Ethan Taylor looked at Chris Brooks again. “You were here last night too, weren’t you?” he said, pointing at the rubber shoes on Chris Brooks’s feet. “It snowed a little last night, and it’s really muddy outside. If you had come to Ms. Moore’s house this morning, your shoes would be perfectly clean, without a speck of mud, right?”

Chris Brooks and Lillian Moore both stared at Ethan Taylor in terror, unable to utter a single word.

Ethan Taylor sighed. “Forget it, if you won’t talk, then I’ll just do things by the book! I’ll call the forensic doctor right now to run some tests and see if your relationship is really as innocent as you claim!” He pointed at the bedding on the kang. “Do you know? There’s a kind of technology called DNA testing. Even semen stains from half a month ago can be detected clearly. Chris Brooks, do you know what a semen stain is?”

Ignoring the two people who were frozen like statues, Ethan Taylor continued on his own, “A semen stain is the secretion left behind when you satisfy your desires. Even if you think the sheets and bedding have been washed spotlessly clean, there will still be some traces left behind. And I doubt Ms. Moore uses special antibacterial detergent when she washes the sheets, right?”

Hearing Ethan Taylor talk so openly about things like “semen stains,” Emma Brooks’s face flushed bright red. She quickly turned her head away, but couldn’t help pricking up her ears to catch every word Ethan Taylor said.

“Now, forensic testing includes DNA analysis, which can identify a person from a semen stain. Chris Brooks, as long as we analyze your saliva, we’ll know if the semen stain on the sheets is yours. There’s no way you’ll be wronged.”

“Actually, adultery isn’t a crime, but if you falsely accuse the government or the police, do you know what kind of crime that is?”

Ethan Taylor’s gaze swept back and forth between the two, and finally he said slowly, “Speak up. I want to hear the truth. What really happened that day? William Thompson committed suicide, but why did he do it? What about the wounds on his body?”

In the laws of 1991, the Western concept of presumption of innocence for suspects was virtually unheard of. If it was really proven that Chris Brooks and Lillian Moore had committed adultery, then they would definitely be implicated in William Thompson’s death, especially since Chris Brooks had no alibi that night.

Of course, Ethan Taylor understood this crucial point, so he added more pressure, saying slowly, “If you don’t talk now, then I’ll handle this officially and call in the city’s forensic doctor for DNA testing. By then, even the official cause of William Thompson’s death might be overturned.”

Suddenly, Chris Brooks slid off his chair and fell to his knees in front of Ethan Taylor, sobbing, “Please… Mr. Taylor, I’ll talk… I’ll talk, it’s all my fault… it has nothing to do with Lillian…” With snot and tears streaming down his face, it was clear his nerves had completely collapsed.

Lillian Moore gently patted Chris Brooks’s shoulder, her eyes now openly filled with tenderness. “Chris, don’t say any more! It’s not your fault to begin with. Let’s just tell the truth.” She turned to Ethan Taylor and said slowly, “William Thompson died because of me. That day, he was suddenly released from the police station and discovered what was going on between me and Chris. After fighting with Chris, he… he… That day, it was also snowing lightly. I… I thought he was still in detention, so… it was… it was my fault he died…” Lillian Moore turned her face toward the window, a trace of sorrow on her face. Maybe every family has its own story. The story between her and Chris Brooks, and with William Thompson, was far from as simple as she made it sound, but none of that mattered anymore. Hearing her words, Ethan Taylor finally felt a huge weight lift from his heart, and he slowly leaned back in his chair.

“Let’s wait outside and give them a moment to calm down.” Ethan Taylor pulled the dazed Emma Brooks outside. Looking up at the drifting clouds in the blue sky, Ethan Taylor let out a long, stifled breath, as if all the frustration that had been weighing on his heart was exhaled along with it.

It was a long time before Emma Brooks snapped out of it, exclaiming in surprise, “Mr. Taylor, you’re amazing! You’re so good at solving cases too.”

Ethan Taylor couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the look of admiration in Emma Brooks’s beautiful big eyes. His godmother looking at him with such admiration—what a joke! Ethan Taylor had just started to feel a little proud, but immediately felt a chill run down his spine. This feeling was just too weird. After all, it was always his godmother he admired, not the other way around!

“Uh… Little Brooks… go to the village committee and call the town, have them send Daniel Brooks over. Let him handle the case.”

Emma Brooks readily agreed. It seemed the little girl was now completely in awe of him. Before leaving, Emma Brooks couldn’t help but stammer, “Mr. Taylor… what’s that DNA testing you talked about?” Her pretty face was tinged with a faint blush, as if she was embarrassed by her “ignorance,” but her curiosity got the better of her.

Ethan Taylor laughed, “It’s nothing special, you don’t need to know.” In fact, Ethan Taylor himself didn’t know how developed DNA technology was in China in 1991. He doubted it was advanced enough to accurately test for things like semen stains. What he said was just a bluff. If even Emma Brooks didn’t really understand it, how could villagers like Chris Brooks and Lillian Moore possibly know?

“So smug!” Emma Brooks thought indignantly, muttering under her breath as she left, which made Ethan Taylor smile even more. Her girlish attitude was truly a novel experience for Ethan Taylor.

Chapter Four: First Encounter