The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 88

She waved her hand, refusing the coffee. "It'll keep me up," she said.

Nathan nodded and, without missing a beat, took a sip of the coffee himself.

"You think something's wrong with these kids?"

Seeing how smoothly he changed the subject, Nora pushed down her own feelings and said softly, "Yes, something feels off."

"How so?"

Nora said, "Considering Chloe's family situation, her personality was likely not very outgoing."

"I'd picture her as a quiet, introverted girl, maybe even with some social anxiety."

"The autopsy findings support this."

Chloe's posture wasn't very good; she had visibly rounded shoulders.

She probably walked around with a hunched back, always looking down.

How could someone who was afraid to even make eye contact with others hang out with this alternative crowd?

"Isn't it possible her personality changed after she started working at the factory and hanging out with them?" an officer asked, rubbing his chin.

When he saw both Nora and Nathan turn to look at him, he realized what he'd said and waved his hands awkwardly. "Dr. Hayes, I'm not questioning you. It was just a random thought."

Seeing his panicked expression, Nora offered a small smile. "It's fine. We're just brainstorming. I'm not necessarily right."

Nora rarely participated in case analysis before. She was usually too busy with autopsies, and most cases were straightforward; her findings would often lead directly to a resolution.

Since being transferred to the special task force, she'd had more opportunities to get involved in cases.

Thinking back, Nora realized it was usually Nathan who initiated these discussions.

"Chloe was always planning to go back to school. I believe she had a strong will. Someone like that isn't easily influenced. In fact, if we look at her life experiences, we can infer a lot. Her family's financial situation was poor, and things only got worse after her father brought home a stepmother. Yet, Chloe was willing to endure the abuse just to continue her education. That tells us this girl knew where her future lay."

"Someone like that is unlikely to abandon her principles."

"So I don't think these kids were Chloe's close friends, or friends she could confide in at all."

"At the very least, they shouldn't have known she had money."

Just as Nora finished speaking, one of the teens in an interrogation room suddenly lost his temper.

"I already told you I don't know where she went! What do you cops want?"

"How would I know if she had money? She was like a ghost, never talked to anyone!"

His words confirmed Nora's theory. An idea flashed in her mind, and she suddenly grabbed Nathan's arm. "Who said these kids were Chloe's friends?"