Chapter 12 Chapter Eleven

One thing many people forget: Sam is the detective with the highest crack rate in the Major Crimes Unit.I sometimes think that the reason may be very simple, Sam never wastes energy.The other detectives, myself included, would throw a fit if things weren't going well and start getting frustrated, angry at themselves for being incompetent, for the clues being lost, for the case to be damned.But Sam would just sprint, shrug his shoulders if he didn't succeed, and say: Well, that's right.Then start anew. He said a lot that week, well, yes.Whenever I asked about the progress of the case, he would blurt it out, but his tone was anxious and concerned, not as vague and thoughtful as before, and he was getting more and more tense.He went from door to door, asked almost all of Glensky Village, and asked about Hawthorn Grove House, but only got hot tea, biscuits, and blank eyes, and encountered countless soft nails.

Lovely young men who live up there, don't talk to us, don't get into trouble, how can anyone hate them, Inspector?Horrible, poor girl, something like that happened to her, and I said the rosary to her, must be some bad guy she met in Dublin I know what it is about the silence of the town, I have experienced it too, drifting like smoke, stubborn as stone.We have been dealing with the British in this way for hundreds of years, and it has been deeply rooted in our blood. Whenever the police knock on the door, the village will tighten up, as if making a fist.Sometimes silence is just silence, sometimes it is powerful, evil, cunning, lawless.There are bones buried on the hills, and ammunition is stored in the piggery, all of which have been kept secret by silence.The British underestimate the power of silence, and are blinded by appearances of dullness, but Sam and I both know that silence can be very dangerous.

On Tuesday night, the thoughtful tone returned to Sam's lips.I should have found out earlier, he said happily to me: They even refused to speak to the police in the village, so why would they tell me? Night.Bourne said they didn't like the Grunsky people there, and I figured everybody loves to gossip about the neighbours, so Sam guessed right.The Rathowon man was so different from the Grunsky man, and within thirty seconds he recognized him as a policeman.Come on, boy, are you here for a girl who got stabbed on the road?So that night, the curious farmer kept buying wine for him, preying on him, trying to make Sam reveal the case.

Byrne was right, they thought Glensky was nothing but a madhouse.On the one hand, there is a small town complex. Rathowen is only a little bigger than Grunsky, but with a school, a police station, and a few shops, he thinks others are backcountry.But it wasn't that simple, they really thought there was something wrong with Grunsky, and one guy told me he wouldn't even go to Regan's if he died. I wrapped my socks around the mic and sat in a tree smoking a cigarette.Ever since I found out about the painting, I found the trails too revealing and nerve-wracking.I didn't want to talk on the phone on the road, because I couldn't concentrate on my surroundings, so I found a big beech tree, chose a hidden corner in the branch of the tree, climbed up and sat down, with my buttocks just stuck in the branch, and I could clearly see the left and right sides of the path. Fang and the abandoned hut under the slope, you can hide in the branches and leaves as soon as you retract your feet.Did they speak of Hawthorn House?

There was a brief silence.Yes, Sam said: that house has nothing to say about Rathowen or Grunsky.Papa Simon was one of the reasons. Everyone said he was a crazy old bastard. Two guys remembered running to the forest house to poke their brains when they were young, and Simon shot him away.But it doesn't stop there. Dead baby, I said, with a smooth, icy flash through me.Did they know about that? know a little.I'm not going to say they're getting the details right, you'll see what I mean in a minute, but assuming they're roughly right, it's not very good.I mean, for Hawthorn House.

Sam paused.how?I said: They're not my family, Sam.Unless it happened in the last six months, it must have nothing to do with the people I met, but I don't think it is possible, otherwise I will definitely hear about it.I wouldn't be deeply hurt by what Daniel's great-grandfather did a hundred years ago, I swear. Well, so, Sam said: Although there are several versions of the Ruthowen people's statement, the main point is the same. They said that a young man in the Hawthorn Forest House had sex with a girl in Glensky before, and the girl was pregnant with a child.This kind of thing happened a lot, yes, the problem was that the girl had no intention of sneaking into the convent, or marrying a poor boy from the village in a hurry before everyone found out that she was pregnant.

A girl who lives her own way.Stories like this never have a happy ending, I say. The hateful thing is that the boy of the Simon family sees it differently, and he is furious.He's already engaged to a well-to-do Anglo-Irish girl from a good family, and his wishful thinking may be shattered.He told the girl that he didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore, and he didn't want to be responsible for the child in her womb.The girl had caused public outrage in the village. Not only was she pregnant out of wedlock, which was a big deal at the time, but she was found dead by hanging herself not long after she was pregnant with a child of the Simon family.

Similar examples have emerged endlessly from ancient times to the present, and most of them are quietly buried deep in the ground like last year's fallen leaves, turning into ancient songs and winter night stories.I think the girl's story has been buried for a century, or even longer, and the dark seeds of malice slowly germinated and grew, and finally gave birth to broken glass, knives, and poisonous blood fruits, all over the hawthorn hedge.I leaned against the tree trunk and suddenly felt a tingling pain. I stomp out the cigarette with the sole of my shoe and put the butt in the cigarette case.In addition to the story that the Lasuowen people told the children to keep them away from the hawthorn forest house, I asked: Is there any evidence that this happened?

Sam breathed a sigh of relief and said: No, I found two supporting detectives to look through the files, but found nothing.It was even more impossible to get the villagers of Grunsky to speak up, and they would rather everyone forget about it. But someone still remembers.I said. In the next few days, I should know more about this guy.I'm gathering information on all the Grunsky villagers and cross-referencing it with your file, hoping to get to know the man a little better before I get to talk to him.The problem is I don't know where to start.I was in Rathowen, and a guy said it happened in his great-grandmother's time, but it didn't help much, and his great-grandmother was still alive, almost eighty years old.Another person swore it happened in the nineteenth century, right after the famine, but I don't know.I think he just wanted to emphasize a long time ago, because he said that it was King Bru (Editor's Note: 941︱1014, the king of Ireland in the eleventh century.) reigned, and wanted me to believe him, but King Bru was from the eleventh century.Anyway, the time I got was around 1847 to 1950, but to be more precise, I really couldn't find help.

Actually, I said: Maybe I can help.I felt sick all over, like a traitor.Give me a day or two and see if I can find out a little detail. There was a short silence, like a probing, until Sam realized I didn't want to say more.Great, you can find any clues, he said, and then suddenly changed his tone, almost sheepishly.Listen, I was going to ask you, before these things happened, I was thinking I never took a vacation, only went to Yule once as a kid.and you? I've been to France, for the summer. That's visiting family, eh.I'm talking about a real vacation, like on TV, with beaches, snorkeling, bars and crazy cocktails, and guava singers singing "I'll Live".

I know what Sam is trying to say.What programs do you watch? Sam laughed.Discover IbizaLet's see how my taste has changed since you were gone. You just want to see skygirls, I said: Me and Emma and Suzanne have been talking about going on vacation together since college, it just never happened, see this summer. But they all have kids, don't they?It's hard to throw any more girl parties.I thought his tone was shy again, and the travel agency gave me a few leaflets, mainly about Italy.I know you like archeology, can I take you on vacation when things are over?I didn't know how to react, and I didn't have the heart to think.Sounds great and I say: glad you thought of that idea, but can we wait until I get home?Because I don't know how long the undercover will last. A moment of silence, allowing my face to twist.I hate hurting Sam, it feels like taking a dog that won't bite.It's been over two weeks, and I remember Frank saying a month at most. Frank only wanted to convince Sam at that time.Occasionally the undercover would go on for years, although I don't think this will be the case, as long-term undercovers are usually for criminal activity, not a single crime, but I can guarantee that the one-month statement must be Frank trying to get rid of Sam, Made it up.At that moment, I really hoped so.I was devastated at the thought of leaving here and back to domestic abuse squads, work clothes and crowded Dublin. Theoretically, I said: but it's hard to put a date on something like this.I might as well go home right away, as soon as one of us finds definitive proof, not even a month.But if I find a useful lead that I need to follow up, I may have to wait an extra week or two. Sam cursed sullenly in frustration: If I agree to jointly handle the case next time, remember to lock me in the closet and let me out when I wake up.I need a time limit, I suppress a lot of things, such as finding those three men and the baby for DNA comparison, just to wait for your undercover investigation to end.I can't even tell people we're doing homicide.weeks are a thing I was no longer listening to him, for there was a rustling on the path or in the depths of the woods.Not the usual sounds, nor the commotion of night birds, leaves, or small predators, which I had heard so well.is something else. Wait a moment!I said, interrupting Sam slightly. I took the phone away, held my breath and listened.The sound came from the trail, walking towards the main road, faint but gradually approaching, the slow and regular trampling sound was the sound of footsteps stepping on gravel. I have to go, I said into my phone, my voice almost whispering.I'll call you later if I can.After I finished speaking, I turned off the phone, put it in my pocket, folded my legs and hid in the branches and leaves to wait quietly. The sound is getting closer, the steps are steady, and it sounds like a giant.There are only hawthorn forest houses at the beginning and end of the trail. I slowly pulled up the pullover to cover the lower part of my face. The white is most obvious in the dark, and it is easy to leak my whereabouts. Night changes one's sense of distance, making things sound closer than they really are.I waited for a long time until I felt that the other party would not come before I saw the figure appear.The mottled shadow first flashed suddenly, and then slowly passed under the tree.In the dim light, the blond hair was pale and silvery, like the hair of a ghost, and I almost turned my head away.It's not suitable to sit and wait here. There are too many unknown things running around in the dark, their tracks are hidden, and some of them can't even be exposed. The figure walks into the moonlight, and I see it as a man, tall, with the build of a football player, in what looks like a designer leather jacket.He seemed to be walking hesitantly, his eyes drifted to the trees on both sides from time to time, and when he was only a few meters away from me, he suddenly turned his head to look at me. I quickly closed my eyes, because people are used to looking at other people's eyes, so the position of the eyes may also leak.But before I closed my eyes, I saw his face.The man was about my age, maybe a little younger, well-groomed, handsome but unimpressive, frowning slightly in confusion, not on the list of related people, and I had never seen him. The man walks under me, close enough for me to place a leaf on his head.The man continued on and disappeared at the end of the path, and I remained motionless.If he was Xiao Rui's friend, I would have to sit on the tree for a long time, but I don't think so.Judging from the hesitant attitude and the confused look in his eyes, he was definitely not looking for the forest house, but looking for something or someone. In the weeks before Lacey was killed, he and N met three times, or so the plan was.If what Xiao Rui and the others said is true, on the night of her death, Lacey went out to meet the murderer. My adrenaline was pumping, I wanted to run after the guy, or stop him on his way back, but I knew it would be foolish to do so.I'm not afraid, after all, I have a gun on my body, and although the opponent is burly, I don't think it is difficult to deal with.However, I only have one chance to attack, and I can't bear to shoot birds in the dark.I may not know whether he knows Lacey, or whether the relationship between the two is deep or shallow, but I think it's best to find out the other person's name first, and then get in touch with him. I slid down the tree in slow motion, and the bark lifted my top, barely hooking the microphone off.Frank must have thought I had been run over by a tank when he heard the sound.I hid behind the tree and waited quietly. It felt like I had waited for several hours before I saw the man walking back along the winding boat path, scratching his head with one hand, his expression still confused.Whatever he was looking for, he probably couldn't find.The man passed in front of me. I counted thirty steps and started to follow him. He always walked in the grass by the side of the road, walking lightly, hiding behind the tree trunk. The man's black SUV was parked on the main road, and it was modified like a giant beast. The windows were indeed dark glass, which was embarrassing.The car was about forty-five meters away from the fork in the road, and the roadside had a wide view, with long grass everywhere, scattered nettles, and an old abandoned milestone standing in the middle, and there was no shelter at all. I didn't dare to venture closer to see the license plate, but the guy patted the hood affectionately, got in the car and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, and the surrounding woods suddenly seemed cold and lonely.The man sat in the car for a while, thinking about what a man would think about, perhaps his hairstyle, and then started the engine and bulldozered down the road towards Dublin. After I was sure the man had left, I climbed back up the tree and thought about what had happened.While it's possible that this guy was the one who stalked me earlier and was the source of the shock on the back of my neck, I don't think so.Whatever he was looking for that night, the action was not so secretive that it made me feel like wandering the wilderness wasn't his specialty.I seem to realize a little clue, but it is not so easy to see the truth But one thing I'm sure of: Neither Sam nor Frank need to know about the RV Prince until I sort it out a bit.Sam would be outraged to learn that I was out walking late at night, dodging strange men on the trail where Lacey hadn't escaped the attack.As for Frank, he doesn't worry at all, because he always thinks I can take care of myself.But if he found out, he would immediately take over the case, find the guy and drag him to the police station, asking all eight generations of his ancestors, and I don't want to do that.A voice in my heart told me that this case could not be handled like this, and even a voice from the bottom of my heart said that this had nothing to do with Frank, it was not really related.It was between Lacey and me, Frank just happened to meet. But I dialed the number anyway.We had already spoken on the phone once, late at night, but Frank picked it up quickly.What's wrong?how are you I'm fine, I said: Sorry didn't mean to scare you.I just wanted to ask one thing in case I forgot.Is there a guy you've tracked down, about 183cm tall, stocky, in his late thirties, good-looking, blond, with a posh pooh-pooh cut, wearing a brown designer leather jacket? Frank yawned, which made me feel both guilty and relieved.He was still sleeping after all.Why do you ask this? Two days ago, at Trinity College, I met a man who nodded and smiled at me, seemed to know me, but he was not on the list of contacts.It's not a big deal, that guy doesn't behave like my close friend or something, but I still want to make sure, lest I be caught off guard next time I meet again.I'm not lying about that, it's just that the guys I met at school were thin and small with red hair.It took me nearly ten minutes to rack my brains to remember how he knew me.His booth in the library is in the same corner as ours. Frank tried to remember, and I heard the rustle of him turning over on the bed and pulling the covers.No impression, he said: I only think of Daniel's cousin Edward, twenty-nine years old, nicknamed Slow Doctor, blond hair, brown leather jacket, I think he looks handsome, if you like the type with big limbs . Not your thing?Edward, not N, why is this guy hanging out at Grunsky in the middle of the night? I like deeper cleavage.However, Edward said he had never met Lacey and had no reason to, since he and Daniel didn't get along.The fellow hadn't been to the Wood House for tea, and he wouldn't have gone out with them in the evening, and besides, he lives in Bray and works in Killiney, and I can't think of any reason why he'd show up at Trinity. Don't worry, I say: it's probably just someone the girl met in college.Go back to sleep, sorry for waking you up. It doesn't matter, Frank said with a yawn: Better to be upset beforehand than cry afterwards.Remember to do a briefing on the mic, describe the guy in detail, and if you see him again, let me know right away.His tone was sleepy. Yes, good night. I stayed in the tree for a few minutes, listening for unusual movements.Nothing but the rustling of the undergrowth in the wind, and a faint tingle in my neck, a tickle hard to ignore.I told myself that if there was anything to make me think wildly, it would be the story Sam just told: the girl who lost her lover, her home, her future, and before my eyes the dark bough was wrapped in a rope, and it was all that was left of her, herself and herself. unborn child.I called Sam before I even thought about going crazy. Sam is still up.What happened just now?how are you I'm fine, I said: I'm really sorry just now, I thought I heard someone coming over, and I thought it might be the stalker Frank was talking about, wearing a hockey mask and holding a chainsaw, but unfortunately there was no.That's true, of course, but twisting the truth to Sam isn't the same as lying to Frank, and my stomach twists. Sam was silent for a moment, I was worried about you.he said softly. I know, Sam, I said: I know you're worried about me, I'm fine, I'll be home soon. I felt Sam sigh, softly, resignedly, and I wasn't sure I heard it right.Well, he said: Then we can talk about the vacation. On the way back, I thought about Sam's saboteur, the tingling in my neck, and Edward.All I know is that he is a real estate agent, and he doesn't get along well with Daniel. Frank doesn't think much of his IQ. He really wants Hawthorn House, and even calls grandpa a lunatic.I simulated several possible scenarios in my mind. The murderous Edward locked the Hawthorn House and killed the residents one by one, or the Love Saint Edward had an affair with Lacey, and found out that she was pregnant and went crazy.I've thought about it a lot, but it's outrageous, and besides, I don't think Lacie has such bad taste that she'd have sex with a stupid yuppie in the back of an SUV. If Edward went looking for something near the wood house and found nothing, he would probably come again, unless it was just to get one last look at a place he loved but lost.But I don't think Edward is so emotional, I think he is a person who has something to talk about another day.In short, he wasn't particularly suspicious to me at the time. I didn't tell Sam that a dark premonition had just stirred up in the back of my mind.Someone with resentment towards the forest house, as if octane was on the verge of firing; someone who met Lacey in the trail, unknown, with the initials N; someone who made her pregnant.If the three things are done by the same person Sam's saboteur isn't very low-key, but he's smart (or sober) enough to keep his mouth shut.He may be tall, tall and suave, but we all know that Lacey's logic is different from ordinary people, and he may have a soft spot for melancholy men.I imagined the two meeting each other on the path, walking side by side without feeling the passage of time, the winter moon hanging high, the twigs frosted like silver threads, Lacey smiling, her eyebrows reflected.I think of deserted cottages, where raspberries hang like a curtain, separating a hidden world. I imagined the man who found out he could get the girl from Hawthorn Cottage pregnant would feel a godsend, a perfect coincidence, a golden ball sent by an angel, and he couldn't refuse it.He would kill Lacey. The next morning, someone spit on our car.We were going to school, Justin and Abby in the front, Rui and I in the back.Daniel went out early in the morning without leaving an explanation, and we were still eating breakfast.In the early morning, the haze was cool, and the surroundings were still silent. The drizzle was like a fog on the car windows. While flipping through the notebook, Abby hummed along with the Mahler music on the CD, and even raised the pitch in the middle of the humming.Xiao Rui put on socks on her feet and was dismantling the big knots on her shoelaces.We drove into the village of Glensky, and Justin braked and stopped outside the newsstand to let pedestrians cross the road.A lean, stout old man, wearing an old peasant-style duffel suit and a low bowler hat, staggered past us, raising his cane as if to say hello.Justin waved back. The old man glanced at Justin, stopped suddenly, and stared at us through the windshield, his expression distorted with anger and disgust, and he swung his cane against his round cap, smashing the morning into pieces with a bang.We sat up straight at once, but before we could react, the old man cleared his throat and spat thick phlegm into the windshield, right in Justin's face.The old man turned and walked across the road with the same deliberate pace as before. This is Justin gasping for breath: what is this?what happened? They don't like us, Abby said flatly, reaching for the windshield wipers.The street is long and lonely, and the doors and windows of a few light-colored huts are closed, standing quietly in the rain, with mountains behind.There was no movement around, only the old man's slow mechanical steps and the rustling of the lace curtains being lowered.Let's go, hmm. Bloody bastard, Xiao Rui said, he gripped the shoe like a weapon, his knuckles turned white.You should've hit it, Justin, and crushed that guy's brainless head all over the shitty road.He finished and started rolling down the window. Xiao Rui, Abby snapped, "roll up the windows, quick." Why?why let him Because, I said in a low voice: I still have to take a walk at night. As I expected, Xiao Rui was stunned.He glared at me, his hand still on the crank.The car almost stalled and made a horrible creaking sound. Justin quickly shifted gears and slammed on the accelerator.handsome!He said, with a tinge of displeasure, that any confusion would make him restless.Really handsome.I mean, I know they hate us, but there's no need for that, I didn't do anything, I braked to let him go, why is he spitting? I'm sure I know the answer.For the past few days, Sam has been investigating cases in Glensky Village.If it weren't for the assassination of a girl in the big house, how could there be police detectives in city clothes roaming the streets, asking questions at villagers' homes, and patiently digging out their long-buried stories?Sam must have asked skillfully, tenderly and expertly, as he always did, and the villagers' grievances would not be directed at him. fine.Xiao Rui said.Xiao Rui and I turned our heads to look at the old man, only to see him leaning on a cane, standing on the sidewalk outside the newsstand staring at us.Because he is a savage toilet monster, he hates everyone except his sister and wife.It feels like fucking Riptide. do you know?Abby said coldly without looking back: I'm really fed up with your colonial mentality, really.Don't think that because the other person didn't go to a private school, you are superior.If you don't like Grunsky, you can leave anytime. Xiao Rui opened his mouth to refute, but he just shrugged his shoulders in disgust and closed his mouth.He tugged at the laces so hard that they snapped and he cursed to himself. If the old man was thirty or forty years younger, I would write down his characteristics and return it to Sam.The old man can't even chase the five of us, so he won't be a murderer.Just thinking about it gives me a shiver in my shoulders, which makes me uncomfortable.Abby turned up the volume, Xiao Rui threw the shoe to the ground, and pointed two fingers towards the rear window.I thought to myself, this is definitely going to be trouble. Well, that night, Frank said: I want my friend from the FBI to send his men to dig up the information again.I told him that we had reason to believe that the girl left because of an emotional breakdown, so I wanted to find out some signs or possible reasons.We think so, right?just asking. I don't know what you're thinking, Frank, don't drag me in too.I sat on the same tree again, with my back against one half of the trunk and my feet on the other side so I could keep my notes in my lap.The moonlight pierced through the leaves, just bright enough for me to see the pages.Wait a moment.I clamp the phone under my chin and reach for my pen. You feel very happy.Frank said suspiciously. I just had a nice dinner, plus talking and laughing, how can I not be happy?Careful not to fall under a tree, I managed to get my pen out of my jacket pocket.Well, let's talk. Frank grunted sullenly.Pleasant, right?Just remember not to get too close, because you may still have to arrest one of them. I thought you thought the murderer was a mystery man in a black cloak. I didn't identify anything, the black cloak was just one possibility.Well, let me tell you what I have found so far. Don't blame me for being too ordinary. It doesn't matter if it's you.On August 16, 2000, Melluth changed her mobile phone system provider to save local calling charges.On the 22nd, she received a raise from the restaurant, with an hourly wage increase of 75 cents.On the twenty-eighth, Chad proposed to her, and she accepted.During the first week of September, the two drove to Virginia to meet Chad's parents, who said Melus was sweet and brought a potted plant as a gift. Engagement rings, I said, trying to keep it light-hearted.Though my head was filled with ideas like popcorn, I didn't want Frank to find out.Did she bring it with her when she left? No, the police asked Chad at the time, and Chad said she left the ring on the bedside table.That's okay though, because she always takes them off before she goes to work so they don't fall out or get in hash browns or whatever.The ring wasn't some big diamond ring, and Chad was the bass player in a garage rock band called the Nantuckians, who hadn't hit the jackpot yet and had to work as a carpenter for a living, a poor kid. Because of the dim moonlight, I sat on the tree again, so the notes were messy and ridiculously tilted to one side, but I could still read them.And after that? On September 12th, she and Chad bought a PlayStation together, and I think this year should be as effective as a lifetime commitment.On the 18th, she sold her '86 Ford for $600.She told Chad she wanted a less broken car because she got a raise.On the 27th, she went to the doctor for an ear infection, probably because of swimming.The doctor prescribed antibiotics, and the medicine cured the disease.On October 10, she disappeared.Is there any information you are looking for here? Yes, I said: that's what I want to know.Thanks, Frank, you are awesome. I was wondering, Frank said, what must have happened between September 12th and 18th.Until the twelfth, there were various indications that she intended to stay, including getting engaged, meeting the man's parents, shopping with Chad, and so on.But she sold the car on the 18th, I think she was raising money for traveling.Do you think so too? It makes sense.I said, but I knew Frank was wrong.There was a slight click of the originally vague clues, and suddenly the outline emerged. I knew why Lacey fled North Carolina. Whisper in my ear.I also knew why she was going to leave Hawthorn Cottage, because someone was trying to keep her. I'll find a way to dig up a little more of what happened that week, maybe send someone to poor Chad and ask him again.If we know why the girl changed her plans, we should be able to figure out who Mysterio is. sounds good.Thanks, Frank, let me know if you find anything. I looked at the notebook on the screen of my mobile phone so that I could reread the notes I had just made. Play Station doesn't matter, a person who isn't going to pay and isn't going to be found will of course swipe. The only clue that the girl planned to stay was that she changed her mobile phone system provider in August.Unless you really need to use the phone, you don't care about the rate.So the girl enjoyed being Melus on the sixteenth of August and didn't want to go anywhere. But within two weeks, poor rock boy Chad proposed.Nothing that happened afterward indicated that Lacy planned to stay.She agreed to the marriage contract, waited for the opportunity with a smile on her face, and when she had collected enough money, she immediately flew away without looking back.After all, the girl escaped not for the mysterious stalker that Frank said, not for the masked man and the cold blade hiding in the dark, but for a cheap ring, it's as simple as that. This time, the reason is the baby, locked with a man for life.Lacey could have dumped the baby just as she had dumped Chad, but that wasn't the point.The mere thought of being locked up with someone made her slam into the wall like a trapped bird. Missed period, air ticket price, and N. N is either her bond or her outlet, and I must find out the truth. The four of them were in the living room, lying on the floor in front of the fireplace like children, looking through an old suitcase that Justin dug out from nowhere.Xiaorui and Abby's legs were crossed intimately, and they had obviously put the day's dispute behind them.On the rug lay mugs, a plate of gingerbread, and miscellaneous trinkets such as scarred marbles, tin soldiers, and half clay pipes. Cool, I threw my jacket on the couch, squeezed between Daniel and Justin and said: What did you find? Weird little thing, Xiao Rui said: Here, here you are.Then I picked up the moth-eaten toy mouse, spun the clockwork, and let it crawl towards me, chirping.But it didn't take long for the mouse to click in frustration and stopped halfway. Or try this, Justin stretched out his hand and pulled the biscuit in front of us and said: at least it tastes better. I held the biscuit in one hand, and reached into the suitcase with the other to grab something hard and heavy. When I lifted it up, it seemed to be an old wooden box.The box cover used to have the word EM inlaid with mother-of-pearl, but most of it has peeled off.Ah, that's great, I popped the lid and said: the best catch in the world. It's a music box.The blue silk lining was threaded and torn, and the comb-toothed cylinder was dim. After a few chirps, a melody popped out. The voice was sluggish and sweet. It was <Green Sleeves>.Xiao Rui stretched out his hand to hold down the clockwork mouse that was still hissing, and everyone listened. There was silence in the room, only the firewood crackling and whispering. So beautiful, the music ended, Daniel closed the box and said softly: So beautiful, this Christmas Can I get a room and let it sleep with me?I asked: until Christmas? Since when did you need a lullaby?Abby asked, but with a smile on her face.sure. Luckily we've only just found it now, Justin said: "It's got to be very valuable and they're definitely going to suggest we sell it so we don't have to pay tax. It's not that precious. Xiao Rui took the music box from me and inspected it carefully. This basic model is worth about 100 pounds, and it will be much lower in terms of its appearance.My grandmother used to collect music boxes, dozens of them, and they were scattered all over the place, and if you stepped too hard, they would fall and smash, making her whole body go into convulsions. Don't talk about it, Abby kicked Xiao Rui's ankle lightly and didn't talk about the past, but she didn't seem very worried.Somehow, perhaps due to the mysterious chemistry between the friends, the tension of the past few days seemed to melt away and we were once again sitting side by side in harmony.The back of Abby's jumper is lifted slightly, and Justin reaches out to help her straighten it.Sooner or later, though, we'll find treasure in this jumble of junk. What would you do if you sold for a lot of money?Xiao Rui grabbed the biscuit and said: Suppose there are thousands of pounds.Suddenly I heard Sam's voice, close to my ears: That room is full of old antiques and old things, if there is anything precious A full set of Aijia heating cooking set, Abby immediately said: it has heating, there are also hot stoves and ovens, it doesn't look like scrap iron at all, it kills two birds with one stone. You wild woman, said Justin: Wouldn't designer clothes be better than a vacation to Monte Carlo? I am content as long as my toes are no longer frozen. Maybe the girl was going to give him something, I once said to Frank and the others, but the problem lies in this, she backed down and I suddenly realized that I was pressing the music box tightly, as if afraid of being taken away.I think I'll fix the roof, Daniel said: The current one should last a few more years, but it would be nice to be able to replace it earlier. You?Xiao Rui glanced at Daniel, grinned, and rewound the mouse again, saying, "I thought you wouldn't sell it, no matter how broken it is, you have to frame it and hang it on the wall."Family memories come first, and the windfall is aside. Daniel shook his head and reached out to me for his cup. I was dipping a biscuit into my coffee.What matters is the house, he took a sip and returned the cup to me.Everything else is embellishment, actually.I love the old stuff, but if it needs a roof job or something, I'll sell it without a second thought.There are enough stories about the house itself, not to mention adding our memories, every day. Xiaolei, what will you do with the money?Abby asked. Needless to say, this is the key to everything, the question mark is like a vicious little hammer constantly tapping in my head.Neither Sam nor Frank pursued the failed antique deal, because there was simply no indication of it.The estate had removed the goodies from the house, and Lacey didn't know the antique dealer or the dealer, and there was no evidence that she needed the money, until now. With only eighty-eight pounds in Lacey's account, she was barely able to leave Ireland, let alone start a new life abroad.再過兩個月，她的身孕就要遮掩不住，孩子的父親開始疑心，一切都太遲了。上回她賣了車子，這回卻什麼也沒得賣。 只要所求不高，什麼工作都肯做，拋棄舊生命奔向新生活一點也不昂貴，甚至便宜得難以想像。薇絲塔行動之後，我經常在破曉之前流連網路，瀏覽各國青年旅館的價錢與徵才廣告，計算開銷。不少城市只要一個月三百英鎊就能租到破公寓，十鎊就能在青年旅館過夜。算好機票，攜帶足以應付幾週的現金，照著廣告到酒吧、三明治店或旅行社應徵，只要一輛二手車的價錢就能展開新生。我的存款有兩千鎊，綽綽有餘。 蕾西比我還清楚這點，她實際嘗試過。她不需要在衣櫃後方發現林布蘭的真跡，只要找到不錯的小飾品，例如珠寶或罕見的瓷器就夠了，我還聽過泰迪熊賣到幾百英鎊。她只要找到合適的物件與買主，加上背著其他人出賣山楂林屋回憶的動機，就能輕鬆如願。 女孩曾經開著查德的車遠走高飛，但我願意拿任何東西起誓，這回應該不同。這裡是她的家。 我會幫大家換新床墊，我說：我床墊的彈簧已經露出來，每次都戳到我，好像豌豆公主一樣。賈思汀只要翻身，我都聽得見。接著便再打開音樂盒，結束我們的對話。 艾比雙手轉動陶煙斗，跟著旋律輕聲哼唱：綠袖子讓我喜悅，讓我開心小瑞將發條老鼠翻過來，檢視裡面的構造。賈思汀拈起一顆彈珠俐落彈了出去，將另一顆彈珠撞到丹尼爾的杯邊，發出清脆聲響。丹尼爾放下手中的小錫兵，抬頭微笑，頭髮蓋上前額。我看著他們，指尖拂弄藍絲襯裡，向神祈禱剛才答的正是蕾西所想。