Chapter 161
Chapter 161
"The urine can show if someone's been using certain drugs," Alton said, scrolling through Ben's medical records. He paused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Flipping through some lab reports, he listed off different drugs. "These are some possibilities, but for Ben, it doesn't matter. He's gone, turned to ashes."
His words were almost dismissive, as if it was just a minor detail.
But then, he suddenly stopped, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Wait a minute, did his wife rush things? She didn't tell the parents or let the kids say goodbye. Just straight to cremation?"
Tapping his fingers on the table, he mused, "That's odd."
Sophia, standing nearby, nervously tugged at her white coat. She tried to keep her composure, but a hint of emotion flickered in her eyes.
"Don't the betrayed have a right to be upset?" Sophia's voice was icy, trying to make sense of Ada's strange actions, yet hinting at her own feelings.
Ada. The name brought memories flooding back. She was Ben's wife, an average woman with nothing remarkable about her.
But after Ben's death, she handled everything with an eerie calmness and efficiency that unsettled Sophia.
Sophia looked up, trying to shift the focus, "Alton, have you ever heard about the woods near the abandoned railroad tracks? Has anything unusual ever happened there?"
Alton shook his head casually. "That place is deserted. Nothing noteworthy there for years."
Meanwhile, Robert drove towards the forest, eyeing a distant graveyard.
It was eerie, like time had stopped there. The cemetery office was silent, only the wind whistling through the old fence.
"Anything unusual happens here?" Robert asked the caretaker.
The caretaker chuckled, "Unusual? Just some spooky stories and tales of ungrateful descendants."
Robert leaned in, asking, "Ungrateful descendants? What's that about?"
The caretaker let out a sigh, used to this question. "Well, many graves here are almost expired. Descendants can't be reached, no visitors for offerings or to renew fees. These descendants are neglectful."
Robert nodded, casually asking, "Can you check the renewal dates for two graves for me?"
They were Sophia's parents' graves.
Glancing at the records, the caretaker quickly found the information. "They're due for renewal next winter. If you want to pay now, we can send the invoice anytime."
Robert hesitated, then decided, "No need, I'll wait a bit longer."
He wasn't avoiding helping; he just respected Sophia's independence.
She was strong and self-reliant, and he didn't want to overstep. Robert wanted to wait until she was ready to accept him as a partner, then support her in every way.
As the day's investigation wrapped up, weariness settled over the police station. Ethan sat back, wiping sweat from his brow.
Reviewing his notes, he sounded resigned. "We covered the whole village today, and it's not looking good."
Leaning on the table, Robert asked, "What did you find out?"
Ethan sighed, "This land used to be the village's, then leased to the railway. However, a dispute arose when the village refused to sell during a development zone demolition. But no one knew Dana, the deceased woman. No connection at all."
Robert frowned, "So, Dana was a stranger to everyone here?"
Ethan confirmed, "Yes, even the older villagers had no recollection of her."
"What about the man?" Robert pressed, "Did anyone recognize him?"
Ethan shook his head, grave. "No one. He's a mystery, no ties to anyone here."
Puzzled, Robert mused, "Two bodies, buried alive near each other, yet no one knows them. It's odd. Why were they in this remote forest with no connections to the village?"