Chapter 748 Uneven Ground

Chapter 748 Uneven Ground

"We didn't lie, you know. That magic show was really something. We even recorded it," I said, suddenly remembering.

Royce glanced at me and nodded.

The two officers exchanged looks.

"Can you give us a copy of the video?" one of them asked.

I nodded and pulled out my backup phone, where I had stored the recording.

I showed them the video. It was clear and detailed—the girl was assisting the masked man in performing a magic trick.

"Wow, they really messed up," one of the officers said, frowning in confusion.

I suspected this had something to do with the Red Spider Lily organization. The magician must have hypnotized them during the final act.

Otherwise, how could so many people get it wrong?

A sudden realization made me freeze.

When I came to, I was already outside the police station, with no memory of how I got there.

"Caroline, are you okay?" Royce asked, looking worried.

I shook my head. "I'm fine now. Do you remember I said the magician felt familiar?"

Royce nodded and led me back to the car.

"Did you remember something?"

"I think that psychologist Albert might not be dead."

I took a deep breath and shared my theory.

Royce frowned, finding it hard to believe.

"But there was a death certificate. There shouldn't be any mistake."

I reminded Royce about the memory lapses everyone had.

"How do you explain all those people having memory issues? Only a top-notch hypnotist could do that."

Royce fastened his seatbelt but didn't start the car immediately. His expression grew more serious.

"Money could also do it, but it would require a lot of funds and acting training. Otherwise, they'd crack under police interrogation."

Royce fell silent, considering my theory.

"If Albert isn't dead, does that mean he's joined the Red Spider Lily organization?"

I wasn't sure. I didn't remember Albert having any magic skills.

"It's just a guess. Maybe they found someone who looks like him and is skilled in both psychology and magic."

But even I knew that was a stretch. Training someone to be that versatile was nearly impossible.

"We should talk to the guests from the party and see if they noticed anything," Royce suggested.

I nodded. "But didn't the police say the magician had already left the country?"

"Yeah, he left the night the party ended," Royce confirmed.

That seemed to explain a lot. He must have fled to avoid capture.

But how did the magician kill the girl? And what was he after?

"I want to visit the spot where the girl fell into the water," I said after a moment of hesitation.

Royce nodded and drove me there. The area was still cordoned off.

It seemed the police were still investigating, not wanting to miss any clues.

There weren't many onlookers. People seemed to avoid the place, some even going out of their way to walk around it.

We parked nearby and walked over, only to be stopped by an elderly woman with white hair.

"You shouldn't go there."

"Why not? Is there something special there?" I asked, puzzled.

"Didn't you watch the news? Someone drowned there. It's bound to become a Kelpie's haunt. If it takes a liking to you, it'll drag you under to replace it."

Her vivid description was almost convincing, but I remembered why I was there. I politely thanked her and continued toward the police tape.

We couldn't go any further without interfering with the investigation.

The elderly woman, still worried, followed us quietly.

I stood by the riverbank, looking into the water but seeing nothing unusual.

Inside the police tape, there were outlines on the ground, marking the girl's path down the slope and where her body was found.

The nearby grass showed no signs of anything unusual. It seemed like a simple accident.

I remembered the girl twisting her ankle before falling into the water, but there was nothing on the ground that could have caused it.

Could she have tripped on flat ground?

That was highly unlikely.

"Do you see anything?" I asked Royce.

He shook his head. "Nothing stands out. No items left behind."

This made things difficult. Without any clues, the girl's death could only be ruled an accident.

Despite the public pressure online, without evidence, we had nothing.

Conspiracy theories weren't evidence.

"Who was the girl calling before she fell?" I asked, twirling my hair.

Royce pursed his lips. "The magician. The police traced the call to a private number, but they couldn't find the owner."

"That's impossible unless it was an international number," I said, frowning.

Royce nodded and took my hand, walking a bit further.

"It wasn't a domestic number. It's no longer reachable."

We were one step behind again, which was frustrating.

I bit my lip, trying to calm down. "This is so..."

"Don't be upset. Let's head back," Royce said, patting my head.

Just then, I noticed something odd.

The ground seemed uneven, but it was hard to see with the naked eye.