Chapter 243: You Got Scammed Out of Money by a Man?

Chapter 243: Chapter 243: You Got Scammed Out of Money by a Man?

Apartment 2302, 23rd Floor, Building 7, Apricot Garden Community, Sylas Road.

Renee Jennings raised her hand and rang the doorbell. After waiting for about two minutes, a voice finally came from inside.

"Jay, don’t you have a key? Why don’t you just let yourself in?"

As the voice faded, the door opened from the inside.

Freestyle Pie, dressed in blue-striped pajamas, answered the door. When she saw Renee Jennings standing outside, her expression immediately fell, her eyes drooping with disappointment. "Oh, I thought it was my boyfriend... What are you doing here?"

"Pie, we agreed last night to meet today," Renee Jennings explained.

Freestyle Pie lowered her gaze, her voice laced with confusion. "Did we have plans last night?"

Renee Jennings tapped her phone a few times and showed her their private chat history. "Have you forgotten?"

"Oh, really? I don’t remember." Freestyle Pie shook her head. "I’m sorry."

After speaking, she noticed three other people standing beside Renee Jennings and asked quizzically, "And these people are..."

"These two are criminal investigators..." Renee Jennings introduced them, then asked softly, "Would it be convenient to talk inside?"

"Police?" After seeing Henry Stark’s and Zachary Conway’s credentials, Freestyle Pie’s mood changed abruptly. Her tone was accusatory. "Why did you bring the police here? It’s not convenient. You should all leave!"

She tried to shut the door, but couldn’t.

Zachary Conway had his hand on the door, holding it open.

"What are you trying to do?" Freestyle Pie glanced at his hand, annoyed. "I don’t want to talk!"

Henry Stark watched her, his dark eyes filled with scrutiny.

’Why is she reacting so strongly to the word ’police’?’

Renee Jennings was also puzzled. She tried to ask calmly, "Pie, why did you say Julian Nash is your boyfriend?"

"He *is* my boyfriend!" A faint panic showed on Freestyle Pie’s face as she tugged forcefully at the door. "Let go! I have nothing to say to you!"

Just then, a tuxedo cat slipped out through the crack in the door.

Henry Stark said calmly, "Kian Cole, let go."

"Got it." Zachary Conway immediately released his hand.

Freestyle Pie slammed the door shut. She frowned, a flicker of unease in her expression.

’What is this streamer up to?’

By the elevators, Renee Jennings looked at the tuxedo cat, Toto, who had just snuck out. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you running away from home?"

"That’s right." Toto nodded emphatically. "I can’t stand another second in that house! I’ll go crazy if I stay!"

The elevator arrived just then. As Renee Jennings’s group stepped into the car, Toto followed them in.

Henry Stark glanced down at the tuxedo cat, his eyes darkening. "There’s something I’d like to ask it."

Renee Jennings: "Toto?"

Henry Stark: "Yes."

The underground parking garage was silent. Renee Jennings got into the police car with Toto. "Henry, what did you want to ask?"

The man in the passenger seat turned around, his voice serious. "There’s something strange about Freestyle Pie."

"Tell me," Renee Jennings said, her expression showing she was listening intently.

Henry Stark explained, "Her reactions are very quick. She isn’t like other people with mental health issues I’ve encountered."

"Is that so." Renee Jennings recalled Freestyle Pie’s reactions.

When she saw Renee wasn’t Julian Nash, she immediately looked disappointed.

And just now, hearing Henry Stark and Zachary Conway’s identities, her expression had changed instantly as well.

Renee Jennings furrowed her slender brows in thought and murmured, ’Could she be faking it?’

Henry Stark raised a dark eyebrow, surprised she had figured it out so quickly.

"Faking it?" Michelle Fuller had a strange look on her face. "But my friend said Freestyle Pie’s condition was quite serious."

Renee Jennings turned her head to look at her and said slowly, "During a psychiatric or psychological evaluation, she could easily answer questions in a way that aligns with the symptoms of such a disorder. Plus, Leo Yves said that Freestyle Pie never followed up with intervention therapy. There are two possibilities: one, she gave up on treatment, or two, she was never sick in the first place."

"If she’s not sick, why does she keep saying Julian Nash is her boyfriend?" Michelle Fuller asked, completely confused.

"We don’t know yet." Renee Jennings shook her head and looked at Toto, who was perched on the middle seat. "Do you know?"

Toto tilted his head. "I don’t know either."

Renee Jennings reached out to stroke his head and said softly, "Toto, you’re with Pie every day. Have you ever seen her take medicine?"

"Medicine?" Toto asked curiously. "What’s medicine?"

Renee Jennings found a few pictures on her phone and showed them to him. "These are all types of medicine. Have you seen Pie eat any of them?"

"Nope." Toto shook his head. "I’ve only ever seen her eat those things that are long and red. After she eats them, her mouth gets all puffy."

"What kind of medicine is that?" Renee Jennings blinked blankly and turned to ask Michelle Fuller if she knew.

While Michelle Fuller was still trying to figure out what it could be, Zachary Conway spoke up from the driver’s seat. "Are they spicy sticks?"

"Spicy sticks?" Renee Jennings searched for a picture on her phone again and showed it to Toto for confirmation. "Is this what Pie eats?"

Toto glanced at it once and answered immediately, "Yes, that’s it!"

"Then that’s not medicine." Renee Jennings sounded a bit helpless.

A second later, Toto, having suddenly remembered something, cried out, "I remember now! The things from those pictures you showed me earlier—Pie brought them home a few times, but she threw them in the trash every time."

Renee Jennings’s gaze sharpened. She analyzed, "If that’s the case, then Pie has seen more psychologists than just Leo Yves. She’s seen doctors several times. If she wanted to give up on treatment, she wouldn’t keep seeing doctors. But every time she does, she throws the medicine away..."

"Which means she was never sick at all," Michelle Fuller finished her sentence. "Seriously, what’s with this person? Does she think this is fun?"

"Toto," Renee Jennings asked with a frown, "When did Pie start saying Julian Nash was her boyfriend?"

Toto met her gaze and said shyly, "I... I don’t understand time."

"That’s okay." Renee Jennings didn’t press him, her mind filled with confusion over Freestyle Pie’s behavior.

’If she isn’t sick, then why would she fantasize that Julian Nash is her boyfriend?’

The police car drove out of the Apricot Garden Community’s underground garage, and Renee Jennings gave an address.

"Everwood Manor?" Zachary Conway teased. "Did The Rich Lady buy another house?"

"No," Renee Jennings explained. "I’m going to collect a debt. I’ll have to trouble you two officers to come be my backup."

Zachary Conway’s interest was piqued. He asked curiously, "What’s the story here?"

"Well, it’s like this..." After Renee Jennings finished her explanation, a strange silence fell over the car.

After a moment, Zachary Conway finally processed it all, completely astonished. "So, you’re telling me you got scammed out of money by a guy?"

Renee Jennings: "...If you insist on putting it that way, I suppose so."

Henry Stark raised an eyebrow, watching her through the rearview mirror.

Zachary Conway started laughing. "Well, this trip was worth it, then. I’ve got to see what kind of man could actually manage to scam you."

Renee Jennings: "..."

’I’m suddenly starting to regret this.’

Half an hour later, the car pulled into the underground parking garage of Everwood Manor.

The group had the property management pull up the surveillance footage, and after confirming that Evan Shepherd was home, they headed straight for the 19th floor of Block D.