Chapter 17: The Cruel Murders

Roger didn't expect Fiona's reason for letting him in to be so peculiar.

But precisely because of that, he felt her heart wasn't cruel—at least she hadn't turned a blind eye.

So he explained: "Vanessa is a reporter for the Seattle Times. She told me there's an Informer in this community whose home address is here."

Fiona raised an eyebrow: "Then she must mean my dead husband. I never thought he ever worked as an Informer for a reporter."

"You didn't know?"

"Why should I have known?" Fiona sat down on the worn-out sofa: "I never cared where he got his money, as long as he remembered to come home."

"Well, you're truly understanding." Roger tried to sit down too.

"Did I tell you to sit?"

"Then I'll stand."

Fiona continued: "So what does this reporter Vanessa plan to do? I've got no big news for her here."

Roger explained: "Vanessa wants to give you her phone number."

"Hmph, I've got no fondness for these people who twist the truth," Fiona refused. "I don't need her number. If that's all, you can leave now."

Roger didn't leave immediately. Instead, he glanced around the room.

Inside, the house was far warmer than it had appeared from outside: handmade embroidery hung on the walls, books and dinner plates piled on the table, and two aprons—one large, one small—hung in the kitchen.

By the fireplace, Roger found a family photo.

It showed Fiona alongside a dark-brown-skinned man and a light-brown-skinned girl.

From their features, the bright-smiling, sharply defined girl must have inherited all the best traits from both Fiona and her husband.

"What are you looking at?" Fiona asked.

"I didn't expect this place to be so… normal and warm," Roger answered honestly.

Fiona sneered: "So you thought everyone in this community were lunatics and murderers? Or like Robbie and his gangsters?"

"No, I just suddenly remembered the past," Roger said, his voice nostalgic, thick with emotion: "When my mother was alive, she loved doing crafts—she made embroidery with me."

"But since my parents died, I've never felt the warmth of home again. I lost my job, my house, and even my dog. Now I live like a walking corpse, sharing space with homeless people."

Fiona paused, startled, her tone softening slightly: "How did they… never mind, if you don't want to say—"

"They were shot," Roger sat down on the sofa, covering his face: "They were killed by gangsters in an alley. When I walked in, I only saw their bodies."

"Oh, child, don't talk anymore," Fiona hurriedly grabbed tissues and handed them to him.

"Thank you," Roger wiped his face, then crumpled the tissue and shoved it into his pocket.

Fiona looked at him with a complex expression: "And now?"

"I was just kicked out of the park by police yesterday. God, they won't even let homeless people have a place to sleep."

"Damn Meilijian. Damn the Federal Government," Fiona cursed.

Roger calmed himself and said: "I came here not just to deliver Vanessa's phone number, but more importantly, I want to investigate the recent cases in Xin Yidunweier Shequ."

Fiona frowned: "Child, how did you find out about this?"

"I learned it from Vanessa. She knew my parents. I've been asking her to help me find the killer who murdered them."

After a pause, Roger continued: "And now, I've heard multiple murders have occurred in Xin Yidunweier Shequ—is that right?"

"Correct, but it has nothing to do with your parents."

"I know. I just… I just can't afford to miss any clue. Also, I need to earn money from these news stories, or I won't be able to afford food," Roger said, face flushed with embarrassment.

Fiona sighed: "Alright, child. What do you want to know?"

Roger, pleased she had finally relented, asked seriously: "I want to know exactly what's happened in the community recently—the more details, the better."

Fiona hesitated, then finally spoke: "A month ago, the first case happened in the community…"

When Roger stepped out of Fiona's house, a light breeze brushed past, sending a chill down his back.

He opened the car door, got back in, and still processed the details of the murders Fiona had described.

He had assumed it was just a simple murder case, but the reality was far more brutal.

A month ago, a horrific case occurred in Xin Yidunweier Shequ.

A family of three was found dead inside their home: the man had his genitals severed, the woman had been raped and then murdered.

But when neighbors discovered the bodies, three days had already passed—the house reeked beyond description.

Even after police investigated, they reached no conclusions, simply removed the bodies and emptied the house.

Then, half a month ago, another identical horror struck the community.

Again, a family of three: the father was found dead in the living room with his throat slit; the mother and daughter lay dead in the bedroom.

But because the father's coworker noticed something wrong and dropped by unexpectedly, the bodies were discovered only two days later.

Yet police still found no useful conclusions.

In fact, because the crime occurred in Xin Yidunweier Shequ, the police never took it seriously at all.

After all, Seattle is overflowing with crime—police can't even handle daily school shootings, let alone cases in this remote Anarchic Community.

Added to that, no journalists or media covered it, so police had no incentive to waste effort on it.

As a result, residents simply minded their own business, nailing boards over their windows, terrified the killer might break in one night.

What about Robbie's Crips gang?

Unfortunately, Seattle's gangs lack the control over communities that those in Los Angeles or Chicago have.

There are several gangs in Xin Yidunweier Shequ; the Crips are just one of them. Though they wanted to investigate, their focus remained mostly on other gangs.

Likewise, other gangs focused their attention on the Crips.

As a result, this month alone, the community has seen multiple gang clashes—but the real killer remains at large.

This left Roger frustrated, feeling these gangs were only making things worse.

"But since the intelligence demands I finish my investigation within three days, the next murder will happen in the next two days."

Roger felt time was running short; he had to prepare himself.

But the first problem was how to stay overnight within the Xin Yidunweier Shequ.

Fortunately, he had already obtained Fiona's permission to stay in her abandoned garage for the past few days.

Thinking of this, he immediately started the vehicle and headed straight for the homeless camp, planning to pick up Juan, who was full of martial virtue.

He would also bring Jose along.

Just kidding!

To deal with such a vicious murderer, one certainly couldn't play the lone hero.

Many hands make light work!

It would be best to kill him outright before he struck!