Melody Summers also spoke in a low voice, "The child’s room is the same. The clothes, shoes, and books are all still there. The smartwatch and tablet were also left on the bed..."

Melody Summers thought for a moment, then lowered her voice to add, "It looks like someone just made meat stew in the kitchen. But I couldn’t find any other ingredients or supplies, and his refrigerator has been without power for a long time..."

Officer Tate’s expression grew solemn upon hearing this. No other supplies, yet he could afford to eat meat stew—it just didn’t add up.

After all, the price of meat was now a hundred times that of rice and flour. Food prices had been skyrocketing. If Lance Schultz had enough money for meat, why wouldn’t he stock up on staples at home?

Besides, Lance Schultz’s behavior in the hallway just now had been far too strange...

He kept insisting his wife and child had run off, but he couldn’t even give a rough estimate of when they left.

All these suspicious details added up, forcing Officer Tate to consider the worst-case scenario...

The three of them exchanged a look and walked back to the living room. Lance Schultz was still wearing a perfectly composed expression.

Seeing Melody Summers and the others return, Lance Schultz even let out a small laugh. "Finished already?" he asked. "Find what you were looking for? If not, feel free to keep looking. I’m in no hurry."

Looking at Lance Schultz’s slightly provocative expression, Officer Tate asked, "Lance Schultz, when exactly did your wife and child leave? You must know the approximate time. I need you to cooperate with us and try to remember."

Lance Schultz snorted. "Officer, how many times do I have to tell you? I really don’t remember! Look around you, it’s been dark for almost half a year. I’ve been in a daze this whole time. I really can’t recall when she left."

Lance Schultz rubbed his nose and said sarcastically, "What, is it a crime not to remember? Which law says I have to memorize the time my wife leaves the house?"

Seeing Lance Schultz’s brazen defiance, Officer Tate frowned and asked in a low voice, "Then... where did you buy the meat you ate today? Can you show us the purchase record?"

Lance Schultz’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the question. He nonchalantly glanced at the handgun on Officer Tate’s hip, pursed his lips, and answered, "I bought it from the black market a couple of days ago. I traded a gold necklace for a piece of pork. It was barter, so there’s no purchase record!"

Then he glanced at Officer Tate again and said in an exaggerated tone, "No way, Officer. You don’t actually think I killed my wife and kid and ate them, do you? My God, HAHAHAHA! Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been watching too much TV!"

"Even if you suspect me of murder and hiding a body, you need evidence! Didn’t you just search? There’s nothing in my house!"

Officer Tate’s brow furrowed. It was true, he was only guessing. They hadn’t found the bodies of Lance Schultz’s wife and child in the apartment, nor had they discovered any suspicious bloodstains.

He exchanged a glance with Winnie Summers and the others, a sense of helplessness shared between them.

For now, their only option was to go back and have someone check the surveillance footage to see when Lance Schultz’s wife and child were last seen. Since he refused to say when they left, investigating the footage would be a massive undertaking...

As Officer Tate headed for the door, he made a mental note to come back with some Luminol Reagent.

If a murder involving dismemberment had occurred in this apartment, even the tiniest drop of blood—no matter how thoroughly cleaned—would produce a fluorescent reaction with the Luminol Reagent.

Just as they reached the door, a voice suddenly echoed in Melody Summers’s mind—

Host, his wife and child are on the outdoor unit of the air conditioner in the master bedroom! I just saw them!

Melody Summers’s heart leaped. She had no time to ask Albus how he knew. She just spun around, grabbed Officer Tate, leaned in, and whispered in his ear, "Officer Tate, the bodies might be on the outdoor AC unit in the master bedroom!"

Officer Tate froze for a second, then turned and strode toward the master bedroom, throwing open the window—

Seeing this, Lance Schultz’s calm and collected demeanor vanished. Panic flashed across his face as he lunged for the master bedroom.

Melody Summers was ready. She stuck out her leg and tripped Lance Schultz, sending him sprawling to the floor.

The security guard, Grant, reacted quickly too. He was a big, tall man, and he immediately pounced on the fallen Lance Schultz, pulling out his handcuffs and cuffing his arms behind his back.

Lance Schultz had hit his head when he fell. Dazed and now pinned by Grant, he couldn’t catch his breath and passed out.

In the master bedroom, Officer Tate opened the window and looked out. He could only see darkness. The night was black as ink; nothing was visible.

He turned and pulled out the flashlight he carried, shining it toward the outdoor AC unit.

When he saw what was out there, his pupils contracted violently!

A chill shot up his spine. The hair on his body stood on end, and his skin instantly broke out in a dense layer of goosebumps—

In the beam of his flashlight, Officer Tate clearly saw them hanging from the outdoor AC unit. The larger body was missing both legs, leaving only the upper torso.

The smaller body was more intact, missing only one arm.

Both bodies had been disemboweled. They were hanging from the building’s exterior wall like cured hams, swaying in the pitch-black night.

Staring at the two bodies, Officer Tate felt a bone-deep terror, and his stomach churned violently.

Seeing Officer Tate standing frozen by the window, Winnie Summers and the others asked in confusion, "Officer Tate, what’s wrong? Is there something outside the window?"

As they started to walk over, Officer Tate snapped back to reality. He yanked the curtains shut and turned, shouting, "Don’t come over here! Stay back!"

Then, with slightly trembling hands, he pulled out his phone and called the station.

******

After a flurry of activity, three more officers arrived from the station.

They were briefed on the situation and, equipped with body bags, retrieved the remains of Lance Schultz’s wife and child from the AC unit. They placed them in the bags, preparing to transport them for cremation.

Melody Summers and the others had already taken the now-conscious Lance Schultz to the emergency response office, leaving only Officer Tate to stand guard at the scene.

In contrast to Officer Tate’s pale face, the three newly arrived officers seemed accustomed to this kind of scene.

An older officer clapped Officer Tate on the shoulder and said, "You’re new to the force, aren’t you, kid? Your stomach for this stuff isn’t great. You’ll need to toughen up..."

Officer Tate lowered his head, embarrassed. He had only joined the force just before the Cataclysm and had been mentored by Officer Sean Pierce ever since.

Before the Cataclysm, Anworth had been very safe. He had never encountered a murder case this depraved.

’It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen footage of horrific murder cases. He was even a huge fan of crime dramas. But watching it on a screen was nothing compared to the shock of facing it in person!’

The scene just now had been too great a shock for him.

’Even now, when he closed his eyes, all he could see were those two disemboweled bodies, hanging in the dark of night!’

Seeing his state, the old officer sighed again. "In times like these, with famine everywhere... the practice of ’exchanging children to eat’ has existed since ancient times."

"If this Cataclysm doesn’t end, I’m afraid things like this will only happen more often... You’re a police officer. It’s your duty to protect the people. You have to have the mental fortitude to face these things. You’d better get your head straight, and fast."