Fifteen minutes later, the four people in two cars arrived at a two-story building at the foot of a small hill. It was indeed quite remote; there wasn't even a proper cent or asphalt road, just a dirt path strewn with pebbles.
After parking the cars, Roscoe led everyone around the flowerbeds and onto the path leading to the front door, talking as they walked.
"I'll go get sothing to eat. Although I don't feel like having much of an appetite, you two must be hungry."
She wasn't referring to Finlay, but to Reacher and Jack, who had acted like they were just visiting soone's ho at the cri scene.
Jack suddenly stopped, nodded, and said, "Roscoe, I didn't think your house is this remote, at least not this 'quiet'."
The other three were startled and looked towards the house facing them. The wooden door was ajar, and there were signs of forced entry at the lock, but it was relatively far away, and apart from the perceptive Jack, no one had noticed the anomaly yet.
Jack crouched down, pulled a Glock from his shin holster, and tossed it to Reacher, who caught it. Jack then drew his FK 7.5mm. Roscoe and Finlay instinctively drew their sidearms as well.
As she drew her gun, Roscoe glanced at Finlay, noticing his lack of surprise at Jack carrying a weapon, and remained silent, following him into the house.
"Nobody here!"
"Safe!"
The group searched the small building; the house was empty and showed no signs of disturbance. Except for a few pieces of underwear scattered haphazardly on the floor of Roscoe's bedroom closet.
"Is he just a pervert, or has Roscoe found a crazy admirer?" Finlay sighed, holstering his gun.
"I don't know. How could anyone in this small town dare to follow ?" Roscoe's face was terribly grim.
"No, it's the sa group as the Morrison family." Reacher's gaze fell on the doormat, where there were obvious mud stains.
Jack nodded. "They stepped directly over the flowerbed, bringing soil into the ground, but the footprints match the Morrisons' footprints — no patterns, just the sa rubber shoe covers. I bet if micro-trace analysis were done, they could find the Morrisons' blood inside."
"They were planning to kill too?" Roscoe turned to look at Jack.
"I'm more inclined to think that one of them planned to co and 'relax' with you afterwards. Judging from the footprints, only one person went into the bedroom last; the others stayed in the living room. Of course, the possibility of them killing you afterwards is also quite high."
Jack rested his chin on his hand, analyzing seriously. Roscoe looked disgusted by his deduction, turned to close the door, but revealed three letters carved on the back of the door — 'SEE YOU SOON.'
"Looks like they're planning to co back."
She paced back and forth in the living room irritably, and Reacher, standing beside her, tried to comfort her, "I know you're scared."
But he was interrupted before he could finish speaking.
"Scared?" The pretty policewoman walked up to him, looked up at him, and bared her teeth like an enraged kitten at a dog two or three tis her size.
"I don't look scared at all, I'm angry. Look into my eyes, is there even a hint of fear in them? You arrogant big man."
"The FBI and CIA both recruited . My IQ is 99%, but my psychological assessnt is only 80%. Do you know why? This is the reason!"
"They broke into my room, did so dirty things, and thought that would scare ? This is my ho, I renovated it with my own savings! Right here in this small town my family built, they think I wouldn't dare touch them?"
Reacher stood frozen, seemingly taken aback by Roscoe's fiery outburst. Finlay's eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe that this usually quiet policewoman under his command could actually have such a fiery temper.
"What are you looking at? If it weren't for you suddenly appearing and taking my place, I would be the only detective in this town!"
Roscoe's chest heaved violently with emotion, and no one in the room dared to speak for a mont.
Bang!
Jack, who had sohow opened the refrigerator to look for ingredients, slamd the door shut, breaking the seemingly frozen atmosphere in the room.
"Roscoe, are you on a diet? There's not even a box of bacon in the fridge."
Seeing the three of them turn to look at him simultaneously, he held a carton of eggs, looking surprised. "Didn't we say we'd go inside and get sothing to eat? I only had a sandwich this morning, I'm starving."
....
"You an, Morrison is in cahoots with the people controlling Paul Hubble?" Half an hour later, in Roscoe's backyard, the four of them sat around a small table. Finlay's eyes widened again.
"What else could it be? Is this so kind of incredible coincidence? The scene of Chief Morrison and his wife's deaths matches what Paul Hubble described to us in prison. He said that if he got into trouble, his people would torture him this way."
Reacher's analysis was logical and well-founded.
"Then why didn't you two tell anything before? Now you're telling ?" Finlay felt hurt.
Jack smiled. "Because you're still alive."
Finlay: "…"
Reacher continued, "I guess the mastermind's goal was to have Morrison fra and pin the murder charge on , but because Roscoe got the long-distance bus company's video, I was acquitted, so they think Morrison ssed up."
"And although you acted like you wanted to force to help you solve the case, you were also the one who forcibly sent to prison, so I trusted Roscoe before, but not you."
"And you've been hiding sothing. A Black police officer with 20 years of retirent savings, suddenly leaving Boston to work in so godforsaken, racially prejudiced Southern town? Very suspicious."
Finlay was silent for a long ti, then gave a bitter smile. "When Sharon was sick, I was taking care of her while also working. I promised her she would get better, but in the end, she couldn't hold on. I ca here not for any other reason, but simply to punish myself."
Everyone was silent. Reacher finally spoke after a long pause. "I'm sorry, I thought…"
Finlay waved his hand, forgiving him. "At least now we know who we can trust, which is a good thing."
Before he finished speaking, his phone rang, first Roscoe, then Jack.
Jack held up one finger, indicating everyone should answer the phone first.
All three calls were short, ending quickly.
"Mayor Tiller just appointed himself acting police chief."
"Tiller urgently convened the town council in one hour at the church." Roscoe and Finlay received the sa ssage.
Jack received a call from Hannah, informing him that soone had woken up.
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