Chapter 700: She Was Indeed Back

"You suspect that girl, Jacqueline Spann? Impossible. How could she do something like that?" Preston Thorne shook his head vigorously, thinking Adrian Hawthorne was reading too much into it.

Even if that child has a bad disposition, she wouldn’t go so far as to commit such a deranged and vicious act as poisoning. Most adults couldn’t bring themselves to do something like that, let alone a ten-year-old girl.

Adrian Hawthorne said in a low voice, "It’s hard to say right now. Let’s go to the Spann family’s house and check."

While Preston Thorne was still hesitating, Jethro Golding had already set off for the Spann family’s home. He had spent some time in a beggars’ gang and had seen the absolute worst of humanity—there was no evil he thought people incapable of committing.

He had even witnessed something as inhuman and cruel as cannibalism, so he was far more willing to accept Adrian Hawthorne’s speculation than Preston Thorne was.

The group rushed to the Spann family’s home. The courtyard gate was ajar, and the house was gloomy. The lamplight cast a ghastly white pall over the rooms, making everyone feel even more uneasy. Thinking of Phoenix Golding’s recent death, some of the more timid villagers didn’t dare to go inside.

Jethro Golding took the lead, rushing into the house to inspect it. Preston Thorne and a few of the other older men also went in. It wasn’t long before they found something amiss.

"There’s water in the pot, and eggshells."

Jethro Golding stared at the stove, his face grim. ’Phoenix Golding is dead, and Jacqueline Spann was taken away to the mountains. This house has been empty for a month. There’s no way there would still be water in the pot. It means someone has been here in the last few days. Who else could it be but Jacqueline Spann?’

"I remember locking the main gate. How did it get opened?" Silas Golding muttered to himself.

After Jacqueline Spann was sent away, he had secured the Spann family’s home with a padlock. But when they had arrived just now, the main gate was ajar and the padlock was missing. Preston Thorne came in holding a broken lock.

"Someone smashed the lock."

He had found it at the main gate. The padlock Silas Golding had used wasn’t large and could be smashed open with ease. In a village like this, there wasn’t much need for a lock anyway; it was more of a symbolic gesture to show the house was unoccupied.

"Could it have been a passing beggar?" Silas Golding was still unwilling to believe Jacqueline Spann had done it. After all, she was his granddaughter.

"Beggars know the rules. They wouldn’t break in."

Jethro Golding shot the idea down. He had been in a beggars’ gang himself, and they had plenty of rules. No matter how hungry you were, you didn’t break down a door to steal food. Besides, Millstone Peak was only so big; a beggar coming into the village wouldn’t go unnoticed by the locals.

"It was Jacqueline Spann. The trunk is open, too. Looks like she took a few pieces of clothing."

Shane Thorne had also made a discovery. In Jacqueline Spann’s room, a trunk was open, the clothes inside were all jumbled up, and a few items were scattered on the floor. It suggested that Jacqueline Spann had left in a great hurry.

"Little beast!"

Jethro Golding gnashed his teeth. He had underestimated the girl. Before, he had thought Silas Golding’s family was being too cruel, but now he only regretted not having dealt with this vicious girl sooner.

"How could she do it? The old lady was right, she’s a venomous snake. She’s not human... Phoenix must have been killed by her too... Oh my god..."

Silas Golding suddenly burst into tears, wailing loudly. He couldn’t bear such a blow. He sank to the ground in despair and cried his heart out. If his son and grandsons didn’t recover, he wouldn’t be able to go on living.

’What’s the point of being the only one left in the family? I might as well just go with them.’

Byron Thorne was even more filled with hatred. A wave of fear washed over him now as he realized that if it weren’t for Dollar, his eldest son’s family would have met the same fate as Silas Golding’s.

"We have to catch that evil spawn! We can’t leave a menace like her on the loose!" Preston Thorne said sharply.

"That’s right! We have to catch her and lock her in the ancestral hall! If she’s this vicious at such a young age, won’t she grow up to be a murderer and an arsonist?"

"And to think I used to believe she was a good kid. It’s true what they say: you can know a person’s face, but not their heart."

The villagers were overcome with emotion. They had often praised Jacqueline Spann in the past, and some had even considered arranging for her to become their daughter-in-law. Now, they were secretly relieved. It was a good thing they had discovered the girl’s vicious true nature; otherwise, they would have remained deceived.