"So, it was Abla's people who did it?" Lance's eyes darkened as he looked over, feeling a surge of anger. Such a significant matter, and Deanna hadn't told him.
He could guess why she hadn't mentioned it; at that time, he was dealing with Eula, and Deanna didn't want him to worry too much.
Gunner shook his head after hearing Lance's words. "I'm not sure yet, but I've reported it to the higher-ups. They've already arranged for a special task force to start investigating."
Despite Gunner's reassurances, Lance was still uneasy. "I'll have my people cooperate with their investigation."
As they spoke, Gunner's phone rang. It was Shannon calling. "Mr. Martinez, I found some clues on the tenth floor. Do you want to come and take a look?"
"Give me two minutes," Gunner replied, hanging up and turning to Lance. "Shannon found some clues on the tenth floor. Come with me."
Lance didn't hesitate and hurried ahead without waiting for Gunner to lead the way.
They found Shannon in a storage room on the tenth floor. Inside, they discovered two cleaning ladies' bodies stuffed into a trash can and sealed with plastic bags.
If Shannon hadn't been meticulous, they might have missed it.
Seeing the bodies, Gunner's face showed unprecedented anger. "Investigate this thoroughly!"
That night, all entrances and exits of Cloudmere were sealed off, and police conducted checks in every hotel and inn.
Eula remained calm under police questioning, thanks to her strong mental fortitude. Afterward, she pulled out a cigarette from her pocket and offered it to the officer.
"Want one?"
"No thanks. The city isn't safe lately. Be careful when you go out," the officer declined her attempt to get close and moved on to the next room.
Eula squinted slightly, put away the cigarette, and returned to her room, leaning against the door. Her intuition told her something was wrong. She walked to the bed, pulled out a laptop from under the mattress, and typed into a dark web forum for Cloudmere.
"What's happening in Cloudmere? Suddenly, police are knocking on my door for an investigation but won't say why."
Shortly after posting, replies started coming in.
First reply: "Internal sources say it's because the Mercer family's Missus was kidnapped."
Second reply: "Your info is too shallow. Here's what I know: The Mercer family's Missus was part of a research team that a big shot in Abla wanted to keep there. The team refused, and that big shot even sent soldiers to capture them, but they escaped. Now, that big shot isn't giving up and sent people to kidnap the Mercer family's Missus."
Third reply: "I see. But she's not the team leader; what's the point of kidnapping her?"
Fourth reply: "You don't get it. The core of the Mercer family's Missus's team is Professor Gunner Martinez, and she's his direct disciple and sole heir. If not her, then who?"
Fifth reply: "Wow, these Abla people are too brazen, kidnapping our professor in our country. I need to help the police find these people."
Reading these messages, Eula felt a month's worth of frustration finally venting out.
"Hahaha, even the heavens are helping me," she laughed loudly, eyes full of glee.
After laughing, she began planning her next move. With Deanna missing, Lance would be too preoccupied to notice anything else-an ideal time for her to act.
Meanwhile, after police investigations and reconstructions at the scene, they quickly identified suspects: one cleaner who bumped into Deanna downstairs and another who entered the stairwell on the tenth floor. Unfortunately, these two were very skilled; they avoided surveillance cameras after leaving the basement.
Lance and his team couldn't determine what vehicle they used to leave and had to compare each car painstakingly. This process was time-consuming and challenging since the suspects never showed their faces clearly-only their eyes and eyebrows could be compared.
By dawn, Lance and Gunner hadn't slept a wink. Their eyes were bloodshot from staring at computer screens all night without finding any suspects.
In an abandoned sewer on the outskirts of West City, Deanna woke up from the cold to a nauseating stench. A sharp pain radiated from her neck as she tried to move but realized her hands and feet were bound inside a black bag. Memories of yesterday's events before she lost consciousness flooded back.
A cold voice interrupted her thoughts. "Since you're awake, stay quiet, or I won't be polite."
Deanna looked over and saw an elderly woman dressed as a cleaner from the research institute. She was sure this woman wasn't as old as she appeared-she must have been disguised.