Chapter 16
Edward Quan ·
“I'd leave something that important out in plain sight?”
His voice dripped contempt.
But I knew I'd gambled right.
He was trying to cover it with words.
If he really didn't care, he wouldn't need to say so much.
He could simply rush over and snatch the doll.
The woman wouldn't have needed to stop either.
Yet both of them had stayed still.
This doll had to matter.
“What a beautiful doll.”
“I've never seen one so lovely.”
“Her face is more delicate than a movie star's.”
“It would be such a shame to smash it.”
I brought it in front of my face and stroked its cheek, deliberately grimacing and pouting with exaggerated regret.
“If you dare break it...”
“I'll make you and that little ghost wish you were dead.”
The man's smile disappeared.
His face darkened.
“And if I don't...”
“Will things end well for us?”
This time, I was the one who sneered.
“Go on. Try it.”
He began walking toward me.
“D-don't come closer!”
“I really will!”
I swallowed.
I was so tense I stammered.
I kept backing away until my back touched the wall.
Nowhere left to go.
He kept coming.
Closer and closer.
I drew a deep breath, raised the doll, and hurled it at the floor with all my strength.
Thud!
It hit with a heavy sound.
But it didn't break.
It rolled a few times and stopped at his feet.
He bent to pick it up and carefully wiped the dust off with his sleeve.
Then he smiled at me.
“Oh...”
“Forgot to tell you.”
“These dolls...”
“Can't be broken.”
“How...”
I stared at him in shock.
He'd clearly been nervous a moment ago.
“I was only playing with you.”
“Ha ha ha...”
“That was fun.”
He laughed loudly.
The female ghost looked at me and giggled too.
So he'd been acting.
And she'd only stopped to watch me make a fool of myself.
“Meizhen.”
“Finish the little ghost.”
Once he'd stopped laughing, he turned to her.
“No!”
I flung myself toward the corner.
The boy lay completely still now.
He had no strength left to fight.
The woman bent over him and bit into his neck.
The man caught me immediately.
“Please...”
“Let him go!”
I sobbed and begged.
He didn't waver.
He only watched the corner with enjoyment.
The woman tore a piece from the little ghost's neck.
A transparent gap appeared in its place.
He lay motionless.
No response at all.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Someone hammered on the door.
The man frowned toward it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Open up!”
“Police!”
It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.
“Meizhen.”
“Go back first.”
“Watch Yiyi.”
The man opened the room's door and went into the living room.
The woman immediately left the boy.
In a flash, she slipped back into “Mom's” body.
Then “Mom,” lying on the floor, opened her eyes and sat up.
She smiled at me.
Then she seized me in a tight embrace and clamped a hand over my mouth.
“Good evening, officers.”
“What's the matter?”
The front door opened.
Three police officers and an old man stood outside.
“Sorry to disturb you so late.”
“This gentleman reported his granddaughter missing for several days.”
“We were told she disappeared around this alley.”
“We're making inquiries.”
“Have you seen this girl here in the last couple of days?”
“Officer...”
“I haven't—”
Before he could deny it, I tore free of “Mom's” hand and screamed.
“Help!”
“Please help me!”
“Officers, help!”
“Detain him!”
“Search inside!”
An officer immediately gave the order.
Handcuffs clicked.
Then two officers rushed in and carefully checked the house.
“Yiyi!”
“Yiyi!”
“At last, we've found you!”
“Oh...”
An old man rushed out from behind the police.
Before they could stop him, he'd run straight to me.
He seized my hand and began wailing.
Only, it was dry crying.
Not a single tear.
“If anything had happened to you...”
“How could I ever face your grandmother?”
“Mr. Zhang...”
I looked at him, then at the little ghost lying unconscious in the corner.
He followed my gaze.
The moment he saw him, his legs faltered.
I hurried to support him.
His usually sharp face rarely showed such grief.
His lips went white and trembled.
“What's wrong?”
One officer was restraining “Mom.”
The other noticed the disturbance and came over.
Right.
If the police saw the little ghost, how would we explain?
I was worrying about that when the officer merely glanced at the corner behind us and asked Mr. Zhang kindly, “Are you all right, sir?”
“I...”
“I'm fine.”
He concealed his sorrow and gently patted my hand, as though telling me not to worry.
Could the police not see the boy?
Of course.
How many people in this world could see ghosts?
“Officers...”
“What is going on?”
“Mom” spoke.
“Why is the missing girl here?”
“And why was she calling for help?”
“We suspect you two may be involved in a kidnapping.”
“We'll need you to come to the station and assist with our investigation.”
Another officer came in beside the handcuffed man.
“Missing?”
“Kidnapping?”
“Officer.”
“Isn't there some misunderstanding?”
“I'm Yiyi's mother.”
“What?”
Both officers inside exclaimed together.
Even the officer at the door froze.
“She isn't—”
I was about to say the woman wasn't my mother when Mr. Zhang squeezed my hand hard.
I swallowed the rest of the sentence and looked at him in confusion.
He shook his head, signaling me to keep quiet.
“Yes.”
“I'm her mother.”
“I have lots of photos of us on my phone.”
“You can check your system and see whether we're mother and daughter.”
As she spoke, she felt around her clothes.
“Unfortunately, I didn't bring my phone.”
“Otherwise, I could show you right now.”
The three officers exchanged looks.
Clearly, none had expected this.
For a moment, they didn't know what to say.
“Yes.”
“She is Yiyi's mother.”
Mr. Zhang broke the awkward silence.
“Then...”
“Mr. Zhang.”
“Why did you come to me?”
The officer who'd shown concern for him gave a helpless smile.
“The girl was staying with her grandmother.”
“Then she suddenly vanished.”
“She didn't say she was going to find her mother.”
“We couldn't reach her mother by phone.”
“She wasn't at home either.”
“Everyone was worried.”
“Her grandmother was so anxious she fainted.”
“I asked around everywhere.”
“Someone said they'd seen Yiyi in this alley.”
“I was afraid something had happened.”
“So I came to you for help.”
It seemed Mr. Zhang knew this officer very well.
“Then...”
“This man...”
“Is he her father?”
The officer by the door pointed.
“He's not my father!”
I answered immediately.
“Oh...”
“This is my boyfriend.”
“Yiyi's father died ten years ago.”
“She's grown up now.”
“So I found myself a companion.”
“Mom” even lowered her head in a show of embarrassment.
Shameless.
Using my mother's face to spout this nonsense.
I wanted to rush over and slap her.
But Mr. Zhang held my hand firmly.
He wouldn't let me act rashly.
“Then...”
“Why did she call for help?”
The question was asked.
Instantly, the whole room fell silent.
Yes.
How could we explain that?
I thought and thought but couldn't find a reasonable excuse.
In the end, I made something up.
“I...”
“I was only joking.”
“Because I don't like him.”
...
Silence again.
“Just a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. Yiyi came to see her mother and forgot to tell her grandmother. Sorry to make you all worry.”
The man broke the silence with an easy laugh.
As he spoke, he smiled at me.
To my eyes, that smile said:
“So what if the police came?”