Chapter 292

Chapter 292

So far, Reed's notebook has mentioned four incidents: the 1982 disappearance of Kelly, the 1992 murder of five teenagers, the 2002 camping trip where a person went missing, and the 2012 forest fire, which involved the appearance of a foreigner who seemed to be Qi Tian.

Among them, both Kelly and one of the couples were believed to have been attacked by a wild animal, and their cases were considered accidents. Only the 1992 case was incredibly bizarre and mysterious, and the truth remains unknown to this day.

At that time, Reed was the sheriff of Twilight Town, and he identified three suspects.

The first one was an addict who lived in a trailer and was involved in shady business dealings. He often associated with prostitutes, and those who knew him said he was ruthless and quick to resort to violence. However, on the day of the incident, he was working for a local crime boss, who later implicated him after being arrested, clearing his name. Nevertheless, the man did not meet a good end and was killed by his accomplices six months later.

The second suspect was an eccentric who lived on the outskirts of town and rarely interacted with people. Some claimed to have seen him with Teresa, but on the nights when several victims went missing, he claimed to have stayed home, although there was no evidence to support his alibi. The police searched his house and found that he suffered from a severe illness that caused fainting spells, making it impossible for him to carry out a series of complex rituals. Six months after the incident, he moved away from Twilight Town.

The third and most suspicious suspect was Frank. He had a farm on the edge of the woods where he raised pigs, cows, sheep, and other livestock. He used to have a wife, but she left him because she couldn't tolerate his temper and took their child with her.

This man was physically strong and had a violent temperament. It would have been no problem for him to overpower five teenagers with a gun. However, the police searched his farm and found no clues. They even found Frank's lover, who confirmed that they were together at a motel on the night the children went missing. The motel owner indirectly confirmed this as well.

Although the evidence suggested that Frank should not be the killer, Reed still conducted an extensive investigation on him. He even bought an expensive camera and took numerous photos of the farm, which later became the inspiration for his grandson Robert's creative work.

Jian Jing had only caught a glimpse of Robert's farm and already felt that it had a certain atmosphere. But now, in the real place, she suddenly realized that no matter how cleverly the fake farm was constructed, it couldn't replicate the eerie feeling of the real thing.

Frank's farm had been around for over thirty years. The house was dilapidated, with a leaky roof and walls covered in mold. The wooden door emitted a rotten smell.

Old William and Old Frank were acquainted, and they explained the situation to Jian Jing, allowing them to take shelter from the rain.

"If it wasn't for William, I wouldn't let outsiders step foot on my property," gruffly said Old Frank. He was already quite old, with gray hair, cloudy eyes, and wrinkled skin that hung loosely on his body, giving him a peculiar appearance.

"Dad, don't say that," replied young Frank, who was completely different from his father. He didn't look like a Caucasian; instead, he resembled a Native American. He was introverted and only glanced briefly at Jian Jing before shifting his gaze. "Let me make you some hot tea, um, and sandwiches. Would you like some?"

Jian Jing gave Jiang BaiYan a quick glance.

He immediately understood and said, "No need to trouble yourself, hot tea will do."

Little Frank quickly brought a pot of hot tea and poured it for them, expressing his worry, "Uncle William, it seems like the rain won't stop today."

Old William seemed to feel slighted and grumbled, "The weather around here changes suddenly. The television clearly said it would be sunny."

Little Frank smiled and quietly sat down.

After a while, feeling bored, he started getting friendly with Jiang BaiYan, "My father lives in town and doesn't like outsiders. Don't mind his words."

Who is Jiang BaiYan? He is an actor.

He quickly got into character and portrayed himself as someone who isn't fluent in English but is cheerful and talkative. He promptly replied, "No problem, we are the ones causing the disturbance. We originally planned to have a good day of hunting, but who knew we would encounter heavy rain."

Curiously, Little Frank asked, "What did you manage to hunt today?"Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

Jiang BaiYan shrugged, "We didn't catch anything."

Little Frank laughed and suddenly said to William, "It's already late, why don't you stay for dinner? I made chicken stew with rice and vegetable soup."

Jian Jing immediately looked up and said, "Dinner?"

William looked at her and then glanced at the raindrops the size of beans outside. He nodded in agreement.

Little Frank opened a bag of rice, poured it into the pot, added water, and let it simmer. When it was almost cooked, he added the semi-finished curry and cooked chicken, mixed it together, and the steaming chicken rice was freshly served.

Jian Jing expressed her high praise.

Little Frank became even happier and took out beer to offer them.

The second step to risking one's life is to wander about.

Jiang BaiYan walked along the corridor, descended the staircase, and deliberately turned into dim and secluded corners. After a series of twists and turns, he surprisingly found the back door of the building. Stepping outside, he found himself on a narrow path with only a canopy overhead, paved with gravel, leading to the sheep pen behind the farm.

There were lights inside, but no one was present.

A group of yellowish sheep stood or lay down, looking at the intruder with a strong, pungent odor emanating from their bodies, mingled with the smell of dung and hay, making it extremely unpleasant.

Jiang BaiYan held his breath and almost turned back.

But soon, he felt someone watching him.

Who could it be?

He surveyed the sheep pen and suddenly noticed a pure white lamb among the dirty yellow sheep. Its wool was as white as snow, completely different from the other sheep.

"Baa~" it bleated.

The other sheep, as if awakened, turned to look at him.

Jiang BaiYan took a sharp breath, his whole body shivering.

At that moment, footsteps sounded behind him.

Frank entered, carrying a bag of feed. Surprised to see him, Frank asked, "What are you doing here?"

Jiang BaiYan pretended to be flustered but quickly regained composure. "I was just looking for you. Can I borrow the kitchen? I want to prepare some food for tomorrow's hunt."

"Of course." Compared to a suspicious guest, Frank was a hospitable host, readily agreeing.

Jiang BaiYan asked him to buy eggs, bread, and pork, preparing to make hamburgers.

He cracked the eggs, ground the meat, and sliced the bread with precision.

Frank left.

Jiang BaiYan began inspecting the knives in the kitchen one by one, as if suspecting the presence of murder weapons. However, he found no suspicious items such as bloodstains or hairs. Instead, he discovered something strange.

At the bottom of the cupboard, numerous long, thin roots resembling hairs were growing, entwined and clinging as if a huge tree nearby had extended its roots into the foundation.

But Jiang BaiYan clearly remembered that the surroundings of the farm were wide open, with only a few bushes and no sturdy trees.

He crouched down and touched those roots.

They were cold, hard, and moist—not the texture of handicrafts, but alive.

Since Teacher Jing Jing wanted to "make a grand exit," he certainly didn't mind being the first "unlucky one."

Jiang BaiYan picked up a steak knife, assessed its weight, and decisively chopped it down.

The roots fell to the ground, squirming like a worm, and then lay there stiffly, no different from the withered branches by the roadside.

Jiang BaiYan took a plastic bag, picked it up, tightly rolled it, and casually stuffed it into his pocket.

Then, "snip, snip, snip," he continued chopping.

The evenly marbled pork was formed into patties, sizzling in the frying pan, emitting a tantalizing aroma. He busied himself with seasoning and cutting vegetables, completely unaware that the plastic bag tucked into his pants pocket trembled slightly.

Black, sticky roots quietly emerged from it.