North American Detective: I am Proficient in All Kinds of Gun Quick Draws

Furthermore, although there were many rooms here, most were locked. Opening them revealed interiors completely covered with white cloths and thick with dust, clearly uninhabited for a long time.

Aside from that, Mike Smith, as the owner of this villa estate, primarily lived on the third floor, which included his master bedroom, study, and collection room. However, the main door to the corridor leading to those rooms was securely locked.

This was a strange situation. Normally, people wouldn't install an additional main door in their own home to seal off an entire floor.

Dean wanted to go in and take a look.

Ona, however, looked troubled. "Only Mr. Mike Smith had the key for it. He didn't like anyone going to the third floor without permission."

Dean looked into her eyes and said in a deep voice, "But Mike Smith is already dead!"

"Even the dead deserve their privacy!" Ona retorted, meeting Dean's gaze unflinchingly, her tone firm. "Unless you have a search warrant, I won't allow anyone in!"

The two locked eyes for several seconds.

Dean shrugged. "Alright. Though I'm disappointed, I respect your choice. Could we go up to the fourth floor then?"

Seeing he was no longer insistent, Ona nodded. "Yes, the fourth floor is mainly a library with many books. Little Mike enjoys spending time there, so later, please refrain from approaching him on your own initiative."

Dean nodded.

Childhood autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder, also known as autism spectrum disorder. This condition is characterized by a low level of engagement with the outside world, an intense focus on specific interests, difficulties with social communication, and a high probability of concurrent intellectual developmental delays.

Essentially, children with autism have a certain chance of having an intellectual disability. Therefore, Little Mike was quite fortunate not to have been affected in that regard; otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to complete basic education and acquire reading skills.

The locked main door to the third-floor corridor didn't prevent them from accessing the fourth floor. The mansion had five floors, but the fifth floor largely consisted of an attic-like structure. So when Dean went up, he found himself directly on an open-air observation deck.

Standing there, he had a clear view of the scenery in front of the villa estate; the perspective was excellent, and it received abundant natural light.

Behind the terrace was a door that appeared to lead to a library. It was open, revealing rows of bookshelves and gleaming floor-to-ceiling glass windows inside.

A small figure sat on the cashmere carpet, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling windows, engrossed in a thick book. Warm sunshine sprinkled on the boy's face, lending him an almost sacred aura.

He was so focused that even the arrival of Dean and Ona didn't distract him in the least. If not for the case files and Ona's account, almost no one would think this was a child with a mental disorder.

Dean watched Little Mike for over ten seconds before speaking regretfully, "He reminds me a bit of my younger brother. Such misfortune shouldn't befall a child like him."

Ona sighed. "The doctors say Little Mike doesn't just have simple childhood autism; it's possible he has an emotional deficit. The former can still be guided and treated, but the latter is much more difficult.

"I just hope I can live a bit longer. Otherwise, I'm terrified Little Mike might starve himself to death."

Dean could see that Ona's words were sincere.

He took one last look at Little Mike bathed in sunlight and said softly, "Ms. Ona, thank you for your cooperation. I won't disturb you any further."

Ona said indifferently, "Actually, it's nice to have someone to talk to. It would be even better if that 'charcoal ball' hadn't tagged along!"

Dean smiled but didn't reply.

After descending the stairs, Dean left the villa estate under Ona's watchful gaze.

「Outside.」

Harry was leaning against the SUV, listlessly smoking a cigarette.

Seeing Dean finally emerge, Harry quickly stepped forward. "Dean!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Following your tip, I called Holz. He made a huge discovery concerning Mike Smith! It looks like we've finally found the turning point in this case!"

Dean smiled faintly and, with Harry, hurried back to the forensics lab.