Ray Campbell was carefully questioning Wendy Lynch about every single detail regarding how she found the money.
Outside the door, a shrill, spiteful, and deliberately raised voice pierced right through the wood like an awl, stabbing into the ears of everyone in the room.
"...dirty money, and now the cops are at her door! Serves her right!"
Gordon Lynch and Lana Miller’s faces instantly drained of color. Lana, in particular, had lived a respectable, honest life. She rarely even raised her voice in an argument at the factory, much less experienced being wrongfully berated to her face. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably as her eyes grew red and rimmed with tears.
"She... she’s spouting nonsense!" Frantic, Lana tried to rush outside. "She’s lying! Our money is perfectly clean!"
"Don’t go! The police are in the middle of a case," Gordon said, holding his wife back with an iron grip.
Though his own lips were trembling with anger, he knew from the officers’ brief remarks that this was no small case. If they rashly made a scene, it would undoubtedly interfere with the investigation.
Listening to the increasingly vile slander from outside, Ray frowned deeply. His years of investigative experience left him completely disgusted by people who stirred the pot and thrived on chaos. He knew full well that if such rumors were allowed to spread, Wendy and her family would never be able to live in peace in this neighborhood.
He stopped writing his notes and shot a glance at a young colleague beside him, signaling him to take over. Ray stood up, his square-jawed face drawn tight, and marched straight toward the half-open door without a word.
The nosy neighbors gathered outside saw the tall, stern-faced officer suddenly emerge, and their gossip involuntarily died down. Mrs. Walsh was too engrossed in her tirade to notice the commotion behind her.
Ray stood at the door with a grim expression. His uniform and natural air of authority made the entire crowd of onlookers subconsciously take a step back, hardly daring to breathe. His gaze swept over everyone’s faces before pinning down the still-yapping Mrs. Walsh like a nail.
"The police are conducting an investigation. Unauthorized personnel will keep quiet!"
Ray’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a tremendous weight. Mrs. Walsh instantly snapped her mouth shut.
Ray turned sideways and pointed to the equally bewildered Wendy inside the apartment. Then, he explained to the neighbors in the hallway, "Ms. Wendy Lynch is not a suspect!"
Mrs. Walsh’s triumphant smile froze on her face. The other neighbors exchanged confused glances.
Before they could react, Ray continued. "The reason we are here is that Ms. Lynch has discovered a crucial clue in a major case.
"Therefore, she is not a suspect. On the contrary, she is an outstanding citizen cooperating with the police!"
The entire hallway descended into pin-drop silence. Everyone’s expressions froze. As they looked at Wendy, the suspicion, disdain, and schadenfreude in their eyes transformed into utter shock and disbelief within mere seconds.
Outstanding citizen? Major case? What... what was going on?
Ray’s gaze shifted to the increasingly uneasy Mrs. Walsh. His tone suddenly sharpened.
"Ma’am, your public clamoring, spreading of false rumors, and malicious defamation of a meritorious citizen during an active police investigation constitute suspected slander and obstruction of official duties," he declared.
"However, considering this is your first offense, I am letting you off with a verbal warning!
"If there is a next time, I’ll have to ask you to come down to the station for a proper chat with us!"
All the color drained from Mrs. Walsh’s face at Ray’s warning. The surrounding neighbors finally snapped out of their daze.
"Oh my, what a busybody! We almost wrongfully accused a good person!"
"Exactly! I’d heard that this Mrs. Walsh was always stirring the pot, but I never expected it to be this bad!"
"Look at how smug she was just a moment ago. What a disgrace. Thank goodness the officer cleared things up."
"We should stay far away from her. She’s got such a loose tongue. Who knows when she’ll start spreading rumors about us..."
Every pointed remark and scornful whisper acted like countless invisible needles piercing viciously into Mrs. Walsh. Her pale face quickly flushed an ugly shade of plum.
Under the disdainful glares of the crowd, she couldn’t bear to stay a second longer. Pushing her way through the onlookers, she scrambled away from the scene as fast as her legs could carry her, looking like an absolute wreck.
Watching Mrs. Walsh flee in humiliation, Lana and Gordon finally felt the knot of vile frustration in their chests unravel.
Ray closed the door, cutting off the gossip outside. He walked back to Wendy, his stern expression softening instantly. "Ms. Lynch, I’m sorry you and your family had to suffer such indignity."
"No, no, thank you so much, Officer!" Lana said excitedly, wiping her tears away. "If it weren’t for you, our reputation would be muddied worse than the Ochre River!"
Ray waved it off and turned his attention back to business. "Ms. Lynch, for the sake of the investigation, we need to inspect the scene immediately."
His proposal was exactly what Wendy wanted. She nodded in agreement. "Of course, no problem. I’ll take you there."
The group headed downstairs. This time, Wendy and her parents walked alongside Ray, followed closely by several officers. The entire procession looked as though they were escorting VIPs.
The lingering neighbors downstairs almost watched their eyes pop out of their sockets at the sight. Whispers broke out again, but the tone had shifted completely.
"Looking at this setup, Old Lynch’s must have done something incredibly heroic!"
"Right? I’ve always said Wendy was a bright girl!"
The storefront at the neighborhood entrance was now cordoned off with yellow police tape, projecting an air of solemnity. Several technicians in white hazmat suits were busy inside. Wearing gloves and shoe covers, they wielded various specialized tools, meticulously scouring every corner for the slightest clues.
Witnessing a scene they had only ever seen on television, Lana and Gordon’s hearts leapt into their throats. They subconsciously gripped each other’s hands tight.
Wendy, however, appeared incredibly calm. She pointed to the deepest corner of the shop and recounted to Ray.
"Officer Campbell, it’s right there," she said. "Yesterday, my family came to clean the place and threw out most of the garbage.
"This morning, I woke up early and figured I’d clear the cobwebs from the ceiling, so I brought a broom." She pointed to the broom leaning against the wall. "I used the broom... I got curious, so I dragged over the barstool left behind from yesterday and stepped on it to take a look..."
Her narration was clear and fluent, every detail matching the layout of the crime scene perfectly.