Chapter 256: The Unreasonable Reason

Dawn Donovan was one of Melody Barron’s people too.

A few months ago, Dawn Donovan had tried to frame her, but Myra Lawson had stopped it. After that, Melody Barron hadn’t made any other moves.

’I thought that was the end of it.’

Until she returned from City J and heard about Daniel Hale being left behind.

The first person she thought of was the former mayor’s wife.

After all, in her opinion, no matter how much Hugo Crawford and Daniel Hale disliked each other, it wouldn’t go so far as for him to do something so brazen.

"Hugo Crawford getting kicked out of the rescue team—that was intentional, too, wasn’t it?"

Nina Jacobs said.

The Crawford Army seemed to be Hugo Crawford’s comeback.

But its rise was far too quick.

Compared to being the head of his own faction, who would want to remain a rescue team branch captain, getting ordered around by everyone?

So, abandoning Daniel Hale would not only get him killed, but it would also give Hugo Crawford a perfect reason to be dismissed.

"But this is all just my speculation, of course."

Nina Jacobs watched as shock slowly spread across Melody Barron’s face.

She knew she had guessed correctly.

"Just who told you all this?"

Melody Barron even suspected she had a traitor in her midst.

"Things that don’t make sense always have a reason, and there’s one more thing that doesn’t add up."

Nina Jacobs said.

"What is it?" Melody asked.

"The thing that makes the least sense is you.

I originally thought your biggest backer was the Superpower User Alliance,

but clearly that’s not the case. So who is it that’s supposed to be meeting you tomorrow?"

"You tried to harm Uncle Hale tonight because you wanted to pin the suspicion about the activity camp on him?"

Nina Jacobs had seen the woman who was with Keith Dempsey at the activity camp before.

She saw her get into a car with Fifth Mr. Stone and escape.

If Daniel Hale had fallen for the trap, it would look like he was colluding with the activity camp.

And Hugo Crawford and his people seemed to believe that once Daniel Hale was out of the picture, she would have no one to protect her.

She just hadn’t expected them to also target Vera Coleman and the two girls.

"I underestimated you before."

Melody Barron leaned weakly against the wall. She lowered her head, then raised it again to ask,

"If you let me go, I won’t target you ever again.

I won’t pursue my nephew’s death any further. Tell me what you want, just consider it my way of compensating you."

She had always thought Nina Jacobs was just a reckless person.

Aside from having a fairly strong Superpower, she was mostly fearless because she had Daniel Hale’s status to rely on.

But now she realized she had been completely and utterly wrong.

"The people meeting you outside tomorrow, they’re from the Aegis Conclave?"

Nina Jacobs didn’t answer her, asking a question of her own instead.

"How do you know that?"

Melody Barron never imagined Nina Jacobs would know even this.

’She’s frighteningly intelligent.’

"We got off on the wrong foot. Besides you, no one will suspect me for what happened tonight.

You’re a smart person; you could let me stay in the base. No matter what you encounter in the future, I’ll help you."

Melody Barron thought she was seeing things, but she could already see the killing intent in Nina Jacobs’s eyes.

She was also making a gamble.

She was certain that Nina Jacobs wouldn’t dare to kill someone inside the base.

As long as she could make it through the night, she had ways to get out of here.

Nina Jacobs had already stood up. What Melody Barron said might indeed be a good plan.

She could even use her to get an inside look at the Aegis Conclave.

But she didn’t want to.

"If it weren’t for what happened tonight, I might have considered your offer,

but it’s too late."

With a wave of her hand, a bright Fire Blade flew out at an angle.

Melody Barron immediately shrieked in pain.

She stared in horror at her forearm, which had been severed by the Fire Blade. The hand was still clutching a pistol.

A hint of mockery flashed in Nina Jacobs’s eyes. Melody Barron was indeed cautious.

She had even hidden a gun behind the curtains for self-defense.

"AHH! Nina Jacobs, spare me!

How about this? I’ll leave the base, and everything in this room is yours.

I’ll never show my face to you again! You wouldn’t dare kill me,

You wouldn’t—"

Melody Barron’s pleas came to an abrupt halt.

She clutched her slit throat, staring in shock at Nina Jacobs, who was now standing extremely close to her.

"Why wouldn’t I dare?"

Watching Melody Barron slowly collapse, Nina Jacobs pressed the stop button on the recorder in her hand.

’Melody Barron must have a lot of spies in the base.’

’Letting her live until morning would just create more complications.’

She wouldn’t give her the slightest chance to escape, because she never should have gone after Vera Coleman and the others...

Still, she had recorded Melody Barron’s confession.

’Killing someone in the base is certainly a hassle.’

Seeing that Melody Barron had finally stopped breathing, Nina Jacobs checked the room to confirm there were no cameras, then reached out and put the wooden box and the nearby Gold into her storage space.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully collecting 1,292 pounds of Gold. You have triggered the "Doomsday Gold Digger" title and obtained four Level 3 storage slots!]

"Hoarding this much... looks like she did her fair share of embezzling."

She didn’t forget to check the other suitcases.

She found they were mostly filled with supplies.

There was also half a suitcase completely filled with documents.

After flipping through them, Nina Jacobs understood. This was indeed the complete file on all the teams and Superpower Users in the City D Base.

Of course, that included internal files on the rescue team.

She also found a badge in Melody Barron’s bag—it was an Aegis Conclave badge.

"They really are everywhere."

Looking at the badge in her hand, Nina Jacobs shook her head.

’Now I’ll just have to let the base handle the rest of this.’

’But before that, I need to go and proactively admit my mistake.’

Nina Jacobs sighed.

’If only Myra Lawson were here. She would probably take care of everything for me...’

Inside the administration building, Justin Lawson hadn’t expected Nina Jacobs to come looking for him alone.

After everything that had happened tonight, he was still waiting for Adrian Shaw’s investigation report.

Heath Chandler was also at his side, looking completely sober now.

Seeing that the two of them were about to talk, Heath Chandler tactfully prepared to leave, but to his surprise, Justin Lawson had him stay.

He glanced at Nina Jacobs, unable to help but wonder why she was here.

’Is she here to demand justice? To protest the injustice done to Daniel Hale and her family?’

Unexpectedly, Nina Jacobs’s next words left them both in complete shock.

"I’ve come to confess. I killed Melody Barron."

Nina Jacobs’s tone was placid, as if she were talking about something utterly ordinary.

"Why?"

Justin Lawson didn’t seem to have expected this either.

"Because she threatened the lives of my family and me,"

Nina Jacobs answered.

Justin Lawson stood up and began to pace, as if deep in thought.

"I’m not asking you about that,"

Justin Lawson said.

’Then what is he asking about?’

Nina Jacobs frowned and looked at him.

"I’m asking you, why was your suspect Melody Barron and not Hugo Crawford?

And when did you start suspecting her?"

There was no anger in Justin Lawson’s eyes, only curiosity.

Earlier, someone had reported that Nina Jacobs was missing, and his first reaction had been that she’d gone to kill Hugo Crawford.

He hadn’t expected her to kill Melody Barron instead.

Heath Chandler was also taken aback.

’My former father-in-law is famous for being impartial and strictly professional, making no exceptions even for his own daughter.’

’So why, when it comes to Nina Jacobs, doesn’t he show even a hint of blame?’

’She killed someone inside the base!’

’And a member of the base administration, at that!’

After only a moment’s hesitation, Nina Jacobs briefly explained her suspicions and observations from the past several weeks.

"What did you say?

You suspect she’s connected to that business with the activity camp?"

Justin Lawson asked.

"It’s not a suspicion. This is evidence."

Nina Jacobs pushed the suitcase from behind her forward.

When he saw the suitcase, more than half full of documents, Justin Lawson could no longer remain seated.