Eldritch Horror Theatre

Screech—

The speeding car slammed to a halt. Fu Qian reacted instantly, bracing himself with his hands.

"What's wrong?"

Meeting Sheriff Jones's cold glare, Fu Qian's smile didn't waver.

"I was merely following your train of thought."

"Although I don't know why this person is so desperate to hide his identity, there is no doubt he's still making moves."

"Who exactly is this Lasik you're looking for... what is your real goal in finding him?"

Jones stared at Fu Qian for a long moment before finally asking, his expression ice-cold.

"I already answered that. I was entrusted by someone else. I don't actually know the man; I only know I might run into him here."

"However, if you want to consider him a candidate for the killer, I suppose that makes a certain amount of sense."

"An outsider coming and going like a ghost, acting without the slightest scruple, arriving here for some unknown purpose. Given that he got hit with a ticket and ran short on funds, he took on some side work."

"Unfortunately, a minor accident occurred along the way, forcing him to silence the witnesses, and in the end, even his employer was taken out."

"Without a doubt, this is a cold-blooded, ruthless character who treats human life like dirt. And, of course, you have to add that he's dead broke, otherwise the story wouldn't hold up."

...

Jones didn't say a word. The next second, he wrenched the steering wheel hard. The car whipped around in a one-eighty, and he slammed the gas pedal to the floor.

It was said that what cops hated the most weren't cunning and brutal thugs, but unpredictable psychopaths.

And clearly, his own analysis combined with Fu Qian's deductions had painted a picture of a character who was exactly both.

A character like that was currently roaming this quiet Small Town.

And so far, he had already caused the disappearance of at least three people.

Jones might not have much affection for his nephew Ray, but he was clearly beginning to worry about his own wife.

...

It wasn't long before they returned to the familiar yard. Jones had driven back several times faster than when they left, the screeching brakes betraying his frantic state of mind.

Seeming to realize he had lost his composure, Jones gripped the steering wheel and adjusted his breathing slightly before opening the door and striding briskly toward the house.

But before he even reached the front steps, the door opened from the inside, and his wife, Mary, peered out in confusion.

"Why are you back so soon?"

Mary looked at her husband, puzzled, while Jones quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where are the three of them?"

Instead of answering his wife's question, Jones peered over her shoulder into the house.

"They had a bite to eat and then went to their respective rooms to rest. Did you need them for something?"

Mary grew even more confused.

"They all looked quite exhausted. They might already be asleep by now."

As Mary spoke, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs rang out right on cue.

Soon, Fran appeared with light steps and politely greeted Jones.

Staying at the local sheriff's home had clearly calmed her nerves significantly.

She had likely hurried down upon hearing the commotion, noticing Jones's quick return and hoping he'd brought good news.

Jones gave a faint hum of acknowledgment, only to see Ray descending the stairs right behind Fran.

Compared to Fran, his expression was much more complicated.

Once Ray came to a stop, there were no further footsteps.

"Cartman might be asleep. Should I go wake him?"

Fran asked instinctively.

But before her voice even faded, Ray's face fell, and he hurriedly sprinted upstairs.

His exaggerated reaction immediately ratcheted up the tension in the room.

Fran's expression instantly shifted in alarm, while Jones drew a sharp breath and chased after Ray without a second thought.

"What's wrong?"

Pale-faced, Fran quietly asked Fu Qian.

"There's a new missing person."

Fu Qian explained casually, following the others upstairs alongside Fran and Mrs. Mary.

Another missing person...

Mary clearly understood now why her husband had looked so grim.

Of course, when she reached the second floor, she quickly found that her husband's expression had turned even grimmer.

This is...

At this moment, Jones and Ray were standing frozen in the doorway of one of the bedrooms, their expressions stunned.

Fu Qian stepped up and saw that the small, impeccably clean room was completely empty, its window thrown wide open.

"This is Cartman's room..."

Fran's voice sounded incredibly dry, and every trace of color had drained from her face.

It wasn't that she lacked mental fortitude. Having a companion vanish without a trace from a place they considered absolutely safe was an undeniably massive psychological blow.

"It looks like some of his belongings are missing."

Fu Qian walked past them into the room and took a quick look around.

Cartman's room was located in the corner of the house. Climbing out the window would put someone right on top of the perimeter wall—a position that made sneaking in and out remarkably easy.

"What is going on here?"

Mrs. Mary also looked quite frightened, her face full of disbelief.

"I was downstairs the entire time, and I didn't see him come down."

"He might have snuck out on his own."

Jones turned around and gently patted his wife's shoulder to comfort her, then looked at Fran.

"Fran, please take Mary downstairs to rest."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable sense of authority.

Fran, already panicked and at a loss for what to do, instinctively obeyed, stepping forward to help Mrs. Mary down the stairs.

...

Confirming the two had gone downstairs, Jones stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

"What exactly did you see yesterday?"

In the next breath, he violently grabbed Ray by the collar, slammed him against the wall, and drew his gun, pressing the muzzle against the young man's head. His tone was absolute ice.

"I have no interest in giving you kids any psychological counseling, and I don't give a damn if you're harboring some unspeakable fear."

"Answer me right now. When you went out shopping yesterday, what exactly did you see?"

...

Pinned with a gun to his head and his collar gripped tight, Ray had his glasses knocked askew.

It was obvious that Jones's extreme reaction had completely caught him off guard.

"I don't know what you mean! What is going on?"

Too terrified to struggle, Ray stammered defensively.

As he spoke, he caught sight of Fu Qian out of the corner of his eye. Fu Qian's completely nonchalant posture severely provoked his already fraying nerves.

A second later, Ray's expression suddenly turned feral, and he hissed in a low growl.

"Have you been spouting nonsense?"

"No."

Fu Qian shook his head, instantly shooting down the accusation without offering any explanation.

"I—"

With his collar still bunched in a death grip, Ray looked like he was on the verge of suffocating.

Regardless, he clearly didn't dare make any sudden moves while staring down the barrel of a gun. He just tried to regulate his breathing, looking at his uncle with absolute sincerity.

"I... I really didn't see anything."

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