Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 474: Chapter 474

The winter morning in Nifelheim City was biting cold, with the wind cutting through the streets like a sharp blade.
Alfie pulled up at the entrance in his black Jeep, stepping out with a tall and imposing figure. Though he wasn't in uniform, his natural aura of righteousness remained undiminished.
At about twenty-eight years old, he had a strong, well-built frame, and broad shoulders, exuding an air of competence. His sharp gaze swept the surroundings before finally landing on me as I slowly approached.
"Didn't sleep well?" His deep, magnetic voice carried a trace of concern as his eyes scanned me from head to toe. His energetic demeanor was a stark contrast to my current exhaustion.
I rubbed my dry eyes and replied hoarsely, "I got home a bit late last night."
Internally, I cursed myself. Why did I have to look so drained at such a crucial moment?
Alfie furrowed his brows slightly, hesitation flashing across his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay? I'm not familiar with Nifelheim City, and we're short on manpower, so..."
Before he could finish, I straightened my back and tried to look more alert. "Don't worry. I was born and raised here. I know pretty much every place you'd want to go."
I understood how urgent this case was, and I couldn't afford to slow down the investigation.
Alfie observed me silently before finally saying, "I need to go to Nifelheim High School."
I froze at the mention of the school's name, my face full of confusion. Instinctively, I repeated, "Nifelheim High School? Why are we going there?"
I couldn't help but wonder what the connection of this school was with Wilhelm's case.
Alfie didn't answer my question. He asked in an indifferent tone, "Do you know the place?"
"Yes," I responded briefly. I knew as a detective, he needed to keep certain details confidential, so I didn't press further.
He pulled open the car door and gestured for me to get in. I settled into the passenger seat and fastened my seatbelt. And soon, the Jeep was on its way to Nifelheim High School.
The atmosphere in the car was somewhat heavy, filled only with the hum of the engine and the occasional gust of wind outside.
Ever since Marvin got injured, Alfie had volunteered to assist in handling the case, a sign of how complicated things had become.
We soon arrived at the school. As we stepped onto the campus, a familiar sense of youthful energy filled the air.
On the sports field, students were in the middle of their PE class, their laughter and shouts echoing across the grounds.
Alfie and I headed straight for the administrative building to find the teachers who had taught Wilhelm back in the day.
Inside the principal's office, we met his former homeroom teacher.
The man looked to be around forty, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He wore a kind smile, but when he mentioned Wilhelm, a trace of regret flickered in his eyes.
The teacher sighed. "I never expected that such a good student didn't do well on his college entrance exams. We all urged him to retake the year. He definitely could've gotten into a top university, but he refused outright."
He added, "We thought it was because of financial difficulties, so the school waived all his fees. But even then, he chose to attend an ordinary university instead."
Alfie listened intently while I glanced around the office. The walls were adorned with photographs. They were graduation pictures and portraits of past students.
"How were Wilhelm's grades back then?" Alfie asked.
"Excellent. He ranked in the top ten of his entire grade. And he was a kind-hearted person, always treating those around him well. His classmates really liked him." The teacher's face softened with nostalgia as he recalled the past.
Hearing all this, I couldn't help but feel puzzled. How did such an outstanding student, both in character and academics, end up like this? What caused such a drastic change in him?
Alfie continued to inquire about Wilhelm's personal information, while I walked over to the photo wall.
Every year, graduating students left behind their graduation photos, along with a few personal pictures. As my eyes swept across the wall, one particular photo caught my attention.
It was a picture of Wilhelm standing on the school's grassy field. In the photo, he still had a youthful and innocent look, his eyes shining brightly like glass. He was completely different from the person he was now.
I examined the photo closely, an inexplicable feeling rising in my chest.
After asking other teachers who had taught Wilhelm, they all spoke highly of his character and academic abilities.
Just as we were about to leave, we passed by the school's bulletin board.
I glanced at it casually, but then suddenly stopped in my tracks. My gaze locked onto one of the photos, and I instinctively pointed at it, asking in a low voice, "This photo... it's just like the one of Wilhelm we saw earlier."
Alfie frowned and gave me a doubtful look. "How is it the same? This isn't even the same person."
I smiled faintly as I cast him a sidelong glance. "The person who took the photo is the same."
Alfie was momentarily stunned before stepping closer to the bulletin board for a closer look.
After a moment, he turned back to me, a trace of confusion in his eyes. "How can you tell?"
I pointed at the details in the photos and explained, "Look at the lighting angles and composition. They're almost identical. And the way the subjects' expressions are captured is incredibly natural. This isn't a coincidence. These photos were taken by the same photographer."
Alfie nodded thoughtfully. "It seems like this photographer might have some connection to Wilhelm. We might be able to find some clues through him."
We decided to head to the school's archive room to look up information on the person responsible for taking these photos. With the help of the archive room staff, we quickly found the relevant records.
It turned out that the person who had taken the school photos back then was an amateur photographer named Jalen Griffith. He used to work part-time at the school, capturing moments from various events.
However, when we tried to look up Jalen's contact information, we discovered that he had already left Nifelheim City and was currently missing. This made our investigation even more difficult.
"I didn't expect that Jalen had not only taken photos of Wilhelm but also of Liesel. Maybe they knew each other through Jalen. But since Jalen is no longer in Nifelheim City, it seems like this lead has gone cold," Alfie said helplessly.
I suggested, "Maybe we can start by looking for people who knew Jalen. Someone might know where he went. Photographers usually have their communities and forums. Perhaps we can find traces of his whereabouts there."
Alfie pondered for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I'll have someone check photography forums to see if anyone knows where Jalen is."