Chapter 189 Finding the Relevant Suspect

Chapter 189 Finding the Relevant Suspect

Olivia nodded slowly. "I understand how you feel. The police will do everything in our power to uncover the truth and bring the killer to justice. But please, take care of yourselves. Your health matters most."

When Olivia suggested they visit the place where Lloyd had lived, the couple's eyes lit up. They bowed deeply to her, their voices trembling.

"Thank you... thank you, Ms. Smith!"

Olivia quickly reached out to steady them. "The ones you should be thanking are Mr. and Mrs. Wallace — Kevin's adoptive parents. They gave him a warm home and a chance to grow up safe and loved."

On the way to the Wallace House, Leroy and his wife sat in silence, their faces a tangle of emotions. Olivia kept her eyes on the road, giving them space.

The Wallace family's old house had been demolished years ago. Now they lived in a modest apartment Nico had been assigned decades earlier through his job — a place he later bought back for himself.

It wasn't large, just two bedrooms and a living room, but everything was spotless. When they opened the door to Lloyd's old room, the first thing you saw was an entire wall covered with certificates of merit — every single one belonging to Lloyd.

It was clear he had been exceptional from a young age, always at the top of his class. Models were neatly lined up on the shelves, a guitar rested on the bookcase, and sketches he had drawn hung on the walls.

Leroy and his wife sat in that room for two hours before finally speaking.

"I want to meet Kevin's adoptive parents," Leroy said quietly. "Can we? Ms. Smith, please don't worry — we're not here to blame anyone. On the contrary, we want to thank them. Without their kindness, our son could never have had such a beautiful eighteen years."

"I'll speak to Mr. and Mrs. Wallace," Olivia replied. "But Kevin's adoptive father is battling cancer and still doesn't know what happened. His adoptive mother fell ill after the news. It may be some time before they can meet anyone."

After settling the couple into a hotel, Olivia returned to the meeting room. Alton and the others were already back, their gathered information spread across the table.

"From what we've learned," Alton began, "Lloyd only came home during school breaks after starting college. He had a good relationship with his adoptive parents. After joining the Wallace family, he lived comfortably. They were a happy family — until the issue of the old house's demolition."

He slid a government file across to Olivia. She scanned the page: the compensation for the demolition was a staggering three million dollars. On the contract, the signature was Lloyd's.

"I spoke to someone from the department," Alton continued. "The Wallace family had a dispute over the property. Nico's younger brother claimed he had inheritance rights. The conflict escalated."

Lloyd had been caught in the middle, unwilling to see his adoptive parents hurt. He had offered his uncle money, but the man insisted on taking the matter to court. The final ruling gave the property to Lloyd — he had legally owned it for four years.

The fight had driven Nico into the hospital, and after that, Lloyd cut ties with his uncle's family. But when his status as an adopted child became known, his cousin Atlas began circling.

Atlas believed Lloyd had no right to inherit anything from the Wallace family — not even the demolition payout. He started showing up in Lloyd's life, even at the company where Lloyd was interning.

Olivia frowned at the report. "Where is Atlas now?"

Alton's expression darkened. "Missing. None of his usual hangouts or his home have turned up anything."

Olivia pulled up surveillance footage. "This is Lloyd's last appearance, outside his office building on the day he vanished. This man in the hat, covering himself head to toe — could it be Atlas?"

The still frame froze on the screen. Olivia placed Atlas's photo beside it. The build, the posture — the resemblance was striking.

"This man is a strong suspect," Olivia said. "And he's gone off the radar. Alton, find him. Check his recent calls and social media. See if he's been in contact with anyone unusual."

She added, her tone sharpening, "And find out if Lloyd received any threats or strange messages before disappearing. Ask his colleagues if they noticed anything suspicious."

Alton nodded. "We're already on it. His supervisor said Lloyd seemed down lately and took a few odd phone calls, but never shared the details."

"Pull his call logs," Olivia ordered. "Check every number. And send Atlas's image to every nearby surveillance point — I want his movements the night Lloyd vanished."

The fact that Olivia had identified the victim from just a few bones had caused a stir in law enforcement circles. She was already planning to publish a research paper on the case.

Meanwhile, Gwyneth's father was recovering and would soon be discharged. She approached Violette about where he should stay.

Violette frowned. "Your father's still weak. He needs rest. We don't want to intrude on you. Maybe we'll go to the house in Silverlight City."

Gwyneth lowered her gaze. She had wanted Frank to stay in an apartment near the Special Operations Unit, but his identity made that impossible.

"Alright," she said finally. "I'll keep staying with Autumn. Once Dad's settled in Silverlight City, I'll come visit."

Her tone was polite — too polite for a daughter speaking to her parents. Violette felt a pang in her chest. Gwyneth had been accommodating them for so long, yet they had given her so little in return.

"Gwyneth," Violette asked gently, "how are things with you and Kieran?"

She hadn't had time to follow their situation, but she'd heard rumors — that someone had confessed to Kieran, even gone to the Special Operations Unit, only to be rejected and lose their job.

Frank looked at his daughter. "If you want to keep seeing him, bring him here. We'll meet him."

Gwyneth blinked in surprise. "Is this… meeting the parents?"

Frank nodded. "We know his family background. Complicated is fine. What matters is how he treats you. He must be good to you — truly good — or we will never agree to let you be with him."

Gwyneth hesitated, then nodded. "I'll call him."

Seeing her reluctance, Violette sighed. "We're not monsters, you know. We're not going to eat the man."

Gwyneth scratched her head. "It's not that… it's just, Kieran is… complicated."