The surveillance footage showed the dimly lit alley behind the bar, where the victims had parked their car—a Ford sedan. The three victims were seen walking toward the car, with one man in front and two people following behind.
"The man in front is Johnny Moe. The two behind, holding onto each other, are Katherine Sloan and Pete Hill," Alice narrated, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "Hmm, they don't look like just coworkers to me."
Before she finished her sentence, the man and woman on screen kissed.
The footage had no sound, but based on their body language, Johnny Moe, who had reached the car, appeared to turn and make a remark—perhaps a playful complaint. Katherine Sloan and Pete Hill laughed and continued walking toward the car.
At that moment, a black SUV drove into view from the bottom of the screen and stopped. The three victims, who were about to get into their car, suddenly turned around as if they had heard something. Katherine was the first to approach the SUV, followed shortly by the other two.
Then, gunfire erupted. The driver of the SUV, without stepping out of the vehicle, opened fire with what seemed to be a low-recoil weapon—likely an Uzi or something similar. The spray of bullets took down all three victims.
"Well, there goes any hope for license plate or facial recognition," Aubrey sighed, disappointed. The camera's angle only captured the SUV from above, making it impossible to discern the make, model, license plate, or the shooter's face.
That wasn't surprising. If identifying the suspect were this easy, the sheriff's office wouldn't have needed the FBI's help.
"Rewind that, Alice," Hannah instructed, pointing to the screen. "Stop here. Now play it again."
Everyone leaned closer as Hannah continued, "Did you notice how fast the three of them reacted?"
Clive, who had been quietly observing, reached over to steal some popcorn from Aubrey's bucket. He nodded. "Yes. Katherine Sloan reacted a few seconds faster than the others. The driver probably called her by name."
"So," Jack said, tapping the polished bar counter, "the suspect knew her. If he called her by name, what does that tell us?"
"It means she was likely the target," Aubrey replied, gulping down his soda and letting out an obnoxiously loud burp. "The others might've just been collateral damage."
Alice slapped him on the shoulder like a teacher reprimanding a mischievous student. "I'll pull all of Katherine's records—calls, emails, social media."
"Personal and work-related," Aubrey reminded her.
Jack frowned slightly. This was the kind of legwork he usually preferred to avoid. But with JJ absent, he had no choice but to handle it himself.
"Start by getting me Katherine Sloan's parents' address. Hannah, you're coming with me," he said, already dreading the task ahead.
In the U.S., a city with a population of around 10,000 would barely qualify as a town in China, where even mid-sized towns often have populations of 50,000 or more. Some large towns exceed 100,000 residents.
Forrest City was a small place. Apart from a single street that could barely be called a commercial area, there were hardly any office buildings in sight. It took Jack just ten minutes to drive through the city center and reach the address Alice had sent him.
The house was a typical American single-family home, suggesting that Katherine Sloan's family was relatively well-off. According to the records, her father was an accountant, and her mother a homemaker—a traditional upper-middle-class Southern white family.
An older couple greeted Jack and Hannah at the door. They looked exhausted and grief-stricken. Upon hearing the FBI agents' introduction and purpose, a spark of life briefly returned to their weary faces.
Katherine's mother clung tightly to Hannah's hand, her swollen eyes filled with desperation. "God bless you. Please find the person who did this."
After offering a few words of comfort, Jack followed the couple inside. His eyes scanned the coffee table in front of the living room sofa, which was covered with photos of Katherine—from her childhood to adulthood.
"We're very sorry to disturb you during such a difficult time," Jack said gently. "Please accept our condolences. We just have a few questions we need to ask."
"Of course," Katherine's father replied. His voice was steady, but his gaze remained fixed on the photographs of his daughter. "Anything you need to know—we'll help in any way we can if it means catching the killer."
Hannah sighed softly and leaned forward. "We'd like to understand more about Katherine's life and work. Could you tell us what you know?"
Katherine's father picked up a graduation photo, his hand trembling slightly as he wiped the corner of his eye. "She always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. She was smart, passionate, and determined—always made us proud."
"We were so proud of her," Katherine's mother echoed, nodding vigorously. Her face displayed a bittersweet mix of tears and a fleeting smile.
"I still can't believe this happened," she continued. "Why would anyone do this to our child? Why did she have to leave us so soon?"
"We're truly sorry," Hannah said, her voice soft and empathetic. She reached out to hold the grieving woman's hand. "No family should ever have to go through this kind of pain."
Once the couple had composed themselves again, Jack resumed his questioning. "How much do you know about your daughter's work?"
"She set high goals for herself after becoming a lawyer," her father explained. "Once she joined the district attorney's office, she aimed to become a respected judge someday. She worked tirelessly for it. In the year and a half she's been a prosecutor, she never lost a case."
In other words, despite her short time in the DA's office, Katherine Sloan had already put plenty of people behind bars.
Jack and Hannah exchanged a glance. Jack then asked, "Did she ever mention receiving threats—anonymous calls, texts, or being followed?"
Katherine's father shook his head, appearing unsure. Her mother, however, spoke up. "Not that we know of, but we can't be certain. Kate spent most of her time living in Caldwell, at her boyfriend's house."
"Alright, we'll speak with Pete Hill's family next," Jack replied, though he felt a twinge of disappointment. Like many adults, it seemed Katherine hadn't maintained close communication with her parents.
But just as he finished speaking, Jack noticed a look of confusion on the couple's faces. Katherine's mother hesitated, then asked, "Pete Hill? Are you talking about the coworker who was killed with her? He's not her boyfriend."
(End of Chapter)
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