Chapter 270: Splitting into 2 Groups to Gather Information

Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Splitting into 2 Groups to Gather Information

"It’s dangerous! Don’t go!"

The madman’s eyes shifted from Evan Keller’s face to Zoe Sawyer beside him. Once he got a clear look at Zoe, he repeated his warning with even more urgency.

This time, everyone could tell something was off. Before Evan Keller could ask any more questions, a man ran over from a short distance away and grabbed the madman’s arm. "You’re having another episode? Come on, let’s go back. Don’t cause trouble for the police officers."

After pulling the man to his side, the newcomer turned his gaze to Zoe Sawyer and the others, his tone tinged with a hint of probing. "Sorry about that. My brother’s having another one of his episodes. He didn’t say anything to bother you, did he?"

Evan Keller, acting as if he hadn’t noticed the probing question, crossed his arms and stared sternly at the man. "You’re his brother? You should take him to a hospital for a check-up right away. A condition like this might be controllable with medication.

If that doesn’t work, you still need to keep a better eye on him. With all the traffic here, if he gets hurt, you’ll regret it when it’s too late."

The madman’s brother gave an awkward laugh and readily agreed, promising he would be more careful in the future and that it would never happen again. With that, he dragged his brother away.

But he didn’t respond at all to the suggestion of taking him to the hospital for an evaluation.

"There’s something wrong with them. Or rather, that madman really knows something. But at a glance, his mental state doesn’t look faked," Heath Hale said, stroking his chin as he voiced his theory. "It looks like he might have seen something completely traumatizing as a child, and his brain initiated a self-preservation mechanism."

Evan Keller had encountered cases like this before. Some people forgot the memory entirely, while others were scared into madness.

"His brother must know what’s going on. Monkey, you’re good at tailing people. Could I trouble you to follow them and see what’s up?" Evan Keller asked, looking at Monkey, who was standing behind Zoe Sawyer.

Monkey didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked over at Barry Quinn.

Barry Quinn was silent for a few seconds before finally nodding. "The three of us can protect Zoe. Just this once. Go."

With permission granted, Monkey quickly headed off in the direction the madman had gone.

"Let’s go back and change. Sometimes, people are hesitant to talk because they’re afraid of offending the authorities," Evan Keller said, glancing at their police uniforms. He also noticed that among the onlookers, a few had guilty expressions.

Zoe Sawyer and the others didn’t object and quickly returned to the police station to change.

When Director Lennox learned of their plan, he offered a piece of advice. "The residents here are very wary of strangers. You should be prepared for failure."

The local residents were all too familiar with his officers’ faces, so for them, the plain-clothes tactic was completely useless.

Now that Evan Keller’s team wanted to give it a try, Director Lennox naturally wouldn’t refuse, but he still gave them a heads-up so they could be mentally prepared.

Just as Zoe Sawyer and the others were heading out in their new clothes, Monkey, who had been tailing the madman and his brother, arrived outside a courtyard.

The area around the madman’s house was quiet. The neighboring houses were dilapidated and looked like they hadn’t been lived in for a long time.

Their own courtyard wall was different from the decorative fences of the surrounding properties. It was built entirely of brick, and at about two and a half meters high, it was impossible to see what was happening inside.

Monkey glanced at the security camera mounted at the main gate, quickly identified its blind spot, and carefully pressed his back against the outer courtyard wall, inching his way into a dead zone.

This corner was hidden from passersby on the street and from anyone inside. He could even hear their conversation. It was the perfect spot for eavesdropping.

The madman’s brother dragged him into the courtyard. The moment he shut the gate, he lifted his foot and kicked the man to the ground.

"You went out spouting nonsense again! If you dare say anything, I’ll starve you to death!" the brother cursed. He picked up a thick hemp rope from the ground and, with practiced movements, deftly tied the madman to a pillar.

"What good is tying him up? Give him a few good whacks, that’ll teach him. And remember to gag him. We don’t want the neighbors hearing anything," a woman’s voice called out from the courtyard.

Soon, the sharp SWISH of something cutting through the air was followed by the sound of striking blows.

The madman struggled, trying to dodge the swinging clothes hanger, but since he was tied up, he couldn’t get away.

"You lunatic! If I find out you’ve been running your mouth outside again, I’ll kill you! Just like your mother!" The brother, panting after a few strikes, threw the hanger down and spat the vicious threat at his younger brother.

Satisfied at seeing the madman’s curled-up body and the terrified expression on his face, he dusted off his hands and walked back into the house.

After some time had passed, the madman’s voice could be heard from the courtyard again.

"Don’t go to the back mountain... The Mountain God is in the back mountain..."

After confirming there was no more information to be had, Monkey carefully slipped away from the area and rushed back to the police station as fast as he could.

Meanwhile, Zoe Sawyer and the others had also made a significant discovery.

Director Lennox’s warning had given Zoe Sawyer an idea. Since the adults were so wary, she would just have to get information from the children.

’Some parents think their kids are too young to understand, so they don’t watch what they say around them.’

’But kids actually pick up on a lot.’

Soon, Zoe Sawyer’s group found a small park with quite a few children.

Most of them looked to be elementary school age, and there weren’t many adults watching over them.

"I’ll go over. You guys wait here," Zoe Sawyer said to Evan Keller and the others, instructing them as she headed into the park with a bag of snacks she had just bought.

Zoe found a set of steps to sit on, right next to two little boys.

Zoe took out a pack of spicy sticks, sighing dramatically as she ate.

The smell of the spicy sticks attracted the two kids. They couldn’t understand why this grown-up was sighing when she had something so delicious to eat.

Noticing their gazes, Zoe reached into her bag, pulled out another pack, and offered it to them. "Want some? I bought a ton. I was supposed to go hiking, but now I can’t. It’s such a shame.

But if I take all this home, my mom will definitely yell at me."

The little boy next to her eyed the bulging bag of snacks, which was almost half as tall as he was, then looked back at Zoe. He hesitated. "But my mommy told me not to take things from strangers."

"You should definitely listen to your mom. I’ll just leave it here. You can take some if you want." Zoe rubbed her stomach and sighed again. "If I can’t finish it, I’ll just have to throw it all away.

I shouldn’t have agreed to my friend’s hiking plan. I bought all these snacks for nothing."

Hearing Zoe mention hiking again, the little boy’s interest was piqued.

"Are you guys trying to go to that mountain back there?"