Chapter 126

"Yeah, we can close the case so fast thanks to the clues you gave us," Robert said, trying to sound casual.

Rilla didn't buy it, because she hadn't given any clues.

"What clues?" Rilla asked.

Robert hesitated, then, relying on his years of experience, smiled and said, "Can't really get into that."

Rilla nodded, pretending to understand. "If you have any other questions, go ahead."

Robert continued, "Just to confirm, when you found the three victims, they were lying on the ground with their pants halfway down, right?"

"Yes."

Robert mumbled something that sounded more like he was talking to himself than asking a question, "She was right."

Rilla immediately tensed up. "Who was right?"

"Ava, Evan, and Hugh's mom. You know her, right? She's from the same village."

"What did she say?" Rilla pressed.

Robert made a show of hesitating, glancing at Rilla's increasingly anxious expression. He sighed dramatically, "Since you're an important witness in this case, I guess it's okay to tell you. Our previous suspicions were correct. The three victims were indeed sexually assaulted."

Zoey noticed Rilla's pupils dilate slightly. "Who did it?"

"It was Hugh. We've already taken him into custody. The cops found his DNA on all three bodies."

When Rilla heard it was Hugh, she let out a cold laugh. "Scumbag!"

"But..." Zoey quickly shifted the topic, "Hugh claims the three of them seduced him. They invited him out at night because Janet didn't want to marry Evan and preferred to be his mistress. Faye and Sadie approached him about getting jobs, hoping he could help them."

"Unfortunately, Hugh is very loyal to his wife. No matter what the three of them said, he refused. But they kept pestering him, and when he tried to leave, they threatened to kill themselves if he did."

"Hugh thought they were bluffing and tried to leave, but they had ropes ready to hang themselves. Afraid they might actually do it, he felt he had no choice but to sleep with them. Afterward, he made it clear that it was pointless; he would never betray his wife. He left, but the next morning, feeling uneasy, he went back to check on them and found they had really hanged themselves. He cut them down, but fearing suspicion, he destroyed the evidence."

"Unfortunately, just as he was pulling their pants back up, he heard someone coming and had to flee, leaving the scene as you found it." Zoey finished and theatrically sighed, taking a sip of water from a bottle on the table.

Robert watched Rilla's expression the entire time Zoey spoke. He and Rilla remained silent, listening intently.

Robert thought Zoey's story was far-fetched, but to keep up appearances, he also took a sip of water.

Rilla seemed engrossed, visualizing the scenes Zoey described. After a moment, she responded, "What? You actually believe that?"

Zoey played dumb, "It makes sense, doesn't it? Why wouldn't we believe it?"

Rilla found it absurd. "How does that make any sense?"

"It's simple. Hugh's loaded, one of the top families in Willowbrook Village. It's only natural for girls to want to marry him, right?" Zoey crossed her arms and looked at Rilla. "So, what part doesn't make sense to you?"

Rilla was stunned, finding it hard to believe such words could come from a cop, especially a female one.

After thinking for a moment, Rilla said, "I can understand Janet not wanting to marry Evan, but why would she want to be Hugh's mistress?"

Zoey enjoyed debating logic and continued, "What's the problem? Is it because Hugh's been married three times? No matter how many times he's been married, at least he's a normal person, not an idiot. Men become more stable with experience. Janet can't escape marriage, so why not marry into a wealthy family and live comfortably?"

Rilla was speechless. "And what about Faye and Sadie? Even if they wanted jobs, they wouldn't sell their bodies to Hugh. I've interacted with them; they're very innocent, not the type to do something like that."

Zoey countered, "How do you know? You said you weren't close to them. How can you be sure what they would do? You can't judge a book by its cover. Besides, Willowbrook Village is different from other places. Women, there are either housekeepers or baby machines. Selling their bodies isn't unusual. I see no logical flaw."

"Sir!" Rilla suddenly raised her voice, "You can't say that! How can you, as cops, be so disrespectful?"

Zoey laughed nonchalantly, "I'm just stating the reality of your village. Isn't that how things are in Willowbrook Village? What's disrespectful about telling the truth? Who's really being disrespectful? Isn't it the people in Willowbrook Village? I'm just being honest. Isn't that right?"

Rilla was at a loss for words.

Unable to find a flaw in Zoey's argument, she reluctantly conceded, "Yes, I admit, there aren't many normal people in Willowbrook Village." She seemed ashamed of her village and took a deep breath before continuing, "But from my interactions with those three, I can tell they weren't like that. They were kind-hearted kids. They hadn't seen much of the world and were very naive. If you gave them a piece of candy, they'd give you everything they had, thinking you were the best person in the world. How could such innocent kids have such dirty thoughts? How could they let Hugh do that?"

"Why not?" Zoey replied calmly, as if discussing a movie. "I believe they were innocent at first. Everyone starts out good, but in Willowbrook Village, under the influence of the elders, they change. As they grow older, they become another Ava or any other elder in Willowbrook Village. In a few years, you'll be the same!"