Chapter 162

Chapter 162

"When it comes to Dana," Albert started, his tone heavy with a weight, "I managed to reach out to her family."

His words brought a sudden hush over the room, everyone pausing instinctively. Robert glanced up at him, his face serious, waiting for more details.

"Dana's family situation is pretty complicated," Albert continued, speaking slowly to ensure every word was clear. "Her mom passed away early on, and her dad moved away and remarried, starting a new family."

Robert nodded, urging him to go on.

"Dana went to college in her dad's town for four years. But after she graduated, she made it clear she didn't want to stay there and went back to her hometown. Since then, she hasn't gone back to her dad's place." Albert's voice grew somber, hinting at regret for Dana's choices and circumstances.

He paused, scanning the room before adding, "Dana's dad told me they lost touch completely two or three years back. He even came back from out of town to look for her when she went missing."

"So, that's why there's a missing person report for her?" Robert interjected, his tone calm but sharp in his gaze.

"Yeah," Albert confirmed, "That's how we were able to identify her quickly."

"What about her college buddies?" Robert asked, his voice lower and more serious. "Any leads there?"

"We found some leads in the college's Facebook group," Albert said, pulling out his phone to show the records. "Her last post was a 'Merry Christmas' message two years ago. After that, nothing from her on Facebook."

Robert tapped the table, brow furrowed, pondering the timeline.

"Christmas two years back," he muttered before looking up. "What about her friends from elementary to college? Have they been checked?"

"We've only looked into her high school and college years," Albert admitted wearily. "We've contacted her college classmates by phone, but none of them reported any missing persons. Her high school teacher also looked at the photo of the male victim and said she didn't recognize him. It seems the two victims were not high school classmates."

"She did provide a class photo," Albert handed over his phone. "We compared it carefully, no one resembling the deceased man."

Robert took the phone, studying Dana's innocent face in the photo, a stark contrast to her tragic end.

He sighed softly, imagining a different path for Dana, a successful professional navigating the city confidently. But fate had other plans, ending everything two years ago.

"What about looking into her elementary and middle school years?" Robert asked.

"We haven't gotten to that yet," Albert replied.

"Hurry up, we can't skip any part," Robert's tone softened a bit but remained firm. "There has to be a link between the two deceased men. Once we find that connection, their life stories will start to make sense."

As Robert pondered, Ryan chimed in with excitement. "The toxicology report is in! It shows that both men weren't poisoned or sedated."

Standing up, Ryan scanned the room before continuing, "We also checked the soil around the bodies. If they had ingested any toxins before dying, it would show in the soil during decomposition. But this time, everything was normal."

"So, poisoning is ruled out as the cause of death?" Robert raised an eyebrow, sounding curious.

"At least common poisons are out," Ryan confirmed. "But if it's a rare poison, we'll need a more specific test."

Remembering something, Ryan added, "Oh, Sophia sent a video. A guy visited the hospital looking for Layla, the mistress from the car accident, claiming he got an anonymous tip."

"An anonymous tip?" Robert's eyes lit up, catching the significance of this detail.

Ethan, looking puzzled, patted Ryan on the shoulder and chuckled, "You've found something again? Sophia always comes through with key clues!"

Ryan nodded, sounding satisfied. "Initially, I didn't see a connection between the car accident and the buried alive case, but Sophia insisted I dig deeper. So, I worked with the tech team to investigate."

Handing a note to Robert, Ryan explained, "Turns out, Ben's wife, Ada, had a bookstore near Dana's high school ten years ago."

Robert took the note, his gaze intense.

"Investigate if Ada and Dana had any connection ten years ago. That could be the missing link," Robert spoke in a deep voice.

This revelation lifted everyone's spirits.

"Follow this lead thoroughly!" Robert commanded, his gaze sharp. "Too many coincidences usually mean something planned."

Later, Robert and Ethan hurried to Ada's house, only to find a chaotic family argument.

Ada sat on the couch, eyes red, voice hoarse as she defended herself. Ben's relatives and parents surrounded her, emotions high, voices accusing.

"Did she kill Ben? She's heartless, must be after the inheritance!"

"Officer, you have to step in! She's after money and lives, can't let her inherit!"