, his eyes shining brightly.

He would help by handing her a glass of water or getting her a bowl and chopsticks. Whenever he received a word of praise, his smile would grow wider, and he would become even more attentive.

"This is a major development!"