American Zombie Detective

Chapter 218 The Person with Their Back to the Camera

This is absolutely not normal!

Not only Sheila, but Mark and Emily also insisted that they saw three people, and that these three had even appeared outside the window.

This female writer is either lying, or she has a special connection to this event, or even—she herself is part of this bizarre incident!

Since it was still early before evening, Qin Jin decided to visit the female author immediately.

While Catherine was on the phone, Qin Jin searched for information about the female author Lana Winters.

Sure enough, her encyclopedia entry and personal website show that she is an accomplished romance novelist who debuted in her twenties and has published more than a dozen novels to date, with a stable readership.

Qin Jin quickly browsed through the pages, and a media interview from many years ago caught his attention.

When asked about her initial motivation for writing, Lana Winters' words revealed a deep sense of nostalgia and a lingering sadness: "—Actually, I initially picked up a pen largely because of my first love, Daryl Livin'. He loved literature so much; he ignited my passion for writing—unfortunately, he disappeared later. Right when we were most in love, he vanished without a trace. The police investigated for a long time, but to no avail—"

"So many years have passed, and I don't know what he went through. Sometimes I think, Darvins, if you deliberately disappeared just to leave me—now that decades have passed, it's all in the past. If you can see me, please appear, at least let me know you're safe and sound—"

In the photos accompanying the interview, her smile appeared somewhat forced.

Her missing first love—the one who guided her onto the path of writing—

Qin Jin's pupils contracted slightly.

The unusual aspects of this female writer quickly accumulated:

She seemed to be the only one who hadn't witnessed any supernatural phenomena:

Secondly, her writing originated from a young man who loved literature, but he unfortunately disappeared.

"Writing" — "Story" —

These two words struck a chord with Qin Jin, resonating strongly with the horror story of the curse he was investigating!

In his eyes, this female writer, whose life is intertwined with the mystery of "disappearance" and "writing," has suddenly transformed from an ordinary witness clue into an extremely crucial, even potentially central, figure in the case.

Based on the address provided by Catherine, Qin Jin quickly drove to the home of female writer Lana Winters.

This is a detached house located on the edge of the community, with a fairly large yard.

The house is surrounded by open views and lush green grass. It is far from the neighbors' houses, making it quiet and private. Ivy covers the shady exterior walls, and various flowers are planted in front of the house. A small vegetable patch has been set up behind the house, which is growing well. There is a doghouse on each side, but no dogs were seen.

Qin Jin walked to the door and rang the doorbell.

Soon, a gentle and intellectual female voice came from inside the door: "Who is it?"

"Ms. Winters? This is Detective Qin Jin from the LAPD Special Investigations Unit. My colleague, Constable Catherine, should have already contacted you," Qin Jin identified himself.

"Oh, yes, Officer Catherine told me."

The woman's voice inside the door paused, then added a perfectly timed apology: "Detective Qin, welcome. However, before you come in, I have a favor to ask, and I hope you can understand."

"Please speak."

"I had a serious illness a few years ago, and my health has been poor ever since. I'm particularly sensitive to wind, and—I'm also quite introverted and not comfortable talking to strangers face-to-face. So—"

Lana Winters' voice was soft yet firm: "Can you see the side of the house? There's a separate entrance to a small room there."

Qin Jin looked to the side as instructed, and there was indeed an inconspicuous single door there.

"I specially modified that for interviews or conversations. There are two small, completely separate cubicles inside. We can have a clear conversation through the internal sound transmission device, which satisfies our need for conversation while also making me less nervous. Do you think this is okay?"

This request is somewhat unusual, but considering the reasons given by the other party, it is barely acceptable.

"Sure," he replied simply.

Qin Jin walked around to the side and pushed open the door. Inside was a small space of about four or five square meters, with only a chair and a wooden partition opposite it, covered with a thick black velvet cloth, with a microphone embedded in the middle.

"Detective Qin, can you hear me?" Lana Winters' voice came through the microphone, clear and steady.

"I understand perfectly," Qin Jin replied. "Ms. Winters, the main reason I'm here is to verify what you saw on the subway on the night of the incident. I also want to ask you about the missing friend you mentioned earlier, Mr. Darwins."

"I understand. Regarding the subway, I can say the same thing as I said on the phone: I really didn't see those three strange passengers you mentioned. The carriage was quiet at the time, there weren't many passengers, but everyone seemed normal."

Her tone was very certain, then she asked with a hint of confusion, "Detective Qin, to be honest, when I first heard your description, I even thought—were you discussing some urban legend? Because it sounded so much like it. I never imagined it would be a real case."

"We are indeed investigating a real case."

Qin Jin didn't dwell on that, instead asking, "Could you tell me more about Mr. Darvins? For example, what kind of person is he?"

"He—" Lana's voice softened as she drifted into memory, "He was a very idealistic, even somewhat naive, person. He and his family—well, his family was well-off; it's said his ancestors accumulated a lot of wealth, but he didn't like that kind of life. He loved literature and aspired to be a writer, to write stories that could move people. We met at a book fair."

"A touching story? For example?"

Lana seemed to smile: "Mainly, he creates all sorts of terrifying legends. Some are collected and modified, while others are written by himself. He often says that only these kinds of stories will be heard by more people and will be more realistic and terrifying."

Has he shown you his story? Can you tell me about it?

"Of course there is, let me think—"

Lana thought for a few seconds: "Well, there's a story about three students who entered a locked-up old building. When they came out, one of them didn't return, and the other two discovered that it seemed the whole world had forgotten this student, as if he had never existed. Only the two of them remembered him, and then—yes, in the end, one of them discovered that he was the missing student, and that he himself was the one who had truly disappeared—"

Qin Jin licked his teeth—this story seemed to be getting right.

"There's another story. A female student went to the toilet while studying at school at night, and someone asked her if she wanted a red vest. The girl said no, and the voice disappeared. She told her roommate about it, and the next day her roommate also heard the voice and replied yes. Then—her roommate's body was found in the toilet the day after, with blood flowing on the ground, just like a red vest and the same smell!"

Sure enough, these stories spread widely and many adapted versions appeared, and many people have heard them.

"These stories are indeed very viral."

Qin Jin commented, then seemingly casually asked, "Has he ever tried creating a genre where—the listener hears their own story in the story, and then dies, or something like that happens?"

Lana's tone revealed genuine surprise: "This concept—it sounds very futuristic, like a metafiction or a cursed videotape setting. He hasn't shown me any finished products like that. This idea is really bold, really impressive."

Her praise sounded very natural.

Was there anything unusual about him before he disappeared?

"No. Everything happened so suddenly. I went to see his family, and they were just as anxious and worried. They also reported it to the police. But it was like they vanished into thin air; there were no clues. Later—I heard that his family also gradually disappeared from the public eye."

Her voice lowered, carrying genuine regret and disappointment.

Inquiries no longer seem to yield any further information.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Winters. If you recall any details about Mr. Darwins or his work, please be sure to contact Officer Catherine." Qin Jin finished his questioning and stood up.

"I will. I hope this will be helpful to you," Lana replied gently.

Qin Jin pushed open the side door and stepped back into the sunlight. The house behind him was quiet and peaceful, and he could not hear any movement inside.