Chapter 2

The police came. I told them about what had happened during the live stream and my suspicions, but they obviously didn't believe me.

No, I couldn't leave the matter just like that. I called Sean. We'd exchanged numbers after dealing with the attempted scam, and I knew he was the only one I stood a chance of convincing.

"If what you're saying is true… this could be a case of dismemberment," he said.

I nodded. "Exactly. That Rottweiler has most likely gnawed on human bones recently. I only managed to talk to Mr. Tattoo for a short while, though."

Sean turned to make some calls. Then, he turned back to me. "I just checked, but there haven't been any missing persons reported recently."

"There's a chance the victim could be someone who lives alone in this city. I'm one of them! People might not yet notice they're missing if it's just happened!" I argued.

He looked at me with a hint of sympathy. "You're right, but we don't have any more clues right now. We can't set up an investigation for this."

"We might find more clues if I can see that Rottweiler in person," I said.

I watched him expectantly, and he eventually nodded with a frown. "Fine. I'll try to think of something."

…

Sean asked one of the colleagues he was on good terms with to join us because police officers had to go on patrol in pairs.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Tattoo's home was quite close to mine. I hid behind a corner while Sean and his colleague covered me. I watched as they knocked on Mr. Tattoo's door.

"Who is it?" He opened the door with his torso bare. When he saw the policemen, he hurriedly put on a shirt. His tone was respectful as he said, "Good day, officers. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Sean saluted him. It made him look pretty handsome. "Good day, sir. Someone has lodged a complaint against you for rearing a ferocious dog."

Mr. Tattoo pulled the Rottweiler over, looking resigned. "My dad's raised it in the countryside this whole time. He only brought it over so I could care for it for a few days while he attended to something."

Sean's colleague gave Mr. Tattoo a lecture as they stood at the entrance. Meanwhile, Sean brought the Rottweiler close to a blind spot—close to where I was hiding. His tall figure concealed me perfectly.

I'd only communicated with the Rottweiler for a few moments when I heard Sean's colleague end his lecture. "Breeds like these are banned in the city, so you'll have to send it home within ten days. If you fail to do so, we'll take the dog away and fine you."

Sean put on a nonchalant look as he brought the dog back to Mr. Tattoo.

After we left the residential area, Sean asked, "How did it go?"

I nodded. "I'm positive that the Rottweiler gnawed on human bones."

"Did that guy murder someone?"

I sighed and shook my head with a slight frown. "I don't think so. At least, the dog didn't make it clear that he was the one who did it."

Sean pondered the matter. "Is it possible that he committed the murder elsewhere? The dog might not be aware of it if that's the case."

The other police officer couldn't help bursting into laughter. "Are you for real, Sean? Do you actually believe that a dog can tell you these things? Don't you think you're being a little ridiculous? Or are you going to make it a habit to question dogs in the future?"

I knew my words sounded far-fetched, but animals could not lie. When Sean saw the determined look on my face, he pulled his colleague away and whispered something to him.

Then, he came back to me. "Let's try this again, Keira. I can't do anything else if we still don't manage to find anything, though."

I nodded. "Okay. Thanks for believing me, Sean."

The three of us entered the building and the elevator again. Sean and his colleague checked Mr. Tattoo's upstairs and downstairs neighbors. There were only two units on each floor, so it didn't take long.

As for Mr. Tattoo's next-door neighbor… Sean knocked on the door. A gentle, demure young woman answered it.

"Have you recently heard any odd noises or seen anyone weird?" Sean asked.