Chapter 330: Zoe Sawyer, A Discovery

Chapter 330: Chapter 330: Zoe Sawyer, A Discovery

The foreman of the construction crew looked at the police officers standing in front of them, then glanced at the people moving up and down the scaffolding in the distance. A strange sense of panic seized him.

’Something’s wrong. Usually, after we report in, everything’s fine. We’ve been working on this renovation for over a year. Why are they suddenly here for an inspection today?’

’Could it be that someone on our side snitched?’

At this thought, the foreman spun around, his eyes sweeping over the workers behind him, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Everyone wore expressions of impatience and confusion, as if they truly had no idea why they’d been stopped.

The foreman grew tense. Staring at the officer, he prayed, ’I hope these cops are just going through the motions. A quick look around, and then they’ll be gone.’

’I’ve got a lot of stuff hidden up there. If they find it, I’ll definitely be fired!’

"Officer, could you tell us what’s going on? A lot of us depend on this job to eat. If we miss a day of work, we miss a day’s pay.

Most of us live hand to mouth; we really can’t afford to lose the time." As he spoke, the foreman pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered it over.

"We’re conducting a safety inspection today. There will be no work," the officer guarding the entrance said, holding up a hand to refuse the cigarettes. His response was firm and by the book. "Don’t worry about getting your pay docked or being fired. The police will explain the situation to your company."

He stood perfectly still, showing no intention of moving aside.

The foreman’s expression stiffened. He pushed the cigarettes forward again, but received the same refusal as before.

’Damn it...’

The foreman subconsciously stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, just as a man’s voice came from ahead. "I recall the contractor for this project promised it would be a smoke-free worksite. That not even a single pack of cigarettes would be brought into the residential complex.

But several residents have reported that you frequently violate the rules and smoke during construction. How do you explain what you’re holding, Foreman?"

Hearing this, the foreman’s hand froze. Then, as if remembering something, he hastily pulled the cigarette from his mouth and stuffed it into his pocket.

"A misunderstanding, a total misunderstanding. We usually keep them at the management office, and when we need a break, we step outside the complex for a smoke.

As for what the residents said, they must have been mistaken. We’ve always followed the rules," the foreman explained, his voice laced with urgency.

Captain Miller nodded, indicating he’d heard, but didn’t say whether he believed him or not. He then clasped his hands behind his back and turned to leave.

Seeing this, the foreman felt a wave of relief. ’Did he believe me? Is he going to let me off the hook?’

But the next second, the foreman heard Captain Miller’s voice. "Foreman, please come inside with us. You must be more familiar with this place than we are. Perhaps you can help us speed up our search."

A cold sweat broke out over the foreman. His sixth sense told him nothing good would come from going inside.

But not going in wasn’t an option either. That would be a clear admission of guilt, basically telling the cops, ’I’ve got something to hide, come and get me.’

Weighing his options, the foreman gritted his teeth and followed Captain Miller’s steps.

As for the construction workers still waiting outside, they had planned to go back and rest after their foreman went in.

However, a team of officers approached from another direction and escorted them away from the area.

Walking at the front, Captain Miller watched the wind pick up, a sense of panic rising within him.

’This won’t do. I have to be faster. Even faster.’

’Time waits for no one!’

While they were nervously searching for hazards, Zoe Sawyer was standing guard by the door, on high alert to ensure she could react immediately if anything unexpected happened.

"Are you still feeling that sense of panic?" Evan Keller and Heath Hale asked as they returned, walking over to Zoe Sawyer, who was sitting by the door.

Zoe Sawyer nodded, her face tinged with anxiety. "I’ve tried several times to work backward from the time of the fire, to see which building, which floor, and what caused it to start.

But no matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t get a clear picture."

However, it wasn’t a complete failure. At the very least, she’d figured out which floor the fire would start on.

"But it wasn’t a total loss. The initial point of ignition is on the first floor on the southeast side, somewhere among the bamboo scaffolding and safety nets.

Evan, tell the chief to have the teams doing the search focus on this area," Zoe Sawyer said, looking at Evan Keller who was standing beside her.

The exteriors of these buildings were all covered in foam boards, so she couldn’t tell which building it was, but she had pinpointed the location.

’I hope this information can help them a little.’

"Got it. I’ll tell the chief right now." Evan Keller didn’t hesitate, taking out his phone and stepping aside.

With no further leads on the fire for the moment, Zoe Sawyer turned her gaze to Heath Hale, who was standing nearby. "Did you two go interrogate the drug dealers you caught last night?

How did it go? Did you get anything out of them?"

’If there’s a problem they can’t solve, maybe I can use my ability to take a look while I still have time.’

Heath Hale pulled over a chair and sat down next to Zoe Sawyer. "The two guys were easy to crack. The moment we got a little serious, they spilled everything.

The last one is a tough nut to crack. He’s probably had some professional training. We haven’t gotten anything out of him yet.

But the little notebook we found under his coffee table has been a huge help. It’s full of names, contact info, and some of the code words they use for deals. Once we decrypt it, we might be able to round up another batch of them."

It might even lead them to an entire drug manufacturing and distribution chain.

"So what’s the plan now?" Zoe Sawyer asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Heath Hale waved his hand dismissively. "We’ll just wear him down. It’s a waiting game. A whole team of us against one of him. I don’t believe for a second that he can keep his mouth shut forever."

’If he was really that capable, he wouldn’t just have a few guys working under him.’

Zoe Sawyer breathed a sigh of relief, assured that they really did have a way to handle it. As long as it could be solved, that was enough.

Then, something else occurred to Zoe Sawyer, and she asked, "How are Hayden and her cousin?"

Because the case involved her relative, Zoe Sawyer hadn’t seen Hayden Shaw since yesterday.

"This morning, after we confirmed she wasn’t involved in anything further, we sent her to a rehab center.

The test results also came back. The narcotic content in the drugs she took was very low. While she is addicted, the good news is that we caught it early and she hadn’t taken much. As long as she cooperates with the treatment, she’ll be able to kick the habit quickly," Heath Hale said, updating Zoe Sawyer on Hannah Thompson’s situation.

As for the university, they had filed for a leave of absence for Hannah Thompson under the pretext of a serious illness.

Zoe Sawyer nodded. She was about to say something else when Evan Keller strode back in, a look of excitement on his face.

"Zoe, we found something!"