Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 360: Chapter 360
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Marvin cleared his throat. "This suggests that something unexpected occurred, forcing the killer to dispose of the body nearby quickly."
The officer nodded in agreement, about to speak, when he suddenly gagged twice. The stench of rotting flesh filled the air almost immediately.
"I'll take you back first," Marvin said, looking at me.
By now, a crowd of onlookers had gathered behind us. The body that had been pulled from the river was being carefully placed into a sealed body bag by the authorities. Yet, the smell of decaying objects still lingered in the air.
Many officers trying to keep order failed to disperse the crowd, but the overpowering stench had caused several people to turn and walk away. The foul odor hit me sharply, and I couldn't help but grimace and frown.
Disrey Park wasn't huge, but its prime location and 24-hour access without an entrance fee made it a popular spot, drawing a steady flow of people. While the killer might have been seen, the large crowd also likely destroyed any evidence left at the scene.
There were no cameras within the park, only near an intersection. And those cameras might not have captured footage of all the different entry and exit points.
Moreover, before this, Marvin had already tried to track down the man but couldn't find him, which indicated that the killer was deliberately avoiding the cameras and keeping their movements unpredictable, making the investigation more difficult.
The killer couldn't have disposed of the body during the day, as the risk of being spotted by passersby was too high. Therefore, the body must have been dumped at night. Additionally, it had rained a few days before, meaning the rain might have washed away any remaining evidence entirely.
"Laurel, let's go back first," Marvin said, his long, delicate fingers gently gripping my arm. I snapped out of my daze and nodded silently in response.
Too few clues were left at the scene, so we could only wait for the autopsy results. Staying here any longer would be pointless. I nodded, and as the body was taken away, the gathered crowd gradually dispersed.
Nifelheim City hadn't seen a murder case in years, especially one involving a body being dumped in public. Naturally, it drew the attention of many elderly onlookers—perhaps even becoming a topic for their idle chatter over meals.
To them, the victim's identity and the killer's background didn't matter—only the outcome did. With the year-end approaching in a few months and the case causing such a stir, the police were undoubtedly under immense pressure.
As we returned to the car, Marvin noticed my serious expression and offered reassurance. "Don't worry, the authorities will take this case seriously."
I didn't respond right away. After a brief silence, I finally spoke. "Don't you think it's strange? We thought the trail had gone cold, yet now someone has turned up dead."
"What do you mean?" Marvin glanced at me, puzzled.
The faint scent of cigarette smoke lingered in the car, but even that was far better than the stench outside. I took a sip of bottled water, trying to suppress the nausea in my chest. "It's as if someone killed him on purpose—just to lead us to more evidence."
Marvin's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. He didn't look up at me, merely speaking calmly, almost indifferently. "Laurel, stay out of this case." It was as if he were stating something utterly ordinary, devoid of emotion.
I knew what Marvin was afraid of. As he suspected, it felt like someone in the shadows was aware of our every move, deliberately steering us toward the truth. But whoever they were, they weren't someone who played by the rules.
If that man wasn't murdered by the one pulling the strings, then he must have witnessed the real killer. Yet, instead of calling the police, he waited for the body to be discovered. And if the authorities kept digging, even if they eventually identified a suspect, there was no guarantee that the person they found would be the true culprit.
"Is it that you don't want me involved in this case, or are you saying even your sister's case doesn't matter anymore?" I asked.
Marvin sighed. "Laurel, you're pregnant now. It's not safe for you to continue with this investigation. Just think of your child." He continued when I didn't respond, "I just checked the area. There are no cameras, and Disrey Park has a lot of trees, creating plenty of blind spots. Do you know why so many people like to visit Disrey Park?"
"I know. It's the perfect spot for a date," I said, forcing a bitter smile. "So the killer must have dumped the body between midnight and four in the morning. The cleaners start at 6:30 but usually arrive around six. The killer would have left enough time to avoid any unexpected issues."
Marvin nodded, speaking slowly and deliberately. "So, Disrey Park couldn't have been the first crime scene. Someone as cautious as the victim, who knew how to avoid cameras, how could they have been killed so easily?"
I knew the answer. The victim could only have been killed by someone close to him. And since he knew my mother, it meant the killer was likely someone who knew her as well.
In other words, if I continued investigating and the killer noticed, there was a real possibility that I could become their next target. If the person behind all this weren't the killer but simply someone orchestrating everything from the shadows, that would be even more terrifying.
We were in the light while they remained in the shadows. It was possible that, right at this very moment, a pair of eyes was watching us closely.
"I won't be involved in this case, but if you catch the killer, you have to tell me," I said. Upon hearing my response, Marvin quickly nodded in agreement.
But I didn't tell him—whether I refrained from investigating or getting involved, would the people behind this let me off? Like Marvin said, invisible hands pushed us forward, driving us toward something we couldn't escape.
The car pulled up to the entrance of Honeydew Estate. As Marvin was about to escort me upstairs, his phone rang again. He answered it immediately, and after hanging up, he turned to look at me, his gaze heavy and serious.
A sudden chill ran through me. "What happened?" I asked.
Marvin sighed. "The police arrested Javier."
I frowned slightly and asked, "Did he get into another fight?"
"No," he replied. "He was the one who got beaten."
"How is he? Wasn't it a fight?" I asked, eyeing Marvin with suspicion. After all, Javier was always the one doing the hitting, never getting hit. The only possible explanation was that he couldn't fight back. That guy was never one to back down.
"He's fine. I need to step outside for a smoke. Can't hold it in any longer. Wait in the car," Marvin said and stepped out. I understood—he wasn't just craving a cigarette; he didn't want me to ask any more questions.
The officer nodded in agreement, about to speak, when he suddenly gagged twice. The stench of rotting flesh filled the air almost immediately.
"I'll take you back first," Marvin said, looking at me.
By now, a crowd of onlookers had gathered behind us. The body that had been pulled from the river was being carefully placed into a sealed body bag by the authorities. Yet, the smell of decaying objects still lingered in the air.
Many officers trying to keep order failed to disperse the crowd, but the overpowering stench had caused several people to turn and walk away. The foul odor hit me sharply, and I couldn't help but grimace and frown.
Disrey Park wasn't huge, but its prime location and 24-hour access without an entrance fee made it a popular spot, drawing a steady flow of people. While the killer might have been seen, the large crowd also likely destroyed any evidence left at the scene.
There were no cameras within the park, only near an intersection. And those cameras might not have captured footage of all the different entry and exit points.
Moreover, before this, Marvin had already tried to track down the man but couldn't find him, which indicated that the killer was deliberately avoiding the cameras and keeping their movements unpredictable, making the investigation more difficult.
The killer couldn't have disposed of the body during the day, as the risk of being spotted by passersby was too high. Therefore, the body must have been dumped at night. Additionally, it had rained a few days before, meaning the rain might have washed away any remaining evidence entirely.
"Laurel, let's go back first," Marvin said, his long, delicate fingers gently gripping my arm. I snapped out of my daze and nodded silently in response.
Too few clues were left at the scene, so we could only wait for the autopsy results. Staying here any longer would be pointless. I nodded, and as the body was taken away, the gathered crowd gradually dispersed.
Nifelheim City hadn't seen a murder case in years, especially one involving a body being dumped in public. Naturally, it drew the attention of many elderly onlookers—perhaps even becoming a topic for their idle chatter over meals.
To them, the victim's identity and the killer's background didn't matter—only the outcome did. With the year-end approaching in a few months and the case causing such a stir, the police were undoubtedly under immense pressure.
As we returned to the car, Marvin noticed my serious expression and offered reassurance. "Don't worry, the authorities will take this case seriously."
I didn't respond right away. After a brief silence, I finally spoke. "Don't you think it's strange? We thought the trail had gone cold, yet now someone has turned up dead."
"What do you mean?" Marvin glanced at me, puzzled.
The faint scent of cigarette smoke lingered in the car, but even that was far better than the stench outside. I took a sip of bottled water, trying to suppress the nausea in my chest. "It's as if someone killed him on purpose—just to lead us to more evidence."
Marvin's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. He didn't look up at me, merely speaking calmly, almost indifferently. "Laurel, stay out of this case." It was as if he were stating something utterly ordinary, devoid of emotion.
I knew what Marvin was afraid of. As he suspected, it felt like someone in the shadows was aware of our every move, deliberately steering us toward the truth. But whoever they were, they weren't someone who played by the rules.
If that man wasn't murdered by the one pulling the strings, then he must have witnessed the real killer. Yet, instead of calling the police, he waited for the body to be discovered. And if the authorities kept digging, even if they eventually identified a suspect, there was no guarantee that the person they found would be the true culprit.
"Is it that you don't want me involved in this case, or are you saying even your sister's case doesn't matter anymore?" I asked.
Marvin sighed. "Laurel, you're pregnant now. It's not safe for you to continue with this investigation. Just think of your child." He continued when I didn't respond, "I just checked the area. There are no cameras, and Disrey Park has a lot of trees, creating plenty of blind spots. Do you know why so many people like to visit Disrey Park?"
"I know. It's the perfect spot for a date," I said, forcing a bitter smile. "So the killer must have dumped the body between midnight and four in the morning. The cleaners start at 6:30 but usually arrive around six. The killer would have left enough time to avoid any unexpected issues."
Marvin nodded, speaking slowly and deliberately. "So, Disrey Park couldn't have been the first crime scene. Someone as cautious as the victim, who knew how to avoid cameras, how could they have been killed so easily?"
I knew the answer. The victim could only have been killed by someone close to him. And since he knew my mother, it meant the killer was likely someone who knew her as well.
In other words, if I continued investigating and the killer noticed, there was a real possibility that I could become their next target. If the person behind all this weren't the killer but simply someone orchestrating everything from the shadows, that would be even more terrifying.
We were in the light while they remained in the shadows. It was possible that, right at this very moment, a pair of eyes was watching us closely.
"I won't be involved in this case, but if you catch the killer, you have to tell me," I said. Upon hearing my response, Marvin quickly nodded in agreement.
But I didn't tell him—whether I refrained from investigating or getting involved, would the people behind this let me off? Like Marvin said, invisible hands pushed us forward, driving us toward something we couldn't escape.
The car pulled up to the entrance of Honeydew Estate. As Marvin was about to escort me upstairs, his phone rang again. He answered it immediately, and after hanging up, he turned to look at me, his gaze heavy and serious.
A sudden chill ran through me. "What happened?" I asked.
Marvin sighed. "The police arrested Javier."
I frowned slightly and asked, "Did he get into another fight?"
"No," he replied. "He was the one who got beaten."
"How is he? Wasn't it a fight?" I asked, eyeing Marvin with suspicion. After all, Javier was always the one doing the hitting, never getting hit. The only possible explanation was that he couldn't fight back. That guy was never one to back down.
"He's fine. I need to step outside for a smoke. Can't hold it in any longer. Wait in the car," Marvin said and stepped out. I understood—he wasn't just craving a cigarette; he didn't want me to ask any more questions.
End of Falling For My Ex's Uncle Chapter 360. Continue reading Chapter 361 or return to Falling For My Ex's Uncle book page.