CHAPTER 509: CHAPTER 300 FALL FROM THE BUILDING_1

They arrived early. There weren’t many cars in the school parking lot.

After parking the police car, Dean got out and called to Nellie, who was heading towards the school office building, "No rush. Let’s wait here for a bit; we might get an unexpected lead."

Nellie was initially puzzled, then it dawned on her. "Detective Dean, do you mean the owner of the grey sedan might be a member of the school staff?"

Dean nodded. "Or a student."

Toddy, the female teacher, led a very regular and respectable life. The people she knew were either students, their parents, or other teachers at the school. So, waiting here might prove fruitful.

The two of them didn’t just stand foolishly by the police car; instead, they moved to an inconspicuous corner that offered a good view of the parking spots.

As class time approached, fewer cars entered from outside.

"Looks like we waited for nothing," Nellie said, a little disappointed.

They had spotted several grey sedans on site, but none matched the model from the photos.

"Let’s wait a bit longer," Dean said, popping a piece of chewing gum into his mouth. "Some students and teachers aren’t necessarily punctual. Besides, classes have started, so it’s not a good time to look for people. We might as well keep waiting."

Nellie started to nod, but her gaze, fixed on the school gate, suddenly sharpened.

Dean immediately followed her line of sight. An old, grey sedan was slowly driving into the school. Its model was an exact match for the one in the photos.

Once the car was parked, a tall, buxom blonde girl in a short student skirt, clutching a backpack, hurriedly got out of the driver’s seat. She ran towards the academic building, disappearing from their sight.

"Detective Dean..." Nellie said, turning from the gate to look at him excitedly. "What do you think?"

Dean whistled. "I’m looking with my eyes."

The sight of her running, figure bouncing, was enough to make a Scottish dairy cow blush with shame.

American high school students are truly something else, Dean thought.

Nellie shot Dean an annoyed look. "I mean, what do you think about the *sedan*!"

Dean looked at her, puzzled. "Obviously, you call a reliable colleague and ask them to get the car owner’s information. We need to find out who they are first."

Cracking a case is all about collecting and comparing information. Did she really need me to spell that out?

"Got it!" Nellie said. Somewhat dejected, she looked down at the new shoes she had deliberately worn that day. She instinctively rose onto her tiptoes for a moment, feeling even more down.

...

They waited for about an hour before Nellie’s colleague finally called back.

After hanging up, Nellie turned to Dean, her expression serious. "Detective Dean, we found her. The car owner is Selica Kaeli. She just turned sixteen this year and is a student at the school. Crucially, she and Teague are classmates. Both of them were Teacher Toddy’s students."

Dean nodded thoughtfully. "Let’s go."

While they had waited for the information, a few more sedans had entered the school, but none matched the model and color they sought. There was no longer any need to wait there.

They headed to the administration building first. The principal hadn’t arrived yet, but fortunately, his assistant was there.

With the assistant’s help, Teague’s classmates were called into the office one by one to be questioned by Dean about Teague.

Students came in and out. From their words, Dean pieced together a more realistic picture of Teague.

The boy was timid, unsociable, and rarely participated in group activities. He would disappear as soon as holidays began, which meant he had almost no friends at school. When he was bullied, no one would step in to help—except for Teacher Toddy.

Regarding Teacher Toddy’s death, her students all expressed varying degrees of sorrow. It was clear she had truly been a good teacher.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Please keep this inquiry confidential. Could you also ask the next student to come in?" Dean said, ticking a name on his list and gesturing for the boy sitting opposite him to leave.

In a small town, classes naturally weren’t very large. Only two students were left to be interviewed. One of them was Selica Kaeli, the girl Nellie had identified earlier.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

The three people in the office looked up to see Selica Kaeli.

She looked nervously at them, hesitating to enter.

The principal’s assistant quickly stood up, smiling. "Selica, no need to be nervous. These are police officers from town. They just want to ask some questions about Teague."

"Teague?" Selica’s expression changed slightly, her body tensing. "Weren’t we told this was to assist reporters with a school survey? Why is it about Teague? Hasn’t he already been convicted? Why are these police officers still asking about him?"

The excuse about assisting reporters with a school survey was, of course, what Nellie had instructed the principal’s assistant to say. This was to prevent those being questioned from preparing themselves psychologically beforehand.

"We’re just conducting a simple inquiry. No need to be nervous," Nellie said, standing up. She subconsciously adjusted the police badge on her modest chest and motioned for Selica to sit down.

Even Nellie, despite her limited experience, could tell something was off about Selica.

Previously, she might have attributed Selica’s unusual reaction to the psychological impact of a classmate murdering their teacher. But after discovering the grey sedan, her gaze towards Selica was far more scrutinizing and suspicious.

"I’m not nervous. It’s just that the name ’Teague’ disgusts me," Selica said, pursing her lips. She walked over to Dean and sat down. Meeting Nellie’s steady gaze, she regained her composure. "After all, he killed Teacher Toddy."