Chapter 82: The Old Kashi House Does Not Welcome You

The little boy introduced himself first: Ben Turner. He briefly explained the situation. Ben was in class when a few policemen suddenly called him out. The classroom was in an uproar, and when Ben returned, his classmates began pointing fingers at him, calling him a murderer. Worse still, some media outlets, aiming for sensational news, interviewed Hilda Gary, a girl in his class known for her excellent grades and being the child of an official. Irene had seen the report; it was the same interview video circulating widely online. In it, the girl, when faced with the reporter's leading questions, knew nothing but claimed that the boy taken by the police was the second-best student, usually very reclusive and unfriendly, and didn't seem to get along with the top student, Anderson Hall. Other classmates corroborated Hilda's claims, making Ben the primary suspect under the media's guidance and Hilda's influence in the class. Talking about this, Ben remained remarkably indifferent. But Irene noticed his eyes were a bit red, showing that this period had been particularly hard on him. "What do the police say?" Irene asked. Ben pressed his lips together: "The original detective on the case was Decker's student. I overheard from another officer that they're assigning me a new detective, but there's still no confirmed candidate." Just then, Ben's phone rang. Ben instinctively wanted to throw the old phone onto the sofa; in fact, from his expression, Irene thought he might want to throw it on the floor. He then looked at Irene, the only adult present. Irene sensed that many people had probably been calling him recently—with threats, harassment, or insults. Irene took the phone, reassuring him, "It's okay, I'm here." She turned on the speaker and pressed the green answer button. Ben looked slightly relieved but became tense again as the call connected. "Hello? Is this Mr. Ben Turner?" Irene raised an eyebrow. It was a familiar voice. The normal tone and calm speech made Ben lower his guard slightly. He cleared his throat, though he still sounded a bit tight: "Yes, this is Ben. Who is this?" "Hello, Mr. Turner. I apologize for the slow progress of the case, which has caused you some inconvenience. I am Frank Evelyn from the FBI, and I will be taking over the case. Would you be able to come to the station for a more detailed discussion?" Ben looked at Irene. Irene smiled and nodded gently. Ben visibly relaxed and agreed to the request. After hanging up, Ben seemed hesitant. Irene reassured him, "Don't worry, that agent is very reputable. He's known for his responsibility and excellent investigative skills and has been featured in many major media outlets. You can trust him." Ben hesitated for a moment and said, "Sister, I only earned sixty-two Q dollars last week. I don't know if I can ask you to help me communicate with the police. I'm a little scared." Ben's face was full of hesitation and insecurity. Clearly, he was afraid of being kicked out for not having enough money. Irene smiled: "Of course." Ben was overjoyed and handed the money, which he had probably been holding onto for a long time, to Irene. Irene took out a contract, asked Ben to read it carefully, and after they both signed it, Irene accompanied Ben to the northern district of City A. The northern district, compared to other areas, had more schools and higher housing prices. It was evident that Ben usually lived in the dormitory. Irene left Emma at home to take care of the house. Not long after Irene and Ben left, Mrs. Kashi returned home. Emma briefly explained Irene's departure, and Mrs. Kashi, feeling sympathy for the wronged child, happily prepared lunch with Emma. The vegetables were from a neighbor, who also gave them some home-grown fruits. They were in high spirits when an unexpected guest arrived. Mrs. Kashi had just gone into the yard to pick parsley and looked up to see Helen getting out of a car. She threw down the vegetables and grabbed her cane, chasing Helen out of the yard. The commotion drew the attention of the neighbors, who began peeking out to watch. "What are you doing here? Get out of my sight!" Mrs. Kashi was usually very gentle and had never spoken rudely. This surprised Yuna's college son, who was home for the holidays. He watched Helen while eating an apple. Dressed nicely but not seeming like a good person, Helen had obviously provoked Mrs. Kashi. Helen couldn't believe it, dodging the cane's strike with a twist of her waist. She clutched her coat nervously and screamed, "Mother! My coat! Can you stop acting like a madwoman? Do you know how expensive this coat is?" Mrs. Kashi glared at her coldly: "Are you leaving or not?" Seeing Mrs. Kashi's attitude, Helen dropped her pretense. But thinking of Irene, she found the motivation to smile: "Mother, I came to find Irene. I want to invite her home for dinner. Joanna is also there. They should get to know each other." Mrs. Kashi was unmoved: "Tell me, what scheme do you have now? Wasn't it enough to try to marry her off to a sixty-year-old man?" This statement sparked murmurs among the neighbors. Helen couldn't stand being talked about by so many people and screamed in frustration, "We are her parents! We want her to marry for her own good! She's useless and can't do anything. How will she survive if she doesn't marry early?" Mrs. Kashi, red-faced with anger, retorted, "Our Irene is very capable. It's you who are blind to her talents!" Helen was indignant: "Who are you calling blind? I tell you, do you know why Irene earns so much money from streaming? It's because she found a wealthy patron!" Mrs. Kashi shouted angrily, "You're spreading lies! Nonsense!" Seeing Mrs. Kashi so enraged, Helen felt smug: "How is it nonsense? Kashi saw it himself today—her having dinner with a big shot! How do you expect us to treat her after that?" Yuna couldn't stand it any longer. She had always been close to Mrs. Kashi and now stood protectively in front of her: "This is your mother! Are you just going to watch her get bullied?" Kashi initially wanted to stay out of it, but now, prompted by Yuna, he stepped forward: "Mom, don't be angry. That's not what we meant. We just wanted to spend time with Irene and get to know each other better." "I heard her biological family is still looking for her," he added. Mrs. Kashi's anger was palpable, but she said nothing more.