American Zombie Detective

Chapter 143 The Footsteps of Death

After leaving the police station, Qin Jin took Alessa to a nearby slaughterhouse. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was there, they easily harvested two sheep, first enjoying the delicious taste of fresh blood, and then putting the rest into the refrigerator.

As for the corpses, they were naturally thrown into the American River to feed the fish.

Qin Jin then rushed to the hospital, where Judge Warlin and his wife had been waiting. Upon meeting, they naturally expressed their gratitude once again. Matthew was awake and in good spirits that day, and he sincerely thanked Qin Jin for saving his life.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Qin Jin dismissed the Chief Justice and his wife, citing the need for better protection of Matthew. Chief Justice Warlin, without further ado, immediately handed over the check.

A Supreme Court Justice is a Supreme Court Justice. Look at this level of thinking. Pay first, then get things done. You get both face and substance!

After the Worlins left, Qin Jin offered a few symbolic words of comfort to Matthew, then took Alessa to the rooftop. Today, that thing should go find Jenny; Matthew was safe, so there was no need to stay in the ward to guard him.

Night has fallen, and the city lights spread out like a dazzling galaxy at our feet, while above us lies a deep blue sky dotted with stars, both radiant and beautiful.

"Alessa," Qin Jin sat down on the edge of the empty rooftop and patted the spot next to him, "we'll keep watch here tonight."

Alessa floated over lightly and sat down next to him, her small body leaning against his strong arms, with the unchanging Frankenstein's monster in her arms.

Yuanxiao clumsily climbed up as well, and following their example, found a comfortable spot to lie down next to Alessa. Its fluffy body even tentatively snuggled into Alessa's arms, prompting the girl to reach out and rub its soft head. It was so fluffy and comfortable.

Yuanxiao's weight has increased recently, and she is no longer the pitiful girl she used to be.

A cool night breeze carried the distinctive hustle and bustle and dust of the city. In this moment of tranquility, Alessa suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with a barely perceptible weariness: "Qin, it's so boring here."

Qin Jin turned to look at her: "What's wrong? Getting bored?"

"Hmm." Alessa nodded honestly, a rare hint of temper in her usually dull tone: "It's not fun, it's troublesome."

She was referring to the complexities of human nature and the endless investigative processes.

Qin Jin smiled, reached out and ruffled her hair, his gesture carrying a maturity and affection beyond his years: "Almost there. Once we've cleaned up the last bit of mess, we'll leave."

"Where?" Aresa's grey-blue pupils lit up briefly in the starlight.

"Let's go to Romania." Qin Jin's voice carried a hint of remoteness. "The blood of Jesus is a good thing; it will be of great help to us."

Alessa paused for a few seconds, seemingly processing the information, before asking a question very characteristic of hers: "In that case, will it be possible to... kill someone?"

Qin Jin disliked killing, but he knew very well that while Alessa was controlling herself, she also needed to release her stress through killing and violence. He had gone through the same thing himself, so Qin Jin readily agreed: "We can be a little more relaxed then! We'll all use fake identities and change into different clothes—" He imagined the scene, a cold smile playing on his lips: "If we encounter anyone foolish, or bad guys—we'll just kill them, no need to hold back, okay?"

Aresa's eyes lit up instantly, like a ghostly blue flame igniting beneath a frozen lake. She nodded vigorously, a genuine, pure, and satisfied smile spreading across her face: "I'll do it."

Qin Jin nodded, like a father offering the best food to his beloved daughter: "Here, it's all yours, is that alright?!"

Aresa nuzzled her head against Qin Jin's shoulder, a trick she seemed to have learned from Yuanxiao. She closed her eyes, already imagining herself and Qin Jin going out to kill someone—

Yuanxiao rolled over and started snoring softly.

The night breeze on the rooftop carried the city's unique coolness, caressing Qin Jin and Alessa's hair, while time flowed by as the stars slowly moved.

Around 2 a.m., Qin Jin's phone finally vibrated, breaking the silence of the night.

"Detective Qin, it's me, Duke."

The voice on the other end of the phone was visibly tense and fearful: "Just as you predicted—about an hour ago, around one o'clock, something happened!"

"Okay, continue." Since it was something that was expected, there was nothing to worry about, and Qin Jin remained calm.

Duke described the scene urgently: "We were guarding outside Chen Zhenni's house when suddenly something felt wrong! The air around us turned cold instantly, like we had fallen into an ice cellar, and—the wind! The wind was strange, it just—it swirled around the houses! The moonlight also became flickering—that chill lasted for a few minutes, and then it disappeared, and everything returned to normal."

He paused, his voice filled with awe: "We remembered your words and didn't dare to act rashly. We waited until exactly two o'clock before going in to check—Detective Qin, Chen Zhenni—is dead."

"Still no external injuries, and no signs of poisoning?" Qin Jin's voice was calm and unwavering.

"Yes, there's nothing there, it must be—some kind of illness!"

The conversation shifted from supernatural phenomena to the dead, and Duke's voice immediately returned to normal: "I've already notified the forensic pathologist and taken photos. Do you want me to send them to Hansen now, or wait for the pathologist to arrive and then go back in person?"

"Send it to him first, then you go back too," Qin Jin's instructions were simple and clear: "Chen Zhenni's death was expected. Just have someone handle the scene. Go back to the police station to rest and wait for orders."

"Yes! Understood!" Duke responded immediately.

After hanging up the phone, Alessa's grey eyes turned to Qin Jin in the night, with a hint of inquiry.

Qin Jin simply patted her head gently, his gaze returning to the sleeping city below. Chen Zhenni was dead as expected. Hansen should have gone to find Chen Anni after getting the photos, but—

I wonder what kind of answer she will give.

About half an hour later, Detective Hansen called, sounding somewhat helpless and irritable due to lack of sleep.

"Detective Qin, we showed the photos to Chen Anni—that woman was so confident during the day, but when she actually saw the body, she panicked like crazy, only saying she wanted to see you, and now! She said she'd tell you anything, just begs you to save her! What do you think—"

Would you like to come back now?

On the other end of the phone, Qin Jin was silent for a few seconds, the corner of his mouth curving into a sneer: "She doesn't want to talk when she doesn't want to, but if she wants to talk, I have to go see her right away? What does she think she is?"

Qin Jin clearly stated his attitude: "Tell her I'm busy! I'll be back at dawn. If she can wait, she can; if not, she can die. If she causes you any more trouble—lock her up with the other prisoners! Don't give her any special treatment!"

Hansen immediately understood Qin Jin's meaning and readily agreed: "Understood, I'll tell her."

"Okay, after you finish talking, you should go get some sleep too. You have a lot to do tomorrow."

Around 8 a.m., Mrs. Woring arrived at the hospital on time with a food box. After another grateful exchange and a polite refusal of breakfast, Qin Jin and Alessa were finally able to leave the hospital and drive to the police station.

When they returned to the police station, Detective Hansen and Duke were both up and looked much better after a quick clean-up. Chen Anni, however, was in a worse state. She had overestimated her mental resilience and her reaction to seeing the photos of Jenny's death. Coupled with Qin Jin's manipulation, her mental defenses crumbled very quickly.

Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were red and bloodshot, and her face was as pale as a crumpled piece of paper. She was curled up in a chair in the corner, her body still trembling slightly.

That forced stubbornness, arrogance, and confidence have completely vanished!

When the iron gate opened and Qin Jin, Hansen, Duke, and others appeared at the door, she sprang up like a drowning person seeing driftwood, lunged at the iron bars, and gripped the cold iron bars tightly with both hands until her fingernails turned white.

"Detective! Detective!!" Her voice was hoarse and shrill, filled with extreme fear: "Jenny—she—she's really dead? Please tell me, is she dead?"

Qin Jin stood outside the railing, looking down at her with an expressionless face, simply shrugging indifferently: "The photos were taken last night, fresh off the press. The bodies should all have been brought back. As for whether they're real or fake—why ask me? Isn't this what you expected? She's dead, so all the money is yours!"

At this point, Qin Jin raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips: "Last night you said you wanted to see me. What? You've figured it out? You think you might not be able to beat Lin Hao, and that you're about to die, so you're scared?"