NovelEnglishThe interior of the house was spotless and so bare one could see straight to the back wall. It was impossible for anyone to hide
there; even the space under the bed had been checked. Empty.
Abner raised an eyebrow and let out a chuckle. "Whoever's hiding is a quick one," he mused.
The locals, who had been keeping watch outside, weren't pleased to see him cout empty-handed.
"Abner, what's the big idea?" one of them grumbled. "Queena saved your life, for crying out loud."
"Yeah, you were a goner with those injuries. If it wasn't for her remedies, you'd be six feet under by now. And here you are, biting
the hand that fed you," another added bitterly.
The crowd was seething, ready to tear into Abner.
But the eight burly men flanking Abner were not to be trifled with; they stood firm and imposing.
If things got rough, it was anyone's guess who would cout worse for wear.
Amidst the standoff, the county sheriff's deputies arrived, responding to reports of a fugitive murderer in the area.
Seeing the lawmen, several villagers immediately pointed fingers at Abner.
"It's him," they accused. "Jackson's disappearance has got to be tied to him, and now he's after our only doctor."
The deputies didn't know Abner, but his bearing suggested he was no ordinary man.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Would you mind coming with us, sir?" one deputy asked.
Abner didn't budge. Tobias stepped forward in his defense.
"It wasn't Abner, sir. My dad, Jackson, he's really gone, and | don't know what to do."
Tears were still welling in Tobias' swollen eyes.
The whole village had been searching for Jackson all night to no avail. With not even a phone call answered, it seemed increasingly
likely that Jackson had met with foul play.
Leaning against the wooden doorframe, Abner's mind began to race.
He wasn't a detective, after all. And now, with Jackson missing and the person who had been hiding gone too, if it indeed was
Queena, she must have stashed them away in no time. Given a bit more time, she could've covered her tracks even better.
Now, the task at hand was to keep Queena within his sight.
He made a call, and shortly after, the deputies received instructions from higher up to assist in the investigation to find Jackson.
Abner's people had replaced his phone, and he held the new device indifferently in his hand.
It wasn't long before a call cin from Beck.
"Abner, how are you doing? | heard you went missing. You okay?" Beck's concern was genuine. After all, Abner had been working
closely with the Sanders family recently, and had contributed significant manpower to the Forbidden Island and the research base
projects.
Upon hearing about Abner's cargo ship vanishing, Beck naturally felt compelled to check in.
"I'll live."
Abner was about to end the call but paused to ask, "Have they found lan?"
The mention of lan deflated Beck's spirits.
"Not yet."
He dared not even bring up lan around Maja anymore.
Abner had only asked in passing; he didn't suspect that the man missing from the house could be lan. After all, Cania was miles
away.
Just as he was about to hang up, Beck inquired further.
"Are you in trouble over there?"
"There's a case that needs experienced detectives," Abner said.
While his people were adept at executing covert operations, solving a mystery like this was better left to the detectives.
Beck's interest was piqued. He immediately rang up Fitch and relayed Abner's situation. To everyone's surprise, Fitch dispatched a
team to Fishing Village within a day.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe local mood was tense, with villagers preventing the deputies from leaving, insisting they arrest Abner.
However, without any evidence against him, the deputies couldn't make a move.
The villagers were discontented, sresorting to tics and lying down on the ground in protest.
The following morning, word spread that Greenfield had sent professionals to handle the situation, and hope flickered among the
villagers, believing Abner's luck had run out.
Abner had stayed put in Fishing Village. He had no desire to meddle, but Tobias' pleas made him reconsider.
Thinking of the eleven-year-old boy, now without a father, Abner decided to stick around a bit longer.
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