Chapter 9: Ever Raced a Car?

Henry shoved Olivia out of the way, and she quickly cleared the onlookers, making sure they were at a safe distance.

With Olivia handling the crowd, Henry didn't waste a second. He smashed the car window with his elbow. Amidst the chaos, he yanked open the van door, and Joe's terrified cries filled the air.

"Mr. Phillips!" Olivia shouted, clearly alarmed.

She knew Henry was a badass, but Joe was still in the van. His move was risky.

Olivia rushed over just in time to see Henry pulling Joe out through the broken window.

"Take him!" Henry ordered, handing Joe to Olivia.

Henry then dragged the people out of the van. The crowd, realizing they were traffickers, got even more riled up.

"These traffickers are monsters! If the cops hadn't shown up, they would've gotten away! Where would we find the kids then?" one bystander said.

"Yeah, they're pure evil!" another chimed in.

Joe's mom ran over, scooped him up, and started crying. Joe was still in shock. Olivia let out a sigh of relief, thinking, 'Thank God we found him.'

Soon, the highway patrol arrived and took the traffickers away. Henry explained the situation and then headed back to the car to continue their trip.

When Henry opened the car door, William was already awake, looking at Henry and Olivia with surprise.

"Mr. Phillips, where did you go? And how did you hurt your hand?" William asked.

Olivia glanced over and noticed Henry's hand on the steering wheel was bleeding. She saw glass shards stuck in his flesh. She immediately grabbed his wrist.

"Why didn't you say you were hurt?" Olivia snapped.

She got out of the car, went to the trunk, and came back with the first aid kit, treating Henry's wound like a pro.

"Did you study medicine?" Henry asked, watching Olivia work.

His slightly hoarse voice made Olivia's ears turn a bit red. She tried to stay calm and said, "I took some forensic courses. I once thought about becoming a forensic scientist!"

Henry was surprised but then remembered how calm she was when they retrieved dismembered bodies from the well. His opinion of Olivia shifted.

Olivia quickly bandaged Henry's wound and then made him get out of the car.

"I'll drive the rest of the way!" Olivia declared, her tone leaving no room for argument, which made Henry chuckle.

"Are you sure?" Henry asked.

"Absolutely! Mr. Phillips, when will you stop underestimating me?" Olivia shot back.

Since Olivia was adamant, Henry didn't argue and moved to the passenger seat. William, who had been watching the whole time, smirked.

Olivia was something else; no one else would dare boss Henry around like that.

Olivia tested the engine and quickly got a feel for the car. Watching her, Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know how to drive a race car?" Henry asked.

Olivia looked up, her eyes a bit shifty, then shook her head.

"Who knows how to drive a race car? Stop guessing," Olivia replied, then floored the gas pedal, and the car shot forward.

William was thrown into the back seat and quietly fastened his seatbelt.

As Olivia sped down the highway, Henry became more convinced she could drive a race car. Her overtaking style was pure racer—she loved to drift and tailspin.

Henry pressed his tongue against his cheek, thinking, 'Olivia is getting more interesting by the minute.'

Olivia felt a bit uneasy. Not many people knew about her racing skills, but Henry had figured it out just by watching her check the car. Was he really that sharp?

She stole a glance at Henry, who was leaning back with his eyes closed, and finally relaxed, driving more conservatively.

When they got to Harmony City, they called Wesley to the police station. Olivia headed straight to Wesley's house to meet his wife, Isabella Taylor.

"Isabella, do you know Russell?" Olivia asked.

At the mention of Russell, Isabella's eyes flickered, and she quickly looked down.

"I... I don't know him," Isabella stammered.

"Didn't Wesley do business with Russell? You've never met him?" Olivia pressed.

Isabella, wearing a black down jacket, with messy hair and deep wrinkles on her face, looked like an ordinary rural woman. But her big eyes hinted she might have been quite pretty when she was younger.

"I met him before, but I've long forgotten what he looks like!" Isabella replied, her voice trembling. It was so obvious, yet she still denied it.

"Do you know Russell is missing?" Olivia asked.

Isabella shook her head, refusing to say another word.

Olivia thought for a moment and asked a question unrelated to Russell. "Around May 16th this year, did you notice anything unusual about Wesley?"

Isabella thought for a moment, then looked at the sofa in the living room and pointed at it. "In May, I can't remember the exact date, but that sofa originally had cushions. Suddenly, they were gone. I asked Wesley where the cushions went, and he said they were broken and threw them away!"

"Cushions?" Olivia's pupils contracted, and she quickly went to check. It was an ordinary wooden sofa with foam cushions, but one of the cushions was different from the others.

"Mr. Phillips, get the local forensic team here. We have a new lead!" Olivia called Henry and explained the situation to him.

Even though the bloodstains on the sofa weren't noticeable, Olivia spotted a few tiny black spots on the inside of the sofa leg, which she identified as blood.

As a result, Isabella was also taken to the police station for questioning. When they arrived, she didn't wait to be asked and immediately revealed her connection to Russell.

"Mr. Phillips, Isabella has confessed. She and Russell were lovers, often meeting secretly when Wesley wasn't home. As for killing Wesley, Isabella claims she knew nothing about it!" Olivia reported.

After Olivia finished speaking, Henry showed her Wesley's statement. Wesley adamantly denied knowing Russell and had strong counter-interrogation skills.

However, one sentence caught Olivia's attention.

"If it were me, I wouldn't dump the body in a well. Burning it would be much easier! Did Wesley say this himself?" Olivia asked.

Henry paused and took the statement back. They exchanged a look, their eyes lighting up.

"I'll check the crematorium records for the past six months for any cremations handled by Wesley!" Olivia suggested.

Henry thought for a moment and said, "Given his cautious nature, he wouldn't cremate locally. Check the records for out-of-town cremations as well."

Olivia nodded, but then she noticed Henry's hand and instinctively grabbed it.

"Have you changed the dressing?" Olivia asked.

Henry was momentarily stunned by her sudden grip.

Olivia laughed at his surprised expression, pulled him to sit down, and took out some alcohol and gauze from her bag to change his dressing.