Eric Harris has a kind of stubborn seriousness and obstinacy that seems out of place in this era. He doesn’t care much about other things—after all, if the sky falls, William Carter will hold it up—but when it comes to a case, as long as there’s even a hint of doubt, he’ll pursue it to the end, no matter whether it’s his responsibility or not.

William Carter: “The victim was knocked out from behind. If it was really a robbery, there’d be no need to come back and strangle the person. The likelihood of a personal grudge is high. Matthew Miller’s basic judgment isn’t wrong—do you have any questions?”

The body had already been zipped into a body bag and carried away by the forensic team. Eric Harris said softly, “It’s the shoes—no one cleans here, so if you’re not careful, you’ll step in mud. But just now, when I lifted the body bag for a look, the kid’s shoes were very clean.”

William Carter raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Of course, it’s possible the victim lived nearby and was familiar with the area,” Eric Harris said, “but I still think that little guy from the sub-bureau was right—we can’t rule out the possibility that this isn’t the primary crime scene. Also, that piece of paper stuck to the victim’s head is very strange. William, what if this isn’t so simple? I’m afraid Director Miller will rush to close the case and won’t investigate properly.”

“Is that even something to be afraid of?” William Carter sighed. “He’s obviously just looking to close the case quickly.”

As long as there’s a general suspect, Matthew Miller can immediately stamp the official seal and issue a statement, saying this is a case likely caused by a personal grudge, not some sensational ‘throat-slitting killer’ from the internet. There’s no hype, and in a few days people will forget out of boredom. Once the attention dies down, they can say, “The Huashi District Sub-bureau made an outstanding contribution to the successful hosting of such-and-such event in our city.”

As for the case, a few junior detectives will be assigned to investigate slowly. If they find something, they’ll make an arrest; if not, it’ll be shelved, and after enough shelving, it might just be left unresolved.

That’s Matthew Miller’s style of handling things—otherwise, Director Clark wouldn’t have specifically targeted him.

Eric Harris said, “No matter the reason, a kid came all the way here and died in a foreign place. We owe his family an explanation.”

William Carter tilted his head, staring into his eyes for two seconds.

Eric Harris quickly added, “I just want to go along and take a look, I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”

William Carter smiled: “After all these years, I’ve always been the one to clean up your messes, and I’ve never seen you offer yourself in gratitude.”

Eric Harris didn’t care, cursing with a laugh: “Get lost.”

He lifted his leg to leave, but William Carter called him back: “Wait, was it Edward Bennett who sent you flowers this morning?”

Eric Harris replied indifferently, “Who else could it be?”

William Carter put his hands in his pockets, glanced at his own toes, as if searching for words: “If I told you to ‘stay away from that kid,’ would that be meddling?”

“Come on, you’re taking it seriously?” Eric Harris laughed. “He’s always like that, just messing around. It’s not like I’m even into guys, and even if I was—”

William Carter gently interrupted him: “If you were, would that brat even get a chance to court you?”

Eric Harris was stunned, but before he could process the meaning behind those words, William Carter continued, “I’m not saying he’s a playboy, or that he’s unreliable… it’s not that. Edward Bennett just gives me a bad feeling, you know what I mean?”

“I understand.” Eric Harris nodded. He was thin and delicate, looking far too easy to bully, which is why he always wore his uniform to work. The morning sunlight filtered through the low wall and moss, outlining him in a soft glow. “I’ve watched him for seven years. Edward Bennett is a good kid, you don’t need to be so wary of him—though I admit he’s a bit over the top and too lively these days.”

William Carter said nothing.

Eric Harris changed the subject: “Besides, who knows who it was—some people are too shy to leave their name when giving gifts. Someone even went to the trouble of bringing back a game console from abroad for me, and had me…”

“Get lost,” William Carter interrupted him expressionlessly. “Go do your job, enough with the nonsense!”

Chapter 4 Brian Cooper Three

“I saw that news too. I heard it happened pretty close to here, right?”

“Just past Nanping Avenue, walk a bit further and you’re there. Sometimes when I don’t want to cross the bridge on my way to my parents’, I’ll take a detour that way. It always felt messy, but I never thought… oh!”

The two young office workers were so engrossed in their gossip in the break room that they didn’t notice someone behind them listening to the livestream. One of them was startled and almost spilled a whole cup of hot water on the floor.

“Careful.” Edward Bennett reached out to steady the bottom of her cup, then set it aside. “Next time, don’t pour such hot water. Your hands are so delicate—what if you get burned?”

Edward Bennett didn’t usually speak loudly, and what he said always sounded like ordinary conversation. Yet, once those words came from his mouth, they seemed to carry a subtle intimacy, often making people overthink. Fortunately, he usually left right after speaking, giving others plenty of time for their fantasies to be dashed.

“Mr. Bennett, you scared me to death!” The young office workers in the break room were startled at first, but relaxed as soon as they saw it was him. Compared to the once all-powerful Chairman Bennett, the heir to his entire fortune, Edward Jr. Bennett, was basically a lovable mascot.