American Zombie Detective

Chapter 147 The Ugly Nature of Humanity

Tagore was rendered speechless by Qin Jin's blunt insult, his face turning from white to green, clearly thoroughly enraged!

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his panic, and raised his voice three octaves, trying to regain the initiative: "You can't convict me! We didn't touch the money, it wasn't theft, we just opened the safe—this, this was Lin Hao's order, he has the right to do so! I was just helping! You can't do anything to me—"

"laugh"

Qin Jin chuckled, slowly taking another step forward, the unlit cigar still dangling from his mouth. The cat-and-mouse mockery on his face intensified: "So what? Because this isn't what I wanted at all! Whether the court convicts you of theft, or even Molly of murder, is none of my business—"

His tone abruptly shifted, changing from mockery to cold and cruel: "All I want is to send you and your smart girlfriend in jail for a while, whether it's a federal prison or a state prison, it doesn't matter—"

—"

Tagore's pupils contracted slightly, seemingly not understanding Qin Jin's intention. Lily's face also turned even more pale, and she unconsciously clutched her stomach.

Qin Jin's smile grew increasingly cruel. He lowered his voice, speaking each word very clearly: "Do you think Adams, your father who wields influence in the state legislature, and Mike, your grandfather who can mobilize dockworkers—will let you go? Do you think they'll let Lily's baby be born safely?"

"Adams and Mike died in an accident! What does that have to do with me?!"

Tagore cried out, but his voice trembled slightly and his tone changed.

"Was it an accident?

Qin Jin's voice was like that of someone from hell, chillingly cold, piercing straight to the marrow of Tagore and Lily: "You know better than either of us, don't you, Lin Hao?"

The name "Lin Hao" struck the scene like a silent spell!

Carter and all the officers instantly showed expressions of extreme astonishment and confusion, their eyes scanning back and forth between Tagore and Qin Jin, completely unable to understand why the detective would call out the dead man's name to Tagore.

Carter, who reacted the fastest, was struck dumb, his face showing disbelief and horror!

Lily, on the other hand, was shocked. Her face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively clutched her stomach, her body trembling slightly. It was the fear of having her secrets ruthlessly torn apart by the most terrifying force.

Tagore, who was called "Lin Hao," felt as if he had been hit hard on the head with a stick. His body stiffened abruptly, as if his soul had been struck directly!

But he immediately reacted violently, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his voice shrill and distorted: "What did you say?! Are you crazy?! I am Tagore! Lin Hao is dead! What the hell are you talking nonsense about?!"

"Still thinking you're the smartest, trying to fool everyone, Lin Hao?"

Qin Jin shook his head, his tone full of pity and sarcasm: "I always thought you were Tagore, but many clues could not be closed. It wasn't until I connected everything that I saw your elaborate scheme to escape your predicament."

He began to slowly peel back the layers of the truth, each layer gruesome: "First, the notebook in the secret base contained the technique of substitution. We found it through Lily's words and successfully uncovered the truth behind Adams and Mike's deaths. The design was good, but the details were very rough."

"You forgot to clean the box under Zhang Da's bed. The marks left on it confirm that you took a book from it—if there was a book there, why would you copy it? That's such a glaring inconsistency!"

Tagore—whom we can now call Lin Hao—became breathing heavily, his eyes darting around, unable to look Qin Jin in the eye.

"I bet there's something in this book that can't be discovered. For example, besides the substitution technique, there might be even more powerful evil arts—like soul transfer? Body snatching? Or possession? Whatever you want to call it!"

Qin Jin's shrewdness seemed to see through everything: "This book is the fundamental reason you're standing here right now!"

Detective Carter and his officers suddenly understood. Qin Jin's explanation made them realize the truth. While Carter was still horrified, he couldn't help but admire Qin Jin even more.

Aside from this supernatural expert specially invited from Los Angeles, even if it were him and Hansen, they probably wouldn't have thought of this even if they racked their brains. Deputy Director John's decision was indeed correct!

"Secondly," Qin Jin continued, pressing further and exposing the numerous flaws in Lin Hao's supposedly clever scheme, "I've never understood your motive for killing Zhang Dagua. If it was just to cover up his sale of the Substitute Technique to you, it would be making a mountain out of a molehill. Now I know, you had to kill him because he knew how to break the Soul Transfer Technique, or perhaps he himself was the price for its use? Like a sacrifice?"

Cold sweat began to bead on Lin Hao's forehead, his lips were tightly closed, but the slight trembling betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

"Third," Qin Jin continued relentlessly, his verbal assault relentless: "Molly's death was also strange. Detective Carter and I suspect that she discovered something that led you to make the impromptu decision to kill her and then escape—"

At this point, Qin Jin glanced at Detective Carter, then immediately nodded emphatically, adding the second half as if to make his presence known: "Molly knows Tagore too well! So well that she can see the huge differences between you and Tagore, in personality,..."

Habits, even her eyes! So, you could only trick her into going out, right?!

Detective Carter, with one hand on his hip, spoke with an imposing air, drawing admiring looks from the surrounding officers.

"You—you're making baseless accusations! It's all speculation! You have no evidence!"

Lin Hao roared desperately, but his momentum had weakened, and it was more like a desperate struggle.

"Evidence? It's probably not the right time yet. What's the rush?"

Qin Jin laughed, a laugh brimming with absolute control: "—Or are you afraid I'll expose your most despicable and vile deeds?"

Lin Hao's face began to flush. Taking advantage of this moment, Qin Jin quickly threw out the last and heaviest bombshell. Not only Lin Hao, but even the police officers next to him were filled with fear. Their eyes looked at Lin Hao with a mixture of lingering fear and disgust.

"You arranged for Tagore, the original owner of this body, to have a relationship with your mother—I've thought about this for a long time, and this move is simply ruthless, ingenious, and utterly despicable!"

"On the one hand, you need to find a huge weakness in Tagore and make him work for you wholeheartedly."

For example, fight Mike and sneakily slip the Substitute Pill into his mouth. After all, it won't be so easy to trick him into eating after Adams dies; only a fight can do that, right?

"On the other hand—" Qin Jin's voice was filled with undisguised disgust: "You're taking revenge! Using this extreme method to disgust your mother, to avenge her and your father's sacrifice and indifference back then! I even suspect that after you successfully possessed Tagore's body, were you also planning to use this new, young body to visit that still-attractive Chen Anni? This perverse pleasure of revenge is what you truly desire, isn't it?!"

"So—you used the medicine! The prescription is written in that book, isn't it?"

These last words were like the sharpest dagger, completely piercing the darkest and most twisted festering sore in Lin Hao's heart!

He could no longer maintain his pretense. His facial muscles contorted, a mixture of extreme terror, shame, and despair at being seen through. He let out a low growl that was not human, and his body trembled violently. He almost collapsed, and Lily beside him supported him.

Even Lily's face showed disbelief, and even fear.

Qin Jin's gaze finally settled on the bulging backpack on his back: "Now we can talk about the evidence you mentioned—" He gestured with his chin to the backpack, his tone certain and resolute: "This book should be in the bag, right? That's everything you have. I don't think someone like you would keep it anywhere else; you have to carry it with you at all times."

After Qin Jin finished speaking, he stopped pressing the issue. He simply looked at the guy in front of him with a knowing gaze, coldly staring at him who had been completely crushed in his series of blows, losing all confidence and self-esteem, and even having his face stripped bare!

His mental state has completely collapsed!

The scene was deathly silent, save for Lin Hao's heavy, disordered breathing and the gasps of disbelief from the crowd.