The Million-Dollar Heart

Chapter 773

Vivienne found it strange, her gaze sweeping over the tangle of weeds in Cormac's overgrown field.

From a distance, and with trees obstructing her view, she couldn't make out exactly what was being grown. She furrowed her brow. "Mr. Wolf, how many drug precursors can you identify?" She could spot which herbs were poisonous but wasn't as clear about the raw materials for narcotics.

Percival's eyes flashed coldly. "Not many, just a few common ones. Vivienne, are you suspecting that the Abernathys are using this place as a base for growing and processing drugs?"

"That's not possible, Vivienne." Before she could respond, Matthew swiftly countered their speculation, "The villagers have had their suspicions about their crops; some even called the cops, but after several visits, nothing was found."

When he first arrived at the Suncrest Village, he hadn't ruled out that possibility.

He had gone around the Abernathy property specifically looking for signs. Drug processing surely had to leave waste behind, and with no sewage system in a rural village, it would have to end up in the waterways.

But the village wells, streams, and even the river a few miles away were all pristine.

The Abernathys didn't live near any water flow; aside from Cormac going out, the rest had hardly left their yard in over a decade.

Thinking about what he had observed, Matthew looked around and whispered, "Honestly, the smell around their place doesn't seem like drugs, but it's hard to describe. It's like the stench of something rotting, but not quite."

He crossed his arms, occasionally glancing at Percival. "Mr. Ellington, with all the people you've met, any chance you can identify the smell?"

The man shot him a look, his voice flat. "I'm not a dog!"

Had Matthew taken the wrong pill today? He was all smiles when they met before, but now he was being unusually sarcastic.

taken aback, at

and suggested, "Let's

a deep breath to suppress his irritation, Matthew agreed, "As you say, Mr. Ellington. Vivienne, follow me. The Abernathy household is just ahead;

Matthew through several twists and turns to a vast, flat expanse of

clustered houses in the village, the further they went, the fewer homes there were, and the more tranquil the environment became, until they stood surrounded by the Abernathy

land, an old fence surrounding it, and the architecture

it would be

despite their foresight in wearing gas masks, the pervasive stench was inescapable. Vivienne wrinkled her nose, a vague sense of

Percival. "Mr. Wolf, I feel like

replied, his surprise deepening, "but I can't

her

knock on the door,

her unease, she nodded her

silent wilderness as Percival surveyed the scene, noting its suitability for

positioned themselves in a radius around the Abernathy

with a

heard from inside, and an impatient, gruff voice grew closer, "Who is it? I've told you a hundred times, we don't need your village supplies,

grumbled, she opened

lingered on their faces for a moment before turning

she could recognize most of them. However, Vivienne and Percival, and even Matthew's

and Percival looked especially refined, dazzling like royalty from a castle. It was obvious they

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