Free Web NovelChapter 71: Chapter 71: The Target, Roland Larkin
The cockroach didn’t know what Todd said on the other end of the phone. It only heard the female biped mention money.
"She said if you don’t want to get caught by the police, you have to give her money. The more, the better."
Renee’s expression was grave. She furrowed her brow and pressed, "And then? What else did she say?"
The cockroach took a bite of cracker before continuing, "Then the female biped hung up the phone and kept muttering things like ’fucking idiot,’ ’trash,’ and ’broke-ass.’"
Renee guessed that Todd was unwilling to be blackmailed by Daphne and didn’t want to give her the money.
"When did the male biped arrive?"
The cockroach replied, "When it was very dark outside. The female biped was about to go to sleep when the male biped knocked on the door."
Renee: "Did the two of them argue?"
The cockroach shook its head from side to side. "They didn’t argue. The male told the female, ’Whatever money you want, I’m willing to give it...’"
At that time, Todd entered the living room in his socks. His hands, shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, were also gloved.
He stared at Daphne, his tone sincere. "I was too impulsive just now. Don’t be mad. I’ve thought it through. You’re helping me. It’s only right that I give you money. I’ll give you however much you want."
Daphne snorted, a smug smile spreading across her face. "It’s best you’ve figured it out. Transfer 100,000 to me first."
Todd lowered his head, a sinister glint of resentment flashing in his eyes. When he looked up again, he was wearing a fawning smile. "Can you give me one day? Tomorrow. I’ll definitely transfer the money to you tomorrow."
"Broke-ass," Daphne cursed, but she still agreed. "Tomorrow at the latest. If I don’t get the money by tomorrow, the day after I’m taking the video of you murdering Eileen Coleman to the police and turning you in."
Todd clenched his molars and forced a smile. "Don’t worry, you’ll definitely have it tomorrow." free𝑤ebnovel.com
Daphne nodded. "Fine. Now get out."
"Okay." Todd stood up.
Daphne’s back was to him. "Close the door on your way out."
"Okay," Todd replied.
Hearing this, Renee pressed her lips together, her gaze turning cold. "So, did you see the male push the female off the building?"
"We saw it," the cockroach answered. "The male said, ’Go to hell,’ and then he pushed the female down."
Todd closed the door, but he didn’t leave. He hid quietly.
Daphne didn’t notice. She lay on the sofa, scrolling through her phone, and eventually drifted off to sleep.
Her phone was still playing a video as Todd, who had been hiding in the kitchen, crept cautiously into the living room.
Looking at Daphne’s sleeping form, his eyes filled with hatred. He yanked her up, rushed unhesitatingly to the balcony, and snarled through gritted teeth, "Go to hell!"
Renee: "How exactly did the male push her?"
The cockroach: "Well... I don’t know how to describe it."
An idea struck Renee, and she demonstrated. "Did he use both hands to push the female down like this?"
"No." The cockroach shook its head again. "The male used both hands to lift the female and push her down."
"’Lifting her?’" Renee frowned, thinking for a few seconds, then asked in confusion, "Do you mean he picked her up horizontally and threw her down?"
"Should we demonstrate?" Henry Stark asked.
Hearing this, Renee nodded. "Yes."
Kyle Morgan thought Henry was going to demonstrate himself. ’Now I’ve got you!’ he thought.
He had gone home last night and wracked his brain for a long time before finally figuring out what was going on.
It wasn’t that he and the boss weren’t close enough; it was that the boss’s stony heart was finally starting to bloom.
Just as Kyle Morgan was thinking this, he suddenly heard the boss call his name. "Kai, come here."
"Yes." He walked over, bewildered. "Boss, what is it?"
Henry said coolly, "You and I will demonstrate."
Kyle Morgan: "..."
’Wait, what? Why wouldn’t he ask Renee when it’s such a good opportunity? And isn’t it awkward for two grown men?!’
’No, I have to be a good wingman for the boss.’
Kyle Morgan said, "Boss, I’m too heavy, you won’t be able to lift me. Why don’t you ask Renee?"
The moment the words were out, Henry shot him a sharp, cutting glare.
Kyle Morgan scratched his head and quickly changed his tune. "Actually, I’ve lost some weight these past few days."
Henry didn’t waste any more words on him, simply extending his powerful arms and lifting the man horizontally.
Renee pointed at the two of them and asked the cockroach, "Excuse me, did he lift her up like this?"
Unexpectedly, the cockroach still shook its head from side to side. "No."
Renee furrowed her brow, her fair face filled with confusion. "Not like that? Then when you say ’lift,’ do you mean he lifted her over his head?"
Hearing this, Henry changed his grip and hoisted Kyle Morgan straight over his head.
Kyle Morgan yelped, "Boss, a little lower! I’m hitting the ceiling!"
This time, before Renee could even ask, the cockroach nodded. "Yes, yes, yes! That’s how he pushed her!"
Daphne was lifted into the air. She startled awake and, seeing it was Todd holding her up, immediately started cursing. "Fuck, are you insane? Put me down!"
"Alright, I’ll put you down right now." A cruel smile curved Todd’s lips. He gathered his strength and hurled Daphne’s entire body over the balcony railing. "You bitch, how dare you threaten me!"
"If that’s the case, you can’t call it ’pushing,’" Renee said grimly. "How many people did you see him throw like that?"
The cockroach: "Umm... two in total. The two bipeds who lived in this house."
Renee nodded. "After he threw the bipeds, did he do anything else?" freeweɓnøvel.com
The cockroach: "Yes, he mopped the floor."
Todd mopped the living room floor, afraid of leaving behind even the slightest trace.
Before leaving, he also took Daphne’s phone, which she had left on the sofa.
"He even mopped the floor?" Kyle Morgan suppressed the urge to curse. "Did he think we wouldn’t be able to catch him? So naive!"
Something suddenly occurred to Renee, and she quickly asked the cockroach, "Did he mop the kitchen floor?"
The cockroach replied while eating a cracker, "No, he didn’t do that."
Renee turned her head to look at Henry, her eyes bright with excitement. "He was hiding in the kitchen, and he didn’t mop the kitchen floor when he left. Maybe he dropped a hair or something."
"Good." Henry understood. He called over colleagues from the forensics department and had them focus their search on the kitchen.
Renee and the others retreated to the living room, leaving the kitchen space for the forensics team.
「Two days later.」
The technicians had worked against the clock to analyze and identify the sample, and the results of the suspect’s hair analysis were in.
It was run through the genetic database for comparison screening. After complex calculations and matching, it precisely locked onto a target: Roland Larkin.
The investigation revealed the suspect’s full name was Roland Larkin, twenty-nine years old, and he had been unemployed for three months. Before that, he was a programmer at a gaming company.
His older sister and brother-in-law rented an apartment on the sixth floor of Emberwood Apartments. Before he lost his job, Roland Larkin would occasionally go to his sister’s place for dinner. He had once run into Eileen Coleman in the elevator and was captivated by her appearance, after which he began hitting on and pursuing her.
After Roland Larkin lost his job, he started freeloading at his sister’s place, mooching food, drinks, and a place to stay.
On one hand, he didn’t want to spend his own money; on the other, it was to be closer to his "goddess."
