Chapter 92

"Although most of the children here are controlled by them, they also select a few obedient ones to manage and supervise the others. Before adopting the little girl, a boy ran to Sand Village. Guess who that boy was?"

"Douglas."

I blurted out. It was the first time I had heard this name today. But hearing Ronald say this, it became clear that some of the children, sharing the same fate, must have betrayed their original companions and sided with the organization for a better living environment or simply to survive, even if it meant harming other children in the same situation.

"Very good. Zoey mentioned that you worked at the prosecutor's office and that you were mentored by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Leonard. I believe it now. You are indeed outstanding among the police."

Ronald looked at me with admiration. "That's right. The one who betrayed his companions and sided with the enemy was Douglas. He received orders to secretly investigate Sand Village but got exposed."

"He saw Alan," I sighed.

"Yes, George's actions were completely exposed. The organization, fearing their secrets would be leaked, came up with a plan. George wanted to adopt another girl, so they sent one to him at a very low price."

"So, the little girl was an undercover sent by them to silence George, which led to the later incident where George was lured to the old steel mill and killed?"

I felt a chill. That little girl was only a few years old, yet she had such profound thoughts to deceive a man in his thirties. What kind of ideas were being instilled in children there, leading them to commit such heinous acts?

Even more terrifying, she succeeded.

"It wasn't deception. George mentioned to me that the little girl seemed fake. He recognized it at the first glance. I told him his safety was the most important and to send the girl back and halt the investigation."

Ronald looked somber. "But he said it wasn't her fault that she was controlled at such a young age. He didn't want to see her life ruined, even if it meant risking his own life to save her."

"A big fire, and overnight, everything disappeared. George died, the organization vanished, and the children fled. I was busy contacting welfare institutions to find them a place to stay. But no matter how much I asked, they refused to say who those people were or what they looked like."

Even in the face of danger, they never gave up on saving others.

George was like that, and so was Alan. Perhaps it was because of their similar nature that brought them together in Sand Village, leading to the stories that followed.

As I pondered, I suddenly wondered how Ronald knew the little girl was a trap.

The story I heard was that the girl died in the fire with George. If she was part of a plan, why would she put herself in danger?

I remembered that when I first visited Tammy's house, there was only a photo of George on the TV, not the little girl.

Most importantly, Tammy mentioned she had only two children, implying she disregarded the adopted girl. After all, she was an adopted child, so they had a parental relationship in the name. If the girl had died, why wasn't her photo next to George's memorial?

There was only one possibility, Tammy later learned the truth, and the girl didn't die.

Considering Tammy and Tony's involvement, a terrifying thought emerged in my mind.

The girl they adopted might have been Laura.

If so, the children who grew up together would harbor resentment upon discovering a traitor among them.

Tom, Tammy, and Tony's hatred for Laura would be understandable-it was a deep-seated grudge for killing their father and husband.

"Have you seen the adopted girl?"

If Ronald had seen her, it couldn't be Laura.

"No, she was there for less than half a month before the incident."

"Have you seen Laura? What is she like?"

"Yes," Ronald nodded. "A girl who cried a lot, very pretty. Her parents were from the countryside. After she was born, they had a son a few years later. They couldn't afford to raise two children, so they sold Laura when she was four. She was sold a few more times before ending up with the organization."

Ronald paused, realizing something. "Are you saying the girl George adopted was Laura?"

I nodded. "It's just a hypothesis, but it would explain why these people are targeting her."

"The logic fits, but it might be like drawing a target around an arrow."

Ronald thought carefully. "If the girl was Laura and she stayed in Sand Village for over half a month, Alan and Tom would have recognized her. And if Laura was the one who killed George, why wait over twenty years to act?"

That's true. Laura was close to Alan, Frank, Mike, and Bob in college. If she was the adopted girl, how could they have had such a good relationship?

But there were inconsistencies. Ronald's description of Laura as a child didn't match her current persona.

The Laura I knew was arrogant, and self-centered. According to Frank, she was even more ruthless in her pursuit of fame and fortune, willing to do anything and resorting to all sorts of wickedness.

It didn't align with the image of a crying little girl.

There was another thing I couldn't understand. The only reason Ronald could know the truth about this matter is that he has an informant within that organization.

There's only one possibility that his informant is not just a buyer, but also someone inside the organization.

"So you have an informant who told you the truth. This person isn't from Sand Village but from within the organization and knows the children well, right?"

"Yes. If that person were still around, the children's grudges would be clear, and we might know who the adopted girl was."

"What do you mean? Is he no longer around?"

I felt a pang of disappointment. Why was I always a step behind?

"No. He fell ill a few years ago and can't speak now. He's being cared for by one of the children he once helped. What's his name..."

"Right, Bob."