American Zombie Detective

Chapter 219 Who is the Horror Novelist?

The Dodge drove in the afternoon sun, leaving Lana Winters' quiet neighborhood and heading back towards the safe house. The warm sunlight streaming through the windows created a subtle contrast with the eeriness of the conversation in the cubicle earlier.

Although he didn't notice anything unusual, Qin Jin felt uneasy, as if he had overlooked something—

He simply picked up his phone and dialed Constantine's number: "John, send me Officer Murphy's number."

"Old Murphy? Okay, right away—" Constantine on the other end of the phone seemed to be rummaging through something: "Sent. How's it going on your end? Any problems with the female writer? Is she the one we're looking for?"

"I can't be sure. You keep looking, I'll check with Murphy."

After hanging up the phone, Qin Jin immediately dialed Old Murphy's number.

After a few rings, the phone was answered, and old Murphy's slightly tired voice came through: "Feed? Who is this?"

"Mr. Murphy, I am Qin Jin, who visited you yesterday. I have a question for you," Qin Jin said without beating around the bush, "Around the 90s, before or after the construction of the Blue Line subway, was there a case involving the disappearance of a young man named Darwins? He seemed to come from a well-off family and loved literature."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as if searching his memory, before he answered definitively, "Darlivens—yes, there is such a case. I remember."

"Is this case related to the Blue Line subway case you investigated back then?" Qin Jin pressed.

"no."

Murphy's answer was firm: "At least in my investigation, I found no connection. This is an independent missing person case. The reason I vaguely remember him is because he might have appeared near the blue line—Detective Qin, how did you come up with this case? Is this—a new discovery?"

"No, just asking," Qin Jin explained casually, "I visited the missing person's girlfriend today, Ms. Lana Winters, and she seems to be—doing something strange in this case, and we're investigating."

"Her girlfriend, I know her, she's the one who came to report the crime—oh dear! Detective Qin, when you left, didn't you ask Detective Jack to find the person who writes horror stories? She is!"

"What? What is she?"

"Write stories, horror stories!" Old Murphy said urgently. "I remember this girl used to love writing short, scary horror stories. She had a very rich imagination. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, preferred to write love stories—"

"He loved literature and aspired to become a writer, to create stories that could move people—primarily, to create all sorts of terrifying legends—"

Lana Winters' clear words suddenly echoed in Qin Jin's mind!

But the person she described was her boyfriend, Daryl Vince!

Qin Jin's thoughts surged like water from a burst dam, and all the abnormalities suddenly became clear. He finally understood the source of that feeling!

Lana was talking about her boyfriend, but her tone and manner were like a personal account, which made Qin Jin feel uneasy, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Another overlooked point has also come to light!

How could someone who claims to be extremely afraid of wind due to illness, needs to hide in a specially designed cubicle to communicate with others, and cannot even bear face-to-face interaction, possibly ride the subway, which has a huge flow of people and is completely open?!

She shouldn't have been on that blue line train at all! Her most reasonable mode of transportation would have been a private vehicle!

This contradiction existed from the very beginning, but he had unknowingly overlooked it—until this moment, it was as if a mirror had been broken, and the scene behind the mirror was finally revealed to him!

"Detective Qin? Are you still listening?" Old Murphy's voice came through the receiver, tinged with a hint of doubt. "What else do you want to know—"

"No need, thank you, Mr. Murphy." Qin Jin quickly hung up the phone, then turned the steering wheel sharply, the tires screeching on the road.

He seemed to have been influenced by something without realizing it, to the point that she had completely led him astray.

Before the car was fully straightened, the engine roared and the accelerator was slammed down!

Like an enraged cheetah, the vehicle suddenly sped out and raced toward Lana Winters' seemingly peaceful and serene house covered in ivy!

He must go back immediately!

More than twenty minutes later, Qin Jin arrived at the entrance of the residence again.

The tires screeched as the black sedan came to a violent stop in the driveway in front of Lana Winters' house, its tail swishing violently.

Qin Jin pushed open the car door and, before the engine had even completely stopped, he shot out like an arrow.

Without the slightest hesitation, he braced himself with one hand, deftly vaulted over the low, decorative garden fence, crossed the lawn in a few strides, and upon reaching the gate, simply lifted his leg—

Just like he had done countless times before, he kicked the door open!

"Bang!" Qin Jin strode in, raising his voice so it echoed in the empty living room: "Ms. Lana! LAPD! We need to talk again!"

No one responded.

The afternoon sun shone through the wide French windows, and everything inside seemed peaceful and normal. Qin Jin glanced around and then his gaze fell on a small door on the side.

That was the room where we were talking earlier. The door was ajar, and it was pitch black inside.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Jin reached out again and forcefully pushed the door open!

The small room inside the door was almost exactly the same as the one he had stayed in before, about four or five square meters in size, extremely simple.

The only difference is that, in addition to the chair provided for visitors, there is now a narrow wooden desk against the wall.

On the table, several sheets of handwritten manuscript paper were spread out.

Qin Jin felt inexplicably uneasy; an extremely ominous premonition gripped him. He quickly stepped forward, his gaze falling on the pages.

Just one glance!

Qin and Jin's early warning mechanism was instantly pushed to its limit!

The title on the paper was: "The Visitor".

To uncover the truth behind the subway death curse, the monster policeman arrived at the doorstep of female writer Lana. He wore a black coat, his face was cold and stern, and his seemingly lazy eyes concealed a terrifying power. He gently rang the doorbell—

Separated by a door, Lana spoke to him in a gentle yet distant voice. She explained her fear of the wind and her reluctance to receive guests, guiding the monster policeman to a small side booth. The monster policeman did not object, and he followed her instructions and went inside.

They talked through a partition. The monster policeman asked everything about the subway, her missing boyfriend, and horror stories. Lana answered cautiously, cleverly attributing her love of creating horror stories to her missing boyfriend. Her performance was flawless, her tone carrying just the right amount of nostalgia and sorrow.

The monster policeman seemed to believe him. He left. The sound of the car engine faded into the distance.

However, the story doesn't end there. The monster policeman, on his way, recalls a crucial flaw; his mind is frighteningly sharp.

The car suddenly turned around and sped back at an even higher speed.

The black car came to a stop once more, like a vengeful ghost. The monstrous policeman violently leaped over the garden fence, charging toward the door with undeniable ferocity.

He kicked the door open! The loud noise proclaimed his anger and resolve. He called out Lana's name, searching for her—

He walked to a small cubicle on the side and pushed open the slightly ajar door.

He saw the table. He saw the papers. He reached out and picked them up—

The text ends here.

All his actions, from his initial politeness to his final forced entry, even his internal reasoning and shifts, were exactly the same as what was written!

This is a story!

Unbeknownst to him, he was already immersed in this story!

This time, instead of using radio, letters, or newspaper serialization, it adopted the method of paper delivery, telling the story to Qin Jin little by little.

And Qin and Jin, following the details described in this story, are gradually heading towards their end—

>