North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws-Chapter 69 - 68: Do You Also Want to Bully Me?_1

With the recorder running, Marina stared at the white wall, her eyes empty as she recounted the events of that day:

September 29th, in the morning.

Shane’s lover, Zoe, suddenly arrived at Marina’s home when the family was completely unguarded. Because of Zoe’s previous threatening behavior, Marina’s family was already extremely dissatisfied. She had cut the brake lines on Bert’s car, killed the family dog, and broken into the house, leaving a video of her and Shane being intimate, which resulted in Shane losing his job... All of this was destroying what had once seemed like an ’enviable’ home! After Zoe entered, she uttered words that shocked Shane, the head of the family, to his core...

At this point, Marina clutched her head, seemingly overwhelmed by the unbearable memories, and began to tremble. "That woman... that woman actually installed cameras in my parents’ room and recorded indecent videos of my brother, me, and my mother together!"

Harry looked at the sweet girl before him, his eyes filled with pity, and comforted her, "Marina, this isn’t your fault. It’s all in the past now. We’ll keep this secret, and you can start a new life."

Dean’s expression also turned grim. He recalled the words of Shane’s elderly neighbor: "They moved here nine years ago. Back then, Marina was only six years old, very cute and polite. But later, as Marina grew up, she stopped coming out to play. She always kept her head bowed and was silent and reserved."

He guessed that these disgusting things had begun back then! A little girl, how could she fight back against a brother four years older, and her own mother who was supposed to protect her... She had no way out! This is why many cases of sexual abuse are committed by acquaintances, relatives, teachers, and so on.

With Harry’s comforting words, Marina’s emotions stabilized, and she continued her story:

"Zoe threatened Dad. If he didn’t leave with her, she would release the video and ruin our whole family’s reputation. Dad seldom paid attention to family matters. When he learned about all this, he was furious and wanted to confront Mom, but my brother stopped him. Mom seized the opportunity, knocked Zoe out with a nearby fire poker, and tied her up.

"Afterwards, Dad sent my brother and me upstairs. We heard arguing. When we went down again... the whole living room was covered in blood, and Zoe had been killed by Mom.

"After the fact, Dad and my brother mopped the surrounding floors, then rinsed the living room with clean water. Dad then sent Mom to the labor market to hire a helper who seemed a bit slow. He then took me and my brother to put the body in the car, and then we left.

"In the afternoon, Mom came back with a helper who seemed a bit dazed; he was unlucky and looked a bit dim-witted, but he was diligent. Mom was worried he would notice something was off, so she sent him to his room to rest early.

"The next day, Dad and my brother returned. They had found a place to bury the body. After that, we made the excuse of going on a vacation and left the house. Mom took me and waited outside the city while Dad and my brother went to dispose of Zoe’s body. We were planning to flee to Mexico, then move to Europe to start over. Mom is a devout Christian... a believer. She had connections in that area."

When she mentioned Christianity, Dean clearly noticed a look of disgust flash in Marina’s eyes. He immediately thought of that photo frame, and some of the unsavory rumors about certain sects! Could it be that Marina’s mother’s affair with her own son and her turning a blind eye to Bert molesting Marina were all influenced by the sect?

Marina didn’t notice Dean’s strange expression and continued, "Mom and I were waiting for Dad and my brother at a suburban motel. In the end, only my brother came back. He told us very calmly that he had killed Dad.

"Next, with a second-hand car he’d bought, my brother took us to change our phones and SIM cards, cutting off all contact with our past, and eventually brought us here. They thought we were already at the border and the police couldn’t possibly find us so quickly. Plus, with all the hiding along the way, everyone was exhausted. So, my brother had me book a pretty decent hotel, planning for us to rest well for two days before he smuggled us into Mexico.

"I didn’t want to be manipulated by him and Mom anymore, so I deliberately used Zoe’s credit card and told them about it. My brother was furious, but he was wanted and didn’t dare come after me, so he never contacted me again. What happened next, you probably all know."

After Marina finished speaking, she bowed her head.

Harry, looking at Marina’s face, which was void of any sorrow, couldn’t help but interject, "Marina, don’t you and your mother care that your brother killed your father?"

Marina lifted her head, confusion in her eyes.

"Why should I care?

"If it weren’t for his neglect of the family, I wouldn’t have been bullied by Mom and my brother!

"If he hadn’t messed around outside, we wouldn’t have had to hide like strays!

"He deserved to die!

"And Bert and that whore, they actually believe..."

The more Marina spoke, the more agitated she became. Finally, she caught sight of the recording pen in Dean’s hand and quickly shut her mouth, turned her head, and hugged her knees again, silent.

After all, she was just a fifteen-year-old girl with little experience. She was too scared to fight back when bullied and didn’t dare seek help from Shane or the outside world, much less control her emotions when agitated. It was just a simple question from Harry, and she had spilled words she hadn’t prepared to confess.

Dean’s eyes lit up. He realized that Marina’s earlier words had been a prepared script. There were more secrets! Perhaps Bert and his mother were still in the United States!

Harry realized this too and wanted to ask more, but Dean glared at him, and he obediently closed his mouth.

Only then did Dean knock on the table. "Marina, I sympathize with your plight, but I’ve seen your first statement at the precinct. You weren’t willing to reveal Bert and your mother’s previous location!"

Head bowed, Marina remained silent.

A chill flashed in Dean’s eyes as he turned off the recorder and stood up. "Harry, get out!"

Harry hesitated, but seeing Dean’s expressionless face, he swallowed hard, looked worriedly at Marina, and obediently stood guard outside the door.

After hearing the door close, Marina timidly looked up. "Are you going to bully me too?"

Dean held her gaze until she looked down again, then he said sternly,

"I sympathize with you, and I want to help you.

"Marina, as long as your brother and mother are not punished as they deserve, your life could continue to be threatened by them, and those unbearable memories will always be a scar on your spirit!

"Tell me Bert and your mother’s location.

"I promise they will never appear before you again!"

He didn’t want to test the lower limits of his humanity if it wasn’t necessary.

After a long silence, just as Dean was about to resort to certain measures, Marina finally lifted her head and whispered, "I don’t want to go back to that dirty prison. I’ll tell you their location. Can I stay here and wait for you to come back?"

Dean looked at her still slightly chubby face and let out a breath. "Okay!"