Chapter 103

Randy and Jackson arrived at the same time, but Randy didn't appear immediately.

Jackson brought three colleagues with him, along with his new Black sheriff.

The two cars stopped at the back door of the supermarket, and Beverly emerged from a corner.

"Beverly, you look stunning today."

Jackson greeted her with a smile, but Beverly completely ignored him. She knew Jackson was unreliable, so she directly addressed the Black sheriff.

"I was the one who called the police, just now..."

She explained what she had seen and heard earlier when she came to the supermarket.

"I suspect it's the missing little girl."

Sheriff Brooks frowned upon hearing this. "This could be a tricky situation."

Jackson chimed in, "Yeah, we just sprayed insecticide. The smell probably hasn't cleared yet. Should we wait a bit longer before going in to check?"

His colleagues glanced at him with exasperation, but no one responded.

Sheriff Brooks patiently explained, "Miss Beverly, we can't suspect a law-abiding citizen just based on your word."

"My word?"

Beverly frowned. "Didn't you hear the little girl crying for help?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Beverly knocked hard on the back door, and immediately, a muffled sob from the basement was heard again. Beverly heard it clearly, but the other officers continued to frown, claiming they heard nothing.

Sheriff Brooks suggested, "How about this? I'll contact John first and have him come over, then we can all go inside and take a look."

Beverly said seriously, "That will only alert the suspect. I swear I heard something inside."

"Sorry, we can't search without a warrant. We'll contact John, and we can go in with him."

Sheriff Brooks spread his hands, clearly not willing to take responsibility.

"Alright, I understand. Follow me."

Beverly didn't press them further and led them to the front door.

Then, in front of them, Beverly took out a key and unlocked the supermarket door. Under the puzzled stares of the officers, she went straight inside.

"I could be stealing from the supermarket right now. Don't you have the authority to stop me? To prevent illegal activity from happening?"

"How can you do this? Beverly, she's just joking," Jackson quickly interrupted.

But Sheriff Brooks understood Beverly's intent. It was indeed a good plan.

"Alright, ma'am. My body camera will record everything. If you do anything extreme, we will take appropriate measures."

The sheriff waved his hand, and a few officers followed Beverly into the supermarket.

Beverly turned on the lights. The store was messy, and the shelves hadn't been tended to in a long time. Beverly's target was clear—the storage room in the back.

She walked ahead.

"Remember, you can't shoot unless I break the law."

Brooks played along, "Don't worry, we know the rules. No items will go missing from the supermarket, right, team?"

"Exactly," they agreed. "We're all professional officers!"

Jackson and the others drew their guns, aiming at the sheriff's vital spots.

"We won't let any evil criminals, thieves, robbers, or smugglers steal anything!"

"Good job, boys," the sheriff praised. But when he turned around and saw the guns pointed at him, he broke out in a cold sweat.

"What are you doing? Why are you aiming your guns at me?"

One officer asked curiously, "Huh? Weren't we told to be cautious of criminals stealing goods?"

The sheriff was furious and knocked the guns down. "Am I a criminal? I'm the sheriff! She's the one who unlocked the door. She's the one most likely to be a thief!"

Jackson grumbled, "Come on, Beverly's skin is so fair. How could she be a thief?"

The sheriff pointed at Jackson, "Do you want a vacation?"

Jackson asked, "Administrative leave?"

The other two officers also seemed eager.

"Damn it."

Just as the group was about to argue, Beverly had already opened the door to the storage room.

"How long are you all going to argue? Come here and listen carefully."

They quickly rushed forward and, sure enough, heard faint cries for help. It was the kind of muffled sound that comes from someone having their mouth covered, only able to make a humming noise from their throat.

This immediately made everyone alert.

If the missing little girl was really down there, the dark cloud hanging over Derry would finally be lifted!

"Come down with me."

Beverly grabbed a stick from nearby and led the way, while the armed officers nervously followed.

As they descended further, the cries for help grew louder, until they reached a door that had been locked with a heavy padlock.

The officers were sweating nervously.

"This door wasn't locked before," Beverly commented. She inserted the stick into the lock and twisted it hard, breaking it open. The others gasped in surprise.

When the door opened, the scene inside was shocking.

A little girl with a birthmark on her face was tied to a chair, bound to a post, with chains around her neck. Her mouth was covered with tape, and her body was covered in bruises. Her terrified expression and desperate struggle were heart-wrenching.

"Oh my God! This is horrific!" Sheriff Brooks was stunned. He glanced around at the room's walls, stacked with goods, but also containing an open wooden crate filled with bizarre instruments—whips, candles, needles, and other grim tools.

Beverly entered the room, quickly surveying the surroundings. On a nearby table was a laptop still warm to the touch. She opened it to find it on a standby screen, but without a password, she couldn't access the contents.

This suggested that John had been here recently and had left in a hurry, not even shutting down the computer.

Beverly also noticed crumpled papers in the trash bin under the table.

Feeling disgusted, she called the officers, "Come check this out. These paper balls might be evidence."

The officers rushed forward to collect them.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Brooks pulled out his radio to call for backup. "Suspected culprit in the town's missing children case discovered! Requesting backup now! The address is John's Supermarket on ** Street! We've found the missing girl, Vicky! Send an ambulance, too. The girl needs medical attention!"

Beverly reminded him, "Make sure to send officers to John's house for his arrest. I know his address."

"Got it! Dispatch officers to the address immediately. Detain the suspect! If he tries to flee or resist, shoot him on sight. This bastard is a monster!"

Sheriff Brooks, a father himself, clenched his teeth in anger. The recent events in the town had weighed heavily on him, both at work and at home. Seeing a suspect involved in crimes against children fueled his desire for justice.

Prison inmates would have no mercy for such a criminal!

Beyond his anger, Brooks couldn't help but admire Beverly.

"Ma'am, you're the most courageous and clever person I've ever met!"

"It doesn't matter. Just get this child's parents here as soon as possible."