Chapter 331
Tinley listened again to what the witness, who had been caught stealing, said at the Holmes residence and discovered something important.
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When the witness was questioned to get a detailed description of the person’s appearance, he mentioned it more than once.
“I don’t remember what he looked like. He was shining a flashlight in my face, and the light was blinding me. I just remember he was dressed in rags, like a beggar.”
Therefore, the man was in a bad financial situation, so the so–called miracle medicine was probably his way of staying alive.
The person was afraid the medicine’s effects would attract unwanted attention, so he only made one batch a year and stopped when it was sold out.
The money the person got from selling the medicine was used to cover his expenses until all the money was spent. He would make medicine again and sell it only when he ran out of money and his survival was threatened.
That explained why there was no fixed time for the person to sell the medicine.
It was not that the person was being capricious. It was that he was acting according to his financial situation.
After Tinley presented her conjecture to Richard, Richard thoughtfully nodded and spoke in agreement, “That’s very likely the case.”
Based on those inferences, they were already able to analyze a lot of useful information.
“Money may just be a means to an end for him. Perhaps he doesn’t care much about money or material possessions. Maybe he lives in seclusion in a town to pursue spiritual peace and fulfillment,” said Richard.
If the person had cared about money, he would not have let go of the necklace he had seen on Yvonne.
He could easily sell his miracle medicine in a much bigger place and make a lot more money than he did selling it to people in the town. He could make dozens of times more.
However, he chose to sell it at an affordable price to some dying old people and those who were suffering from illness…
He probably didn’t make much money each time he came out.
Richard added, “One more thing. Before this, none of us had ever heard of Miracle Medicine, which means he keeps a low profile, and the reach of his activities is limited. It tells us that he’s good at hiding and that he may change his address regularly.”
It was easy to understand. If a particularly skilled doctor appeared in a small town, over time, people would spread the word, and his fame would quickly grow.
When a child in a family was ill, their relatives who knew the doctor would advise the parent, saying, “There is an old traditional doctor who lives in a town. He is good at treating diseases. You should take your child to see him on Sunday.”
If that continued, more and more people would know the doctor, and so would those who come to him for treatment.
Therefore, only by changing his address frequently can the doctor avoid attracting too much attention.
As for the last place he stayed, after three to five years, the locals almost forgot about it. Even if someone mentioned it, they only sighed.
After Richard finished speaking, Tinley picked up her phone that was placed aside and texted Adrien.
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Clearwater Town was located in the south. Even though it was December, the sun was shining brightly there, and there was no sign of winter.
The air conditioner was still on in the car.
The man standing by the road was saying something to the person on the other end of the phone. His eyes were searching left and right across the road.
Suddenly, as if he had spotted his target, his eyes lit up slightly, and he asked on the phone, “Is it a Land Rover?”
Perhaps it was because he had received a favorable answer, so he informed the other party, “I saw Mr. Holmes. I’ll go up now.” Then, he hung up the phone and hurried toward the car.
He opened the car door, and the sweltering heat from outside rushed in along with it.
He heard Adrien before he saw him.
“Any leads?” asked Adrien.
The man closed the car door and said with a very respectful attitude, “Mr. Holmes, our men have been searching for days before your arrival, but there’s no trace of him. If it were not for the medicine he left behind and a few eyewitnesses, we’d think he was a phantom.”
There were four people in the car. Excluding the one addressed as “Mr. Holmes,” the other three quickly chimed in agreement.
“The guy is too good at hiding. We never met anyone like him.”
“Indeed. His counter–surveillance skills are top–notch. He’s a seasoned pro.”
As they spoke, someone’s phone chimed with a new WhatsApp message notification.
The man in the passenger seat turned his gaze toward the phone placed in front. He raised his hand, and all conversation in the car ceased instantly, leaving a profound silence.
He stared at the message on the phone for a few seconds, then turned off the screen and looked up. “I need you to find out how much medicine he sells each time he appears and compile a list of all the buyers over the past few years.”
The three men received the order and got out of the car one by one to handle the matter.
Only the man was left in the car.
He was still sitting in the passenger seat. After everyone had left, he opened the door and got out, probably wanting to go around to the driver’s seat.
However, he didn’t rush over after getting out of the car. He looked around the area where the car was parked, found a shady spot under a tree, and squatted down. Then he took out a lighter from his pocket and lit it.
It was unknown where he got the cigarette from, but he lit it up like that. The cigarette butt was scarlet red when it was just lit. He bit the cigarette, put away the lighter, and looked around at the surroundings.
It was a small town. A cafe was across the street, and a tobacco and alcohol store was next to it. On its other side was a small fruit stand. They were all self–owned, and the storefront was connected to the residence.
The street was quite wide, with shops and residential buildings lined up on both sides of the street. Few people passed by at
that time.
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About two or three cars and a dozen motorcycles and electric scooters pass by in one minute. Grayish–white dust was kicked up as the wheels rolled over the street.
The town’s station was right next to Adrien, where two weather–beaten buses were parked. It became a station just by stopping at the back street at the north end of the main road.
Adrien narrowed his eyes. White smoke slowly exhaled from his mouth, blurring the contours of his face.
The small place was hard to find.
It was subordinate to an ordinary state, an ordinary city, an ordinary county. Clearwater Town was an ordinary town.
It was neither developed nor backward. It was the hardest to remember.
The sun was at its strongest at that moment. Adrien looked up.
Adrien’s phone had the weather forecast for Strate City. He glanced at it when he got out of the car, and it was already 32 F there.
“If it were back home, it would have been overcast for a week, with a cold wind blowing. How could one still see such a sunny day?‘ thought Adrien.
The cafe across the street was probably the only one in town, and it was packed.
But through the transparent glass door and curtain, Adrien saw a few people ordering bubble tea. Most of them were sitting at the tables in the shop, connected to the wifi, playing games.
They were all young children, about thirteen or fourteen years old. They were making a lot of noise.
Two electric scooters drove over from the south, seemingly about to pass by, but stopped as if attracted by something.
Three boys were riding on an electric scooter. Adrien heard their surprised voices, as if they had discovered something extraordinary.
“Holy crap! Whose Land Rover is parked here?”
“We have such a nice car in this small place?”
“I have to take a picture and post it on Instagram to show off. Whose life is this?“Instagram
“So cool. This car is left on the roadside, and no one wants it. Can I drive it away?”
There were six boys, three of whom had dyed their hair yellow.
After circling the car in surprise, they finally saw the man squatting under a tree in the distance, smoking
They were friendly and asked in a loud voice, “Sir, is this your car?”
“Can we take a picture, sir? We won’t touch your car, just show off. We’ll pixelate your license plate number after we’re done?
Adrien took a drag of his cigarette and made an ‘OK‘ gesture.
Upon seeing Adrien’s gesture, the six boys were as happy as if they had won a lottery, dancing with joy.
“Thank you, sir. You are so handsome!”
“Super handsome, okay? You are the most handsome man I have ever seen!”
Then, they excitedly went over to strike a pose and queued up to take pictures
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Adrien was amused. He turned his head and stared at them for a few seconds.
Adrien became the most handsome person when he allowed those young punks to take pictures of his car.
The boys were chattering over there. It seemed that they later quarreled over who would shoot first and who would shoot later, but Adrien didn’t pay much attention.
He saw the young men who were originally playing games in the café opposite also come out, probably attracted by the brilliance of the car, and came to take pictures.
The group of people was in a hurry. They were so focused on looking at the car that they didn’t notice a man walking toward the station with something in hand, and they bumped into each other.
The boy who bumped into the man opened his mouth and said something, which looked like an apology.
The man carrying the bag didn’t look up and continued walking toward the station.
The group of boys also carelessly crossed the road.
They knew it was Adrien’s car, so they all approached him.
“Sir, can I take a photo with your car?”
“Sir, I also want to take a picture with your car.”
“Sir.”
“Sir.”
“Sir.”
When they came over, Adrien smelled an indescribable faint smell, almost inaudible, or even just a feeling.
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