Chapter 33

Randy patted Beverly on the back.

"I believe you can overcome the darkness, Ms. Beverly."

"Thank you for your encouragement."

Both of them had shared similar experiences recently, losing loved ones and being left alone, so Beverly's gratitude was especially sincere this time.

At this moment, Jackson realized he had spoken inappropriately.

"Sorry, Randy. I accidentally spoke the truth; I tend to be straightforward."

"Heh."

Randy chuckled coldly, unwilling to engage further with Jackson, uncertain what nonsense he might come up with next.

Jackson, seeking to fill the silence, suggested, "Beverly, would you like to see the vehicle they've pulled up? You could even take a photo of it. It might be meaningful as a keepsake."

But Beverly was already done listening to him.

"Randy, my address is 14 Lantern Bridge Street. I plan to sort through Carl's belongings. You can come by later and pick out a few things as a memento of our friendship."

In America, it is customary to pass on the belongings of the deceased to their relatives and friends as a form of companionship.

Randy nodded. "I will."

"Alright."

Then, with a look of regret on Jackson's face, Beverly turned and left.

As she passed by Robert's and Billy's families, she paused to coldly look at them.

Mrs. Smith was still threatening, "Prepare to be sued and bankrupt! We're getting the best lawyer!"

But Beverly ignored her, gave one last glance at the car that had been retrieved, and walked away.

Jackson watched her retreating figure and murmured, "She's really something, isn't she?"

It was clear he was quite interested in Beverly.

"While she's grieving, I'll approach her to offer comfort and warmth. She'll definitely be moved by me, right?"

"...Of course."

Jackson truly lacked emotional intelligence; the woman had just lost her son, and he was trying to make advances?

Randy casually asked, "Do you know Ms. Beverly and Mr. Mike well?"

Jackson, who was quite open with information, would answer almost anything asked.

"Well, although Mike dropped out of school a long time ago, he and Beverly were childhood friends. They belong to the same generation. I heard from Officer Mike that they were very close friends and had once overcome a terrible foe together."

"?"

Although Randy had already suspected, he was still somewhat surprised to learn the truth. The plot had indeed taken a turn.

Beverly.

No wonder the name sounded increasingly familiar; she was one of the seven who defeated the clown.

It was just a movie, and for Randy, the memory was distant, so he only remembered a few main characters' names.

Seeing Beverly with her orange hair, he had already started to doubt.

According to the movie's plot, except for Mike, who remained in the town, the others should have long moved on to the big city.

However, given how many movies have blended into one universe, unexpected occurrences were possible.

Speaking of Beverly, she was indeed the core of this small group, having saved the almost broken team several times.

It seemed there was still much to be done.

Randy and Jackson chatted casually while keeping an eye on the salvage operation at sea. Unfortunately, the salvage team was just going through the motions and became lazy after drifting at sea for a while.

"We've done our best, but we really can't find the children. We're very sorry about that."

Jackson also came forward to express condolences, leaving the final decision to the three families, whether to declare the victims dead or missing.

However, while they were talking, Jackson received a call and went off to one side. When he returned, his expression was much more serious, and after some back-and-forth with the two families, he came over to bid farewell to Randy.

"Sorry, Randy, I have to leave now. Something came up. It's really bad; there are not enough officers in this small town!"

"What happened? Is it related to the clown from the legends?"

Seeing Jackson's surprised expression, Randy explained, "I heard about this legend from classmates back in school."

"It's not about any clown; those are just scare tactics for kids. I never saw any clown killings when I was young."

Jackson, being a bit younger than Beverly, had never encountered the clown during his school days, so he considered it mere urban legend.

Randy continued to ask curiously, "So what happened?"

"This… I can't tell you."

Jackson's face was conflicted; he seemed to be a natural gossip, struggling to keep secrets, so he leaned in to whisper to Randy.

"I'll satisfy your curiosity. Anyway, you'll hear it from other officers in a couple of days.

Actually, there's been another murder in West City. It's already the fifth one this month. Another family was gruesomely killed at home. There were no signs of forced entry, and no fingerprints or footprints of the perpetrator were found."

"So terrifying?"

"Of course. The first murder in West City was one I took over. The scene was unbearable. The neighbors heard gunshots in the middle of the night and called the police. The first to die was a child in the house, and then the parents, who seemed to be prepared, had taken up arms and fired several shots, but they were all missed. There were no signs of a struggle; they just died in an inexplicable manner."

Jackson frowned, "The neighbor said that after hearing the gunshots, they kept watching the house, but no one left the house until the police arrived, so I suspect…"

"You suspect there's a supernatural element?"

Jackson said solemnly, "No, I suspect it's an African-American murderer. Assuming the killer is African-American, you know their racial traits; it's hard to spot them at night."

Indeed, a hidden racist undertone.

Randy was too lazy to continue the conversation, "You'd better get back to work. Until the killer is caught, us law-abiding town folks can't feel at ease."

Jackson patted his chest, "Yes! For the peace of Delray!"

Then he got up and left.

"What a subpar officer, but he does provide useful information."

Randy thought the murder in West City might not be the work of the clown; after all, the clown preyed on the weak and rarely targeted adults, and his illusions seemed to only affect children.

Jackson left, and with no more entertainment to be had, Randy didn't want to listen to the wailing of these two families. He decided to continue his ride along the coast, heading towards the cliff, waiting for the lotus to officially mature.