Threecases.Fourdead.
Oneclosedbyforewrittenoffassuicide,onefessedbythekillerhimself.
Formostdetectives,sudingswouldbedreamlike:swiftjustice,effortlessvictories,thekindofrecordonewouldboastabout.
Buttherewasn''''''''ttheslightesttraileonLu''''''''sface.
Ononesidestoodthegirls,strippedofaoseekredress.Thetwoheirs''''''''caseshadbeeuherug,theharmtheysufferedckedthebagofanofficialpolicecase.Noofficialcasemeantnhtfulpensation,noaccesstogoveraid.Parentsarrivedatthestationclutgpamphletstheyhadoncebeengiven,demandinganswers,demandiution.
Yettherepliestheyreceivedwereice-cold:Uheybringawsuitagainstthetwodeceased.
Deathextinguishescriminalliability,yes—butthewstilllowsacasetobeopened,ifonlytoestablishthefacts.Asfordamages,thatwouldhavetoghcivilcourt,bygpensatioionaldistressfromtheoffender''''''''sestate.
Theproblemwas—thevideotapes,thekeyevidence,weregohoutthem,howcouldthetruthbepiecedtogether?Andifaigationbegan,itwouldmeandraggiimsbatotheirnightmares,foldwoundsopenuntiltheybledanew.
Worsestill,thefamiliesofthoserichheirswouldsurelyinterfere.Theywouldtwistthestory,spreadrumorslikepoisohegirlsaswayward:sayingtheywereimmoratayouhattheyweresellingthemselvesformoney.Whowoulddaretakethatrisk?Whatfamilywouldgamblewiththeirdaughter''''''''sreputationandfuture?
AherewasReya.
Luknew,angsharperthananyknife,howlittlehehadgivenher.Hisworkmadehislifeerratic—casespulledhimawayfordaysatatime.WhenReyawaslittle,hehadohoughtofpghererfosterfamily,ohtwosteadyparents.Butthethoughthadslippedaway,buriedbehhisduties,andwhenhelookedagain,theyearshadpassed.Shewasnolongerachild.
Yes,Reyawasgrownnow.Shehadajob,anddatingwasnothingbutnatural.YetLu,liketlessfathersbeforehim,couldnotquietthefearthatghim:thethoughtofhisdaughterwounded,diminished,harmed.Hecould.
Especiallynotwiththeimagesthathauntedhim—Julian,theboyscarredanddisfiguredsincechildhood—andthatgreasy,pig-facedmiddle-agedmaheverythoughtcwedatLu''''''''schestuntilitached.
Sohedidtheonlythiohim,theonlyactoflovehecouldstillmanage:hestruckReya''''''''snamefromthereport.
WhenLufinallyturhefile,thepaperweighedinhispalmheavierthanlead,heavierthanguiltitself.
***
Foratime,lifehadbeenunnervinglystill.Withnoassigsoutinthefield,nodoor-to-doorinquiriestorun,Junhadlittletooccupyhimself.Yetthatfainthuhimlikeanant,chewingathishoutpause.
Oneevening,justasheaguptoleavework,hisphoup.
Ma''''''''amLee.
Shehadbeenhisfather''''''''sbrighteststudent,andinmanyways,hadwatchedhimgrowfromaboyintoaman.
"Jun,isthisagoodtimetotalk?"
Hecastagncearoundtheoffice.Withoutanswering,heslippedoutoftheoffidintoasteroomatthefarendofthehall.
"Yes."
"Whatdoyouknowaboutthathauntedhousesuicide?"
"Notmuch.Whenithappened,Iwasawayonfieldduty."
"Ijustwentthroughthereport.Itmentiohatthedeceasedhadsexualretionswithawomanbeforehisdeath.Yetnowhereinthefileisherstatementrecorded.youlookintothatforme?"
"Youcouldaskourcaptaily."
"YouthinkIhaven''''''''ttried?"Hertonesharpened."Hehunguponme—saidithadnothingtodowiththecase."
Lustillheldagrudgeagainstherforseizingallthetapesinthesilverringandcool-earringcase;itwasnowonderhisattitudetowardherwasice-cold.
Junexhaledsoftly."Alright.I''''''''llseewhatIfindinthearchives."
Usingtheexcuseof"studyingpastcases,"JuotherecordsroomandpulledJulian''''''''sfile.
Oheclerks,gngattherequestslip,askedoffhandedlywhattherewastostudyinaroutinesuicide.
Junonlychuckledtwioexpnation.Everyonekhesonofsomeonehigherup;noonedaredpressthequestion.
Lu''''''''sreporthadomittedthehewomanwho''''''''dbeenwithJulianbeforehisdeath.Buttheinalfiletoldadifferentstory—everydetailwasthere.Fingerprintsonthedoorknob.Footprints.Photographsofthestaffbreakroomandthehauntedhouseitself.ADfromsemeopsy.Andmore.
WhenJunsawReya''''''''sfootprints,theoversizedbeare,aerJulianhadwrittentohis"Esmeralda,"thearminsidehimshriekedlikeafirebell,ringingthroughhisskull.
SoReyahadnotmerelybeenJulian''''''''scolleague.Andthatyoungmanwiththescarredfacehadnot,asthereportsobndlycimed,simplychosensuicidebecausethehauntedhousehadclosed,leavinghimdestitute.
NowonderLu—alrecise,alwaysunpromising—hadsubmitted,forthefirsttimeinhiscareer,areportthatwasambiguous.
Nowoheentiresquadkeptsilentaboutthehauntedhousecase.Itwasn''''''''tonlybecausethemanager''''''''sarsonandcorpse-burningfollowedsoquicklyafter,demandingalltheirtimeandattentionforthevictimsinthosephotographs.
Butwhatdiditmatter,knowingthatReyaandJulianhadbeeangled?OherewasnowaytotieJulian''''''''sdeathtoher.Evenifsomeonehadseeogetheriaffbreakroom,ithadnocausallinktohisfall.
Julianhadjumped.Therehadbeennle,nosignofforlessReyacouldfly,shecouldnothavepushedhimwithoutleavingatrace.Theclusioncouldonlybesuicide—oract.
AtleastJulianhadnofamily,nofriendstoshoutatReya,tobraemptress,toinsistshehaddrivenhimtodespair—evenwithoutevidence.
Junclosedthefileaaloh.Theantofinstinctwasstillcrawlinginsidehim,butfasternow,burrowingdeeper.
Thiscasewasadeadend.Andwithallthefilesfromthedouble-murderseized,onlytheer''''''''sarsoncaseremainedforhimth.
WhenJuothearchivestorequestthefileontheer''''''''sarsoncase,hiscolleaguegavehimastrangelook.Thesecaseswerealreadysidered"settled"—ouchedthemanymore.Jun''''''''ssudde,hisfrequentvisits,hardlylookedlikesimplestudy.
"Doyou...heUSB?"theclerkfinallyaskedafterapause."Ithastherecoveredevideos.Butyou''''''''llhavetosignanadditionallog.Youknow—there''''''''salotofsensitivematerialinthere."
ItwasonlythenthatJunrealizedwhathiscolleaguethought.Thathehadetoseethoseimages—thewomenbrutalized,caughtoncameraintheirworsthumiliation.
Awaveofdisgustroseinhim,sharpandcold.Heshookhishead,hisvoicetighterthaended."No."
Healreadykhosephotosdidn''''''''ttainReya.Andhehadnoiihers.
Ihefilewasaworkphotooftheer,Linisan,tuckedintoaformlistingherbasicdetails.Jun''''''''seyesskimmedoverit—thenliherewassomethingstrangelyfamiliar.
Io,Linisanwasfarthihanwheurnedherselfin,heavilypregnant.Herfeatureswerenotdelicate,yettheyheldaquietdignity,touchedonlybythefaintdownturnofhermouth—afaceetchedwithsorrow.
Thefacereflectsthelife.
Achildhoodwithoutafather.Asickmothertocarefor.Fendingoffthefilthyhandsofdistaives.Whatkindofweighthadshecarried,alltheseyears?Atst,asteadyjhtintotheclutchesofthatbeastofamaepbystep,eredintothis.Truly,pitiful.
Junstaredatthephoto,andastrangeachestirredinhihechildwouldbebornjustasshewentintoserveayear-loence.Whenshecameout,therewouldstillbeherfrailmother,andaninfantwaitingtobefed.Alifethatstretchedaheadlikeatuhoutlight.
Heliftedhisbckcoffeeandtookalongswallow.Thebitternesssearedhisthroat.
Thefatesofpeopleatthebottom—sotwisted,sosuffog.Forthem,tobeclothedandfedwasalreadyaluxury.
Hisgazefellbacktothephotograph.
Andthenhispupilstractedsharply.
Thewomaniurele,fadedfloraldress.Thefabriccheap,thepatterheskirtcaughtmid-creaseinthefrozeofthecamera''''''''sshutter.
ButJunhadseenthatdressbefore.
Onthedaybeforethefireatthemanager''''''''shouse,hehadruniabeefnoodlehouse.Shehadbeenwearingitthen—sooutofstepwithherusualstylethatithadstruckhimasoddlyjarring.
Now,thatsamedressstoodbeforehimagain,framedinLinisan''''''''sphoto.
Thebitternessofthecoffeestillgtohistoachillhadalreadycreptuphisspine.