Chapter 82

Due to the rain, the ground was a bit damp.

It was still a rural dirt road, and stepping on it would get your shoes muddy.

Dennis's brand-new, clean leather shoes got dirty after just a few steps.

"This place is unbelievable!" He took out a wet wipe from his pocket, intending to clean his shoes, but Robert, beside him, asked, "Do you think your wet wipes will be enough?"

Dennis paused.

Indeed, He didn't know when he would be able to leave after finishing the case, being fussy was useless.

"Got it, Officer Davis." Dennis silently put away his wet wipe, looked at the remote area, and said helplessly, "The government has given a lot of subsidies to various places over the years, why don't they fix the roads? You know, the poorer the place, the less they accept others' opinions. Being poor is not a big deal." He gently patted the stunned Charles, "Do you know what's worse than being poor?"

"What is it?" Charles asked out of courtesy.

"Customs!" Dennis shared many of his personal experiences with Charles.

Because of poverty and lack of education, the villagers had never left the mountains. They only knew how to farm and sell grain, and they wouldn't see a woman all year round, so they started buying wives, which led to human trafficking.

It could be said that without their ignorance, the human trafficking industry wouldn't be so prosperous.

Almost all the buyers found by traffickers were uneducated, authentic rural people from the mountains.

Charles wasn't interested in listening to this; he just wanted to solve the case quickly and leave.

His eyes scanned the surroundings and suddenly noticed something. He immediately reported to Robert, "Officer Davis, there's a crowd over there!"

Zoey's previously uninterested face showed a hint of expectation upon hearing this.

Charles had the best eyesight in their criminal investigation team.

As soon as he spoke, everyone saw a crowd not far ahead, and they could hear them talking, but due to the distance and the local accent, they couldn't understand what was being said.

No wonder they hadn't seen many people since entering the village.

It seemed everyone was watching the commotion.

Seeing the crowd, they quickly walked over. Robert calmly took out his police badge and showed it to the crowd, "Make way, police business."

The surrounding people made way but inexplicably rolled their eyes at Robert.

Seeing their attitude towards the police, Dennis issued a warning.

The villagers of Willowbrook Village then made a wider path for them.

Only then did they squeeze to the front of the crowd.

Before they entered, Zoey heard some information from the villagers.

"What's there to pity? They deserved it!"

"I think one of them was about to get married, right?"

"Bringing shame to Willowbrook Village!"

The building in front of them was so dilapidated that the yellow earth inside was exposed, and the walls looked broken and collapsed after years of weathering.

However, compared to ordinary houses, it was quite large. It was a place similar to a church, and the main door was covered in dust.

Beyond the door was an open space, not very large, with a dried-up pool. It was called a pool, but there was no water in it, and it looked abandoned for a long time.

They passed the pool and reached the main hall.

There were two small rooms on the side, and that was the entire structure.

Charles glanced back at the dense crowd at the door and asked in confusion, "Is the whole village here to watch?"

Alexander understood what he meant.

In the city, passersby would at most take a glance and continue with their business.

But this was the countryside, a small place.

If something happened, everyone would come to watch and use it as a topic for conversation.

"That's normal. They can discuss a trivial matter for half a month, let alone a murder case."Alexander said.

Charles remained silent.

Dennis looked at the houses in front of him, not knowing where to start, and asked, "Which room?"

Robert was about to make a call when a young man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, came out of the main hall, warmly greeting them, "You arrived quickly, must be tired coming from the neighboring city."

The man was dressed in casual clothes, with a gentle smile and a clean appearance. Compared to the other villagers of Willowbrook Village, he was very clean, which made people feel comfortable.

Among the villagers, he was definitely a handsome guy.

"Hello, let me introduce myself. I'm Jordan Taylor." Jordan was easygoing and warm, shaking hands with Robert and the others one by one.

When he got to Zoey, he gave her a hug, "And a lady, thank you for your hard work."

Zoey frowned slightly, momentarily forgetting to push him away.

It was Robert who stepped forward and pulled Jordan away.

Jordan quickly realized his hug might have startled Zoey and immediately gave her an apologetic look.

Dennis, Charles, and the others were also stunned.

Jordan was taking advantage of Zoey, the only female in their criminal investigation team, in public.

Robert changed the subject, "Zack, can you brief us on the situation at the scene?"

Jordan, recovering from his awkward smile, said, "Sure, follow me."

He walked towards the main hall, and Robert and the others followed him.

Alexander deliberately slowed his pace, walking close to Zoey, and said in a voice only they could hear, "I thought you would dodge or use a takedown move."

Zoey replied, "If it were you, I would do what you say."

Alexander fell silent.

He shouldn't have asked; he brought it upon himself.

Upon entering the main hall, besides the local technicians, they immediately saw three female corpses on the ground. They were all covered with white cloth.

Robert stepped forward, and the members of the criminal investigation team skillfully put on disposable gloves and lifted the white cloth.

All three female corpses were uncovered, and exposed to everyone.

The three female corpses were dressed plainly, their clothes intact, but they were barefoot. Their faces were cyanotic, tongues slightly protruding, bodies stiff, with obvious ligature marks on their necks, though not deep. Judging by their appearance, the three girls were young, around twenty years old.

Robert, a seasoned detective, took one look and made a judgment, "The crime scene has been tampered with."

Jordan sighed deeply, "Yes, ever since the bodies were discovered, a lot of people have come to see them. You know, in this poor rural area, the villagers haven't had much education and don't understand the importance of preserving the crime scene. As soon as I found out, I rushed over to stop further damage."