Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Miss Jennings Has a Lead

Inky told Renee, "The place is really remote. I saw them locking up a lot of dogs. There was an enclosure made of blue sheet metal, and a lot of people were inside, watching two dogs fight."

"There were also people with whips, hitting dogs in another area. Several of the dogs were covered in bleeding wounds. It looked so painful..."

After hearing all this, Renee instantly understood. "They’re not dog meat traders," she said. "It’s a dogfighting ring."

’But stray dogs and pets don’t have that kind of fighting instinct.’

Dogfighting ring? Both Inky and Tutu were confused by the term.

Tutu barked anxiously, "Renee, what’s a dogfighting ring?"

Renee explained gravely, "A dogfighting ring is a place where they force two dogs to fight each other while people bet on the outcome."

Tutu trembled with fear. "D-do they die...?"

"Yes!" Inky suddenly remembered something else. "I saw them drag a dog that was covered in wounds and completely still into a very cold room, then call someone to come and collect it."

Renee’s eyes narrowed, her voice turning cold. "So, they even sell the dogs that die to the dog meat traders."

This time, Tutu didn’t need an explanation for "dog meat traders." He understood. His ears drooped limply, and he let out a low whimper as tears welled in his eyes.

’Are my friends still alive...?’

Renee frowned slightly. "Inky, did you see where they put Eggy?"

Inky replied, "They locked Eggy in a cage. It was really crowded with other dogs. A guy they called Blondie said he needed to be ’trained’ for a while."

"I see." Renee lowered her gaze, a suspicion already forming in her mind.

Dogfighting was a bloody and cruel business that inflicted immense harm and high casualties. To maintain a constant supply of new fighters, these unconscionable operations preyed on stray and pet dogs.

Late that night, Renee pushed down her anxiety, got Inky and Tutu settled, and set her alarm for seven in the morning before heading to her room to sleep.

When the alarm went off, Renee’s eyes snapped open. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Rhea Dempsey was preparing breakfast and was surprised to see her up at this hour. "Why are you up so early today?"

"Morning, Mom. I have something to take care of today," Renee said, grabbing her clothes and heading into the bathroom.

Rhea poured the freshly made, steaming soy milk into a glass.

When Renee came out after washing up and changing, she heard her mother speak.

"Did you get any news last night?"

"I did," Renee nodded.

Rhea didn’t press, only saying, "Have your soy milk and fried dough sticks before you leave."

After drinking half a glass of warm water, Renee downed the soy milk in one go.

Seeing how quickly she drank, Rhea guessed she was in a hurry. She grabbed a brown paper bag, put two fried dough sticks inside, and said, "Here, you can eat these on the way."

Renee looked at her, and for a moment, her vision blurred as a strange scene flashed through her mind.

In the vision, Rhea had packed the fried dough sticks for her to eat on the road. She, however, had looked at them with utter disgust, thrown them in the trash, and declared that was food for poor people. She was a little princess; she wanted a baguette with creamy soup.

Renee frowned. ’What’s so great about a baguette, anyway?’ she thought. ’Fried dough sticks are obviously way better.’

She reached out to take the fried dough sticks from Rhea, but her hand moved on its own, slapping the bag to the ground.

Rhea stared at her, stunned.

Renee herself had no idea what had just happened.

’I was trying to take them, so why did my hand slap them away?’

A watery sheen gradually filled Rhea’s eyes. With a wounded expression and trembling lips, she stammered, "Renee, you..."

"Mom..." Renee’s voice was tinged with panic. "I’m sorry, my hand just... slipped."

She quickly bent down to pick up the fallen fried dough sticks, a look of confusion on her face.

"Don’t worry about it, they’re dirty now." Rhea’s voice held a barely suppressed sob, but she feigned calmness. "I’ll get you some more."

"No, it’s fine. See? Still edible." Renee took a bite of a dough stick and walked to the entryway to put on her shoes.

She pulled open the door, and Tutu went out first.

Before closing the door, Renee added, "I’m leaving, Mom! I won’t be back for lunch."

Rhea walked to the balcony and watched her daughter’s slender figure retreat. Her brow was tightly furrowed, her face etched with deep worry.

**

The Police Station.

The moment Renee appeared, Kyle Morgan spotted her and walked over to greet her. "Good morning, Miss Jennings. Are you here to see the chief?"

"Morning." Renee’s expression was calm, her tone flat. "I’m here to file a report."

Hearing this, Kyle Morgan’s expression immediately turned serious.

「Half an hour later.」

Renee was sitting in the office of Director Quentin Lowell.

Quentin Lowell was a middle-aged man with an imposing, upright posture, like a great pine. He had short, neat hair, and beneath his thick eyebrows were a pair of shrewd eyes that seemed capable of seeing through all the world’s lies and evils.

He looked at Renee, a gentle smile softening his stern features. "Miss Jennings, I’m glad I finally have the pleasure of meeting you."

Quentin Lowell was well aware that Renee had assisted the police in solving several cases in the past.

While the cases themselves hadn’t been particularly complex, her outstanding abilities at such a young age were undeniable. Her potential was limitless; she was not someone to be underestimated.

Facing the calm and serious Quentin Lowell, Renee was actually quite nervous. She pursed her lips and said softly, "You flatter me, Director Lowell."

After the brief pleasantries, Director Lowell’s smile faded, and his expression turned serious as he got down to business. "We have indeed received numerous reports from the public recently about pets being stolen or snatched by criminals."

"We’re taking this very seriously and are investigating every angle to find a breakthrough." Director Lowell’s tone shifted as he looked at the young woman before him. "Do you have a lead, Miss Jennings?"

"I do," Renee said, her expression grave. "A few of the stray dogs I’m friends with were taken. Last night, we deliberately went to..."

Quentin Lowell listened, growing more dumbfounded by the second.

He knew she had extraordinary abilities, but what Renee was saying was still incredible.

’A dog willingly acted as bait?’

’She had a robin follow them?’

’And the robin came back and told her it was a dogfighting ring?’

Quentin Lowell pressed his lips together, momentarily at a loss for words.

After a full minute of silence, he finally asked, "Miss Jennings... can you understand what a robin says?"

"Yes." Renee nodded gently. "We’re relying on it to show us the way to the dogfighting ring."

Director Lowell hesitated. "This may be a bit forward of me, but would it be possible for you to give a demonstration, Miss Jennings?"

Renee understood his hesitation and agreed immediately. "Of course."

The window in Director Lowell’s office looked out onto a small grove of trees, where a bird was perched quietly on a bare branch.

Renee stood up and walked to the window. Her gaze fell gently on the bird as she called out softly, "Inky."

Inky flapped its wings and flew to her. "Renee, are we ready to go now?"

Renee smiled. "Not yet. Director Lowell wants to test our teamwork."