Ian Linton hadn’t spoken yet, Chloe Brooke spoke first.
"Ian worked overtime until late last night. When he came back, he was scratched by a branch."
Her tone carried a hint of gentle concern and a bit of blame towards her husband.
Ian Linton paused slightly, raised his hand to gently pat his wife’s hand back, and said warmly, "It’s okay." Then he softly said to Edward Stephens, "Sorry for any embarrassment, Edward. I’ve seen the doctor; it’s not a big deal, just need to take some anti-inflammatory medicine."
Edward looked at him for a few moments, then withdrew his gaze and walked into the police station without speaking further.
Soon, police officers came out to receive them.
The group was divided into three batches, entering the interrogation room one after another.
When it was Edward Stephens’ turn, the deputy chief personally greeted him.
These days, the two had been calling each other every day and were quite familiar. When the deputy chief saw him, he smiled amicably and handed him a cigarette.
He sat down in front of Edward Stephens and said kindly, "We’ve received some international assistance over the past few days, which has been very helpful to our investigation process. Edward, you’ve been very thoughtful."
"It’s no trouble at all." Edward took the cigarette but didn’t light it, merely fiddling with it casually in his hand. He lowered his gaze, was quiet for a moment, and then asked, "What ideas do you have on this side?"
"Our experts believe Ervin Osteen’s cause of death is somewhat suspicious." The deputy chief’s tone became serious as he said, "He had stored a week’s worth of water and food, clearly intending to continue fleeing. Suicide on the day was unlikely. The crime scene contained a blanket for overnight use; someone who chooses to poison themselves wouldn’t take such an item off the vehicle."
"What’s the deal with the arsenic in the bottle of water then?"
"No other fingerprints were detected on the bottle, and there were no signs of needle injection, but we suspect that someone tampered with this bottle of water in advance."
Edward looked at him with deep, black eyes, "You’re saying Ervin Osteen had an accomplice."
Someone had put arsenic in the water in advance and handed it to Ervin Osteen.
"Moreover, Ervin Osteen trusted him deeply," the deputy chief said, "He didn’t suspect there was a problem with the bottle of water at all."
Edward acknowledged with a sound, showing little surprise on his face; these things could be deduced from the crime scene. However, the crucial question is—who was Ervin Osteen’s accomplice?
If Daisy Ginger wasn’t kidnapped by Ervin Osteen, then whose hands is she in now?
The deputy chief handed over a lighter and said, "Have a cigarette first."
Edward eyed him, did not refuse, and slowly lit the cigarette.
Nicotine brings calm. After a while, he said, "It’s already been three days. If we can’t find her, I’m afraid..." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵
He paused on the following words, and his perpetually calm face furrowed slightly between his brows for a moment, then relaxed quickly, seemingly rejecting the thought of that possibility.
"I called you today to confirm something," the deputy chief said. "Since Ervin Osteen was just a smokescreen, there’s another possibility for the one who kidnapped your wife."
Edward was quiet for a moment, his eyebrows slowly furrowing.
He watched the deputy chief for a while before quietly saying, "A familiar perpetrator?"
"Three days have passed since the incident, and we haven’t received any ransom calls. This isn’t an ordinary extortion kidnapping. Either her competitor is trying to destroy her without seeking financial gain, or someone harbors resentment against her and has confined her." The deputy chief looked at him and asked, "Who knew of her itinerary the night she went out?"