All three victims were killed last summer and early autumn—in other words, precisely when the boiler room was operating normally.

Today, Master Miller's behavior was also very strange. Even though the three of them had just stayed for more than two hours and there wasn't another soul in sight, he insisted that people were always coming to the boiler room.

Of course, maybe Master Miller was just acting out of pride, especially after hearing that unintentionally hurtful remark from Brian Howard. Out of self-respect, he lied and said that many people came to his boiler room, just to show that “this is a place where normal people hang out.”

This subtle mindset was something Eric Carter had come to understand after experiencing the many facets of life over two lifetimes. If it had been before his rebirth, Eric Carter would never have been able to grasp it.

But what if it wasn’t just pride at play? Master Miller had every opportunity to turn the boiler room into his crime haven. There was so much clutter in the boiler room that hiding a body or two wouldn’t be a problem, and at night, dismembering and moving them out would be even easier.

Moreover, Master Miller also seemed to be suffering from some kind of mental distress.

As Eric Carter thought about this, he said to Brian Howard, “Jianjun, later help me look into this Master Miller.”

Brian Howard was in the middle of bickering with Scott Dawson about Master Miller. Actually, he wasn’t as childish as Scott Dawson; in fact, he liked Scott Dawson and just enjoyed bantering with him.

Eric Carter said helplessly, “Are you two a pair of quarrelsome friends? If you were a man and a woman, I’d say you’re a perfect match.”

Brian Howard grinned mischievously, but then asked in surprise, “You suspect that old man?”

Eric Carter replied, “Just checking, that’s all.” He glanced at his watch—it was past twelve. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

In the past two years, private restaurants and snack bars had sprung up all over the county like mushrooms after the rain. The ice cream factory was next to No. 1 High School, and right across from the school gate, there was a small snack bar with no signboard, just selling steamed dumplings.

There weren’t many people in the little shop. The three of them sat by the window, ordered three baskets of steamed dumplings, and ate them with vinegar. The cabbage filling barely had any meat, but the dumplings were steaming hot and actually quite tasty.

At another table sat a young man and woman, both in their twenties. The man wore a jacket and looked gentle, while the woman was dressed in the latest popular beige women’s suit and trousers in Wushan—fair-skinned and quite pretty. Just by looking at their outfits, it was clear they not only worked in the county but had also seen the world and lived in big cities.

The girl kept glancing at Eric Carter. When she saw the three of them finish eating and get up to pay, she suddenly stood up, hesitated, and tentatively called out to Eric Carter, “Comrade, you, you’re Eric Carter, right?”

Eric Carter was taken aback, looked at the girl a few times, but didn’t recognize her.

Brian Howard grinned mischievously. He had never seen Eric Carter interact with young women and was genuinely curious how this usually stern, scolding “black-faced judge” would deal with a girl.

By now, the girl was sure she’d found the right person. She ran over happily and said, “Brother Zheng, I’m Amy Lewis! You really don’t recognize me?”

As she spoke, she brushed the bangs from her forehead and cupped her face in her hands for Eric Carter to see, making her look even cuter.

“Little chubby?” Eric Carter exclaimed, looking closely. Gradually, he remembered who she was—his childhood playmate from Nanying. When he ran away from his adoptive parents’ home, she was still a little chubby girl with a runny nose. He hadn’t expected that after a few years, she’d grown up to be quite attractive and surely accomplished.

“What are you saying!” Hearing Eric Carter call her by her childhood nickname, Amy Lewis pouted, her face turning slightly red. But the joy of reunion quickly washed away her embarrassment, and she hurriedly asked, “Brother Zheng, when did you come back? Uncle and Aunt weren’t very forthcoming. I went back to Nanying for the New Year this year, and they were there too, but they never mentioned you’d returned to Guangning.” She added, “Brother Zheng, I recognized you at a glance—you haven’t changed much.”

Eric Carter had a youthful face, just a bit more mature than in his teens, so it was easy for old friends to recognize him.

The “uncle and aunt” Amy Lewis mentioned were Eric Carter’s adoptive parents, George Carter and Linda Mason.

Eric Carter smiled, not quite sure how to explain. But from Amy Lewis’s words, it sounded like his adoptive parents were no longer in Nanying. He couldn’t help but ask, “Where did Aunt Cuihong and Uncle move to?” When George Carter and Linda Mason adopted him, he was already eight and quite sensible. Linda Mason and his late adoptive mother had been best friends and like sisters, so he always called them by their old titles. In his heart, though, he called George Carter by name, because unlike Linda Mason, who cared for him out of sisterly affection, George Carter treated Eric Carter terribly, beating and scolding him. He only agreed to adopt Eric Carter to have another laborer.

Amy Lewis sighed, “You still haven’t changed how you address them.” Then she paused, realizing something, and said, “You haven’t found Uncle and Aunt, have you? You don’t even know where they live now?”

Eric Carter now realized that his pre-rebirth self in his twenties had been a bit much. After all, Aunt Cuihong had been good to him, just not in charge at home. He mumbled, “I just got back, so…”

“Oh, I see,” Amy Lewis said. “Your family’s doing better now—they’ve moved to the city. Two years ago, Uncle brought Aunt out and found her a job. She works at the fertilizer factory’s kindergarten.”