American Zombie Detective

The empty mansion was thoroughly searched, but nothing was found except for dust, cobwebs, and the occasional crawling insect; there was no sign of anything new in the house.

As they emerged from the last house, Constantine kicked away the rubble in frustration, while Catherine's gaze swept over the four inhabited mansions in the distance, and she murmured:

"Did you find someone, or did they escape further away, or did they hide inside?"

This is also a problem that Qin Jin is considering. Whether the Painted Skin Ghost escapes to another place through this area or infiltrates these four mansions, it will bring even greater trouble!

Qin Jin's gaze seemed fixed on the distance, but his mind was rapidly reviewing the Painted Skin Ghost's movements. He keenly realized that the guy definitely hadn't escaped; he must be here—

If it was trying to escape elsewhere, why would it leave the building and head straight here? That doesn't make any sense!

Of the four mansions, one must have been its target, and it's very likely that it had made some preparations beforehand!

Just then, Qin Jin's phone rang, breaking the silence. It was Detective Willie calling:

"Qin! You're right!" Detective Willie's voice was nauseating, yet tinged with a hint of excitement at revealing the truth:

"In the gardens of these houses, we found... remains, uh, leftover remains! You can't believe... the scene was simply..."

"Let's skip this part. Tell me, what did you see?" Qin Jin interrupted the description of the scene; he only wanted the result.

Willie paused, as if organizing his thoughts:

"The forensic doctor examined it. The bones... there are residual chopping marks on the bones, it looks like they were cut into pieces... but some bones also have teeth marks... I don't know what happened..."

The hands-free audio reached Constanze and Catherine's ears. From what was being said on the other end and their expressions, Catherine seemed to have guessed something.

Her face was a little pale, but she still stubbornly leaned in and listened to every word.

"Chopping is for dividing and preserving; teeth marks are left from tearing food," Qin Jin stated his judgment.

"This matches what I know: this thing doesn't eat much, so the corpse has to be cut up and frozen, and it takes several days to finish eating it, but the way it eats it is very crude; it just hugs it and gnaws on it..."

"This also explains why Kate's skin was removed, but her body was left behind—she didn't have time to eat it, and she simply couldn't finish it!"

Catherine's guess was confirmed. Her face turned noticeably paler, her stomach seemed to churn uncomfortably, and her eyes revealed intense disgust and shock, but she made no other move, not even backing down.

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, she simply pursed her lips tightly, straightened her spine, and her eyes quickly shifted from shock to a professional focus. This extraordinary resilience and professional attitude surpassed that of many others.

After hanging up the phone, Qin Jin's gaze unconsciously swept across the mountain path beneath his feet. Catherine's earlier analysis suddenly echoed in his ears:

"...After all, security here is very tight; strangers simply can't enter occupied houses..."

Strangers can't get in, but what if they're not strangers?

Qin Jin suddenly looked up, a flash of lightning striking his lazy eyes:

"I understand!" he said confidently to Constantine and Catherine as he pulled out his phone.

"Ms. Kate's identity must be related to someone here, which is why she was able to enter smoothly... Perhaps, this is actually its prepared escape route!"

"You mean...it killed Kate with preparation, not just randomly?"

Constanze understood the meaning behind Qin Jin's words.

"Yes! We were wrong at first—" As he spoke, Qin Jin had already dialed the school principal's number, speaking very quickly:

"Principal, this is Qin Jin! I need you to check something for me. Does Ms. Kate... have any contact with a wealthy person in the Hollywood Hills area? Whether it's work-related or personal? Could you please ask the teachers who know her well, or the teachers whose desks are next to hers, to see if they've mentioned it?"

The wait was rather long, and the three people's prolonged stay attracted the attention of some people.

From the direction of the four mansions, it seemed that someone appeared and disappeared behind the terrace, which showed that the security system here was indeed very good. Fortunately, Catherine's police uniform brought some convenience. At least until now, they have only been observing and have not called the police.

Half an hour later, the principal called back, confirming Qin Jin's speculation:

"Officer Qin! I've already asked... Yes, about two or three months ago, Ms. Kate seemed to have taken on an outside job, counseling a little girl with autism... She mentioned that it was a really important person, living in the Hollywood Hills... but she didn't give the specific address..."

"...And another thing! A male teacher remembers that when Ms. Kate was talking about community safety, she mentioned... that security like at Mr. Howard's house would make people feel safe... I don't know if that's helpful..."

Catherine's eyes lit up, and she immediately pointed to number 8 not far away, which was the largest mansion in the area. Clearly, this statement served as a crucial hint.

Seeing Qin Jin hang up the phone, Catherine immediately explained:

"Howard Winston is the owner of number 8, a major shareholder of Starlight Pictures, and it seems his family is having a 'three-day party' these days..."

"This kind of party lasts three days. The first day is a gathering of family and friends, with a few close friends; the second day is for neighbors, business partners, and friends; and the third day is a formal thank-you dinner... Today should be the second day!"

Qin Jin realized that although yesterday was a gathering of relatives and friends, if Kate was Howard's youngest daughter's tutor, her visit would not be abrupt, and she would have no problem getting in smoothly.

"But here's some bad news..." Catherine's tone held a hint of helplessness as she said this:

"Mr. Howard is extremely unfriendly to our LAPD. About five years ago, his son was accidentally killed by a stray bullet during a police operation to apprehend drug dealers... The Western Precinct responded to the call. Since then, he has used all his power to attack the police department and contacts the FBI directly for everything."

Catherine spread her hands, with a sense of helplessness:

"To get into his house, we'll probably have to apply for a search warrant and force our way in, but if we find nothing... it'll likely cause a huge uproar!"

Catherine explained the situation very clearly: gaining access to his house through legitimate means was virtually impossible, and even if a search warrant were obtained, not only was there no official reason at the moment, but it would also involve enormous risks—

Whether the Painted Skin Ghost is still in his house, or whether he has changed his skin, is unknown. Not only would the judge and the police chief not take that risk, but Qin Jin himself would not either!

If you really do it this way, whether you find the Painted Skin Ghost or not, you'll definitely become famous, so why bother being low-key!

Constantin thought for a moment, then suddenly raised an eyebrow:

"I have an idea—Qin! I'll go to the Midnight Bar and find a few half-demon. After the party starts, I'll send this thing in, and then smuggle in the leftover bones that Willie and the others found. That way, wouldn't it be a natural way for us to get in?"

Catherine's eyes widened in disbelief. Compared to simply breaking into a house, Jack's suggestion seemed even more outrageous: a demon? Leftover human bones? This method of investigation was... way too wild!

Just as Catherine was in shock, Qin Jin's shaking of his head eased her mind slightly.

"Jack, you're right, that's how you get in, but..."

He pointed out the biggest flaw: "If we enter like this, do you think we can still observe these people up close and quietly? They'd probably all escape!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Constantin asked, sounding frustrated.

"If we really want to get in, it's not difficult. The difficulty lies in not being able to quietly observe the guests, waiters, and security personnel. Only one person is suitable for this kind of occasion..."

Qin Jin slowly turned his head and looked towards bustling Los Angeles:

"Let Alessa go! She's the professional."