CHAPTER 458: CHAPTER 276: FOUND THE SUSPECT!_2

Moreover, the information provided by the other party contained a very important point: she had likely been in the restroom for over ten minutes. Before that, no unusual activity had been noticed in the stall next to hers. This meant Ross’s fiancée had probably disappeared about twenty minutes *before* she even entered the restroom.

Ross had been waiting at the restroom door the whole time, and the women’s restroom had no other exits. This indicated the perpetrator must have been waiting inside before Ross’s fiancée went in.

Ross’s fiancée had just gotten off the plane. Both she and Ross had some status but were generally inconspicuous. They were unlikely to have intentionally offended anyone, nor were they prominent enough to be used as leverage against their families. It wasn’t very likely that someone had specifically targeted her. So, is it possible that the perpetrator’s original target was actually this counter girl?

At this thought, Dean immediately inquired about the times the counter girl usually went to the restroom to smoke. Such on-the-job slacking usually happened during periods of low customer traffic; otherwise, her coworkers would complain. This meant her timing was likely quite regular, which would be ideal for someone planning to lie in wait.

Although the counter girl was puzzled why Dean was curious about her slacking off, she was quite honest in the face of a disappearance case. "Our main clientele are foreign women tourists traveling to and from Las Vegas," she said. "So, I only get a chance to go to the restroom for a quick smoke after each flight arrival."

"After each one?"

"Yes. It helps me maintain good spirits and a positive mood for the next wave of customers. Otherwise, I’d struggle to find the patience to serve those nouveau-riche types who all speak different languages."

Heavy smokers can become irritable without nicotine for extended periods, so her statement was likely very credible. This also meant that if the perpetrator had noticed this pattern, they could time their ambush with flight landings, waiting in the restroom to abduct her somehow.

An airport restroom doesn’t seem like the ideal spot, Dean thought. On her commute home, or anywhere else, the risk would surely be lower. But then again...

Ross’s fiancée had disappeared in the airport’s arrivals hall. Many passengers would have already collected their luggage there, and no one would inspect those suitcases again. Luggage could simply be wheeled to the parking lot and driven away.

So, Ross’s fiancée was very likely abducted right from under his nose...

"This is truly a tragic affair..." Having completed his deduction, Dean shook his head. Poor Ross. How is this any different from... from that happening to your wife right in front of you? It’s better if I don’t tell him.

Just then, the counter girl spoke up. "Officer, may I know when I can leave?" No one likes to stay at the police station for long.

Dean took a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to her. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, but I’m afraid you can’t leave just yet."

"Why?" The counter girl became agitated. "I just did a good deed, and this is how you treat me? Do you think I’m an accomplice to the kidnapper?"

"No. In fact, you might have been the kidnapper’s original target. That gentleman’s fiancée possibly saved your life!"

With that, Dean shared his deductions with the counter girl. Seeing her skepticism, Dean placed photos of the five previous female victims on the table in front of her. "If you believe you’re safe, you can leave now," he said calmly. "Otherwise, I hope you’ll be patient and cooperate with me. The killer’s urge to murder won’t stop. If we don’t catch him, you might escape this time, but you won’t escape the next."

The counter girl was frightened by Dean’s words. Although she didn’t want to admit it, looking at those five women with radiant smiles in the photos, she realized she indeed resembled them: a traditional American blonde, whose dignified demeanor carried a hint of promiscuous charm.

The counter girl licked her upturned, red-painted lips and looked at Dean with pleading eyes. "Officer, you must protect me!"

Dean’s lips curled slightly. "Of course, no problem. As long as you do as you’re told, you’ll be perfectly safe!"

「The questioning ended.」

Dean asked Cheston En to stop his work and take Ross to a hotel to rest. Meanwhile, he and Louise, with the counter girl—now their key lead—went to the conference room.

The counter girl’s name was Elle Barbosa. Elle was an ordinary American woman. She had dropped out of high school, lived a wild life for a time, which included abortions and promiscuous behavior, and had gone through an unreliable marriage that left her with a son.

For the sake of raising her son, Elle, now a more mature woman, had started to lead a more conventional life. She sought a decent job to support herself and her son. Thanks to her good looks and professional training, she eventually landed a position as a counter girl at an airport cosmetics counter.

Dean planned to find a breakthrough by digging into Elle’s social circle and any recent suspicious contacts. However, when Elle produced a list of over thirty people, which included descriptions of more than ten men she couldn’t name but had dated, Dean and Louise both gave up.

Someone so promiscuous, even as a mother, might not be reliable, they thought. If they really investigated based on that list, Ross’s fiancée’s body would probably turn up on some desolate roadside before they made any headway with that list.