The Demon’s Menu

Chapter 232: Reasonable and Justifiable

Bella, the former president and founder of the dissolved ‘Philosophy’ club.

She should have been expelled by now, but at this moment, she was lying in the dirt, her body long decayed.

People could recognize her because of the school badge on her body.

‘St. Mungo’s Academy’ had a uniform school uniform and badge, and each student’s name was on the badge.

“There, there’s another body!”

A sharp-eyed member of the student council suddenly pointed beneath Bella and shouted.

“Wait, everyone, don’t move.”

Tedi said, looking at his friend Giselle, seeking advice with his eyes on what to do next.

The female pastry chef, in turn, looked at Jason.

Jason said indifferently, his gaze then turning towards the side of the riding arena.

“Hmm.”

“Tedi, is there a phone nearby?”

The female pastry chef asked.

“There is one.”

“There’s one inside Building No. 2, the old teaching building.”

“I’ll take you there.”

The female student council president said as she jumped out of the pit and led her friend towards Building No. 2, the old teaching building.

With the student council president taking the initiative, borrowing a phone was a simple matter.

“Hell

“Why is it you again?”

Ada couldn’t help but express her surprise upon hearing that familiar female voice.

As an operator, she naturally saw many people calling to report incidents.

However, she had never seen someone report so many cases in one day before.

And moreover!

Each time, it was a serious crime!

It was as if all of Newdeth City’s serious crimes were pouring towards that person.

Are you the Reaper?

Ada couldn’t help but think to herself.

However, as a qualified operator, she quickly adjusted her emotions.

“What happened?”

“Please tell Edward that we’ve found Bella’s body and other unknown bodies at St. Mungo’s Academy,” the female pastry chef replied.

“Okay, I’ll pass on the message right away.”

The operator’s voice became immediately serious.

After hanging up, she went straight to the ‘Special Operations Group’s’ office.

Upon entering, she saw Bansey with a pale face and Edward looking serious.

Had Bansey been reprimanded?

The operator guessed, then she twitched her nose.

A strong scent of detergent was emanating from the two of them.

But, the operator wisely didn’t ask any questions and stuck to business.

“Chief Edward, someone just reported finding Bella’s body and other unknown bodies at St. Mungo’s Academy.”

“It’s the lady who’s reported several cases today.”

Edward didn’t need further explanation from the operator to guess it was Jason and Giselle.

As for the two of them going to St. Mungo’s Academy, Edward was not surprised.

He just didn’t expect them to find something.

Am I, no, am I that far behind Jason?

With a hint of self-doubt, Edward didn’t show any delay, standing up to grab his coat and running outside while shouting, “Bansey, Team One, come with me.”

“Yes, sir!”

Bansey and several officers said in unison.

“Bansey, that detergent smell on you is…”

“Don’t ask, it’s heart-wrenching.”

With his cryptic words, Bansey hurried off.

The operator watched Bansey’s heavy back and couldn’t help but purse her lips.

“Must have run out of money and got caught eating without paying, now washing dishes as a penalty!”

With speculation in her heart, the operator returned to her workstation.

Edward, with his subordinates at full speed, rushed to St. Mungo’s Academy.

At this time, there were no crowds of onlookers at the academy’s equestrian field; in fact, after the student council intervened, ordinary students couldn’t get close even if they were curious.

What about the teachers?

Upon seeing the student council, they too chose to stay out of the way.

The unique system of St. Mungo’s Academy ensured that members of the student council had all sorts of special privileges.

Self-governance was one of them.

So, when Edward arrived with his team, not only was there no crowd but the scene was also left as it was when it was first dug up.

“Jason, Giselle.”

After greeting the two acquaintances, Edward turned his attention to the pit.

The bodies were mostly intact.

But several finger bones were missing.

The bones in the forearm were also broken.

The outer wrapping was… a bedsheet?

After a quick assessment of the situation, Edward gestured to Bansey.

Bansey immediately began lifting Bella’s body out with colleagues, laying it on a black plastic sheet prepared on the side.

As Bella’s body was lifted out, two more bodies became visible.

Wrapped in the same bedsheets.

Judging from the skeletons, one was male and the other female.

A sinking feeling filled Edward’s heart.

He had a hunch.

Subsequent identification only confirmed Edward’s speculation.

“It’s Bella’s parents,” Bansey said in a low voice, holding identity cards that were severely damaged but still recognizable.

The people around heard this statement.

Members of the student council looked at the bodies on the ground with disbelief and sorrow, unable to imagine that Bella and her parents, who were supposed to have transferred, would be buried near the equestrian field.

If it weren’t for Jason’s discovery, heaven knows how long they would’ve remained hidden.

Almost instinctively, the student council members’ eyes turned to Jason, who was standing to the side of the equestrian field.

Too many questions filled their hearts.

Tedi felt the same way.

As the student council president, she had dealt with plenty of issues, but this was her first time facing a murder case, which made her usually sharp mind somewhat rigid.

“Why would Bella and her parents be buried here?” the female student council president wondered aloud, unable to contain herself.

“Convenience!” the female pastry chef spoke up on her own.

With earnestness, Giselle pointed to the bodies nearby and began,

“It was convenient to bury Bella and her parents’ bodies here—Bella seems to have been tortured before she died; more than one of her fingers had been cut off, and her arm was broken. Then, after getting the information he wanted, the murderer killed Bella and, to eradicate the roots, killed her parents as well.”

“The culprit likely used Bella’s name to lure her parents over and killed them after murdering Bella.”

The female student council president nodded repeatedly.

Edward, however, furrowed his brows.

He still had doubts.

“You just said this severed finger was found in the soil,” he asked.

“Yes.”

“The person who buried Bella was too hasty or panicked. After wrapping Bella and her parents in a bedsheet, they chose this burial site but failed to notice a severed finger falling onto the nearby soil, which ended up close to the surface, hence why the radish stepped on it and was startled,” Edward hypothesized.

“Are you asking why the torturer capable of severing Bella’s fingers would act so hastily or panickedly?” the female pastry chef turned to look at Edward.

“Exactly!”

“A person capable of such torture shouldn’t have such a weak psychological endurance.”

“And with a plan for torture, there should not be such panic.”

Edward voiced his concerns.

The pastry chef smiled and spoke deliberately,

“Obviously, the murderer and the one who buried the bodies were two different people!”