"When?"
The little girl tilted her head. As she thought about the question, she stopped crying.
"Yester—no..."
The little girl shook her head. "The day before..."
"Mm, three days ago."
The little girl nodded firmly.
"Pangpang went missing."
"I looked all over the house for a long time, but I couldn't find Pangpang."
"Mom and Dad both said Pangpang had flown away. I don't believe them..."
"Pangpang and I were so close. It wouldn't just fly away..."
Her voice grew choked with tears again.
"It must've been that bad man who took Pangpang."
"He's going to eat Pangpang."
"Maybe he's already eaten him..."
The little girl looked helpless and flustered. Her face was full of sorrow. "It's been so many days..."
Before the girl could burst into tears, the policewoman quickly asked what was on her mind. "Who's the bad man?"
"Why do you think he took your Pangpang and ate him?"
The little girl's tears stopped.
Why?
Her parents had asked her the same thing before.
"Uncle likes eating little birds."
The little girl told her what she knew. "He once said Pangpang would taste really good."
"He even asked if I wanted to try some."
The policewoman frowned.
Regardless of whether the uncle the little girl mentioned had done anything to Pangpang, what he'd said to her was enough to make the policewoman think much less of him.
Was that something an adult should say to a child?
Asking a child to her face if she wanted to eat her beloved pet?
What kind of person was he?
The policewoman grumbled to herself.
But her expression grew thoughtful.
From the little girl's few descriptions, this uncle did seem somewhat suspicious.
But saying something and actually doing it were two different things.
Besides, it was possible that the uncle