Chapter 111

Zoey said, "Wait, so it was hidden? But if it was hidden, someone would find it eventually, right? Doesn't that defeat the purpose? If they didn't want it found, why not just destroy it? And if they wanted it found someday, why hide it in the first place?"

Even though her words were a bit jumbled, Alexander got the gist.

To him, Zoey seemed almost detached at that moment. "Some truths are better discovered later."

"For who? The killer? Every day we wait, he gets another day of freedom!"

Alexander replied calmly, "For the victims."

"The victims are dead. How does it help them? Are you saying it's our fault for investigating the killer?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Alexander explained. "These are just personal thoughts, not related to solving the case. I'm trying to understand the victims' perspective."

"I get it. You mean the victims wouldn't want the truth of their murder to come out so quickly, right?"

"Don't twist my words. That's not what I meant."

The others around them stayed silent, unsure why the argument had suddenly flared up.

Jordan noticed the detectives' silence and tried to break the tension. "Well, actually..."

Before she could finish, Finn suddenly started crying.

Everyone turned to look at him, confused about why he was crying.

Finn's sobs grew louder.

"Shut up, or I'll tape your mouth shut!" Zoey snapped.

Finn was scared for a second but kept crying.

Zoey, clearly redirecting her earlier anger towards Finn, shouted at him. Alexander quickly stepped in to comfort him, "Why are you crying all of a sudden? Don't be scared, I'm here. You can tell us anything. Remember what the teacher said? You have to trust us."

The more he comforted, the harder Finn cried.

Zoey, now irritated, yelled again, "Shut up!"

Finn, terrified of her, immediately quieted down, proving her method more effective than Alexander's.

Alexander felt his earlier efforts were pointless.

Finn, still upset, clung to Alexander's hand. "I can't find my sister's diaries. I didn't take good care of them. How will I face my sisters now?"

"Think carefully. Besides here, where else could it be? We'll help you look for it, okay?" Alexander comforted.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Tell me, where did your sisters usually like to go?"

"To listen to stories."

"Where did she go to listen?"

"I don't know."

"How often did she go?"

"Sometimes not for a long time, sometimes every day."

Alexander added, "Anywhere else?"

"To work."

"Where did she work?"

"At home."

They asked a lot of questions but made no progress.

With the autopsy report, it seemed like the case was moving forward... but also not.

Jordan sighed in the yard, "What does it mean, going to listen to stories? Is there someone in the village who tells stories?"

Zoey was adamant. "There's no way there are cultural activities here. If there were, this place wouldn't be so backward."

Alexander frowned, deep in thought. "We've been all over Willowbrook Village, asked around. There are only a few dozen households. Besides the Lynns' daughters being close to Janet, there doesn't seem to be anyone else..."

They were back to square one.

The three victims were best friends, but with their deaths, there were no other clues.

The only diary had vanished without a trace.

Jordan noticed everyone looking a bit down and suggested, "Should we go ask again?"

Alexander saw it was still early and agreed. "Alright."

As they left Faye's house, a gentle breeze brushed Zoey's cheek, rustling the nearby leaves.

"Alexander, you said some truths are better discovered in the future?" Zoey asked.

Alexander thought Zoey was bored and wanted to argue again.

He was tired, didn't want to argue, just wanted to solve the case quickly.

He looked at Zoey warily, unsure of her intentions, and asked, "Did I say that?"

"You're right!"

Alexander stunned. "What?"

Zoey continued, "If the Lynns' daughters thought like you, wanting the diary's secrets to remain hidden but also hoping the truth would come out someday, then they wouldn't hide the diary in a very obscure place. It would be somewhere that would be discovered over time."

"What does that mean?" Jordan asked curiously.

Zoey glanced around, then fixed her gaze in one direction, as if she had an idea.

She suddenly turned and ran back into the house.

Alexander and Jordan, stunned, followed her.

"Over time..." Zoey reopened the door to Faye's house, immediately spotting a butter jar in the kitchen. She muttered to herself, "Like, the bottom of a butter jar."

"Or eating a box of candy, down to the last piece."

She then pushed open the door to Finn and his mother's room. "For example, using a stack of notebooks to the last one."

Finn, lying on the bed, was startled by Zoey's sudden entrance. "Why are you back? Is there something else?"

Zoey quickly asked, "Where's your notebook?"

"Under the desk..."

"Get it for me."

"Okay..." Finn struggled to pull out his notebook from under the desk.

Before he could finish, Zoey took it from him.

She then knocked over the neatly stacked notebooks.

Finn was too intimidated by her to say anything.

Zoey knelt down to search, noticing the two behind her weren't moving. She looked back at them. "What are you standing there for? Help me!"

Were they searching for evidence? Or was this a robbery?

The two were stunned for a moment, then snapped out of it: "Okay." They hurried to help.

Finn, scared by Zoey, started crying again.

Zoey quickly stuffed a candy into his mouth before he could cry out.

Finn, caught off guard, just held the candy in his mouth.

"Is it good?" Zoey asked.