Chapter 13 Chapter Twelve

After dinner the next day, I began to read the family epic written by Uncle Simon, looking for any clues about the girl who hanged herself.It would be easier for me to do it by myself, but then I would have to take time off from school, and I didn't want to use being sick as an excuse to make other people worry.So Ray and Daniel and I sat on the floor of the spare room with the Simon family tree spread out in front of us, and Abby and Justin downstairs played pickle. A family tree is a thick, tattered sheet of paper, scrawled with layers upon layers of handwriting.At the top, in elegant brown ink: James, about 1598, married Miss Kemp in 1619.At the bottom are the crooked words of Uncle Simon: Edward, born in 1975; and finally: Daniel, born in 1979.This is the only thing in the whole room that can understand. Daniel flicked the spider thread on the edge of the family tree and said: Maybe it’s because Uncle didn’t write it alone.As for the rest we can still go over it, Lacey, if you really want to know, but it seems to me that he was very, very drunk when he wrote it.

Hey, I leaned over and pointed to the family tree and said: William the Prodigal is here. William and Daniel tapped their names with their fingertips.Born in 1894 and died in 1983, he was right.I'm curious where he ended up going.William was one of the few members of the family who lived past the age of forty, and Sam was right that the whole family died young. Seeing if I could find him here, I pulled a box in front of me and said: I'm starting to be interested in this guy, and I really want to know what the unbearable past is. Girls, Xiao Rui said arrogantly: I like digging people's privacy the most.But he also grabbed a box himself.

Daniel is right that most past events are difficult to decipher.Simon drew a bunch of key points, without leaving any gaps between lines, in a standard Victorian style.But I don't need to read, just look for cursive letters with W or M initials.I don't know if I want to find it, maybe I don't find it, maybe I completely overthrow what the Rasovans say. The girl moved to London with her child, managed a successful tailoring business, and lived a happy life ever since. Downstairs I heard Justin talking, and Abby laughing, far away and faintly.The three of us didn't speak, and there was only the rustling of pages turning in the room.The room is dark and cool, the shadow of the moon hangs high outside the window, and the paper leaves a thin layer of dust on my fingertips.

Hey, yes, Xiao Rui suddenly said: William became the protagonist of something that was extremely inappropriate and caused an uproar. In the end, he lost his health and God, Daniel, your uncle must be drunk, can this be called English? Let me take a look. Daniel bent over and took a closer look. It should be healthy and have the original social status.He took the letter from Xiaorui and pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose: Aside from the rumors all over the street, he read slowly along the handwriting with his fingertips: The truth is as follows: William participated in the Great War from 1914 to 1515, during his service , here should be the performance, outstanding, and later awarded the Military Merit Cross for his heroic deeds.Based on this point alone, all the low rumors can be eliminated.In 1915, William was discharged from the army after being wounded in the shoulder by a shrapnel and suffering from shell shock

Post-traumatic stress disorder, Xiaorui said.He leaned against the wall and listened quietly with his hands on the pillow.poor guy. I don't understand here, Daniel said: It has to do with what he saw, I think it should be on the battlefield.The word he used was cruel, and he went on: he broke off his engagement to Miss West, had no attachment to his own position, and preferred to live among the common people of Glensky Village, but he caused a lot of uneasiness.I think it's unnatural for all parties to understand that it's impossible for a relationship to have a happy ending. A bunch of snobs.Xiao Rui said.

How dare you speak!As I spoke, I rushed to Daniel's side, resting my chin on his shoulder, trying to read the words clearly.The content before this is not unusual at all, but I know that there is no possibility of a happy ending is what I am looking for. About this time, Daniel was reading, tilting the Codex so I could see it.A young girl in the village who finds herself in trouble reveals that William is the father of the unborn child.Regardless of the truth, the moral sentiments of the Glensky people are very different from today's. There are two underlines under the word morality. The villagers are deeply shocked by the girl's misbehavior, insist?The girl should leave the village and enter Magdalen Monastery to wash away the shame.They decided to treat the girl as an outcast until she was admitted to the asylum.

No happy ending, no little London tailor.Girls were forced into slavery because they were pregnant, raped, orphaned, or too beautiful. They could not leave the monastery laundry until they became unnamed solitary graves in the cemetery. Daniel kept reading, his tone soft and steady, and I felt his voice vibrate on my shoulder.But the girl, neither giving up her soul nor accepting the request of repentance, decides to kill herself.William was devastated, perhaps because he committed a crime with the girl, or perhaps because he had seen too much blood and his health was rapidly deteriorating.After recovering, he left his family, friends, and home to start a new life in a different place, and he has hardly been heard from since.This incident may be intended to remind us of the dangers of desire, the dangers of breaking social class, and Daniel stopped and said: I can't read the rest, anyway, the part about William is here, and the next paragraph is about horse racing.

God!I said softly. The room suddenly felt chilly, as cold as if the windows were wide open and the cold wind was blowing wantonly. They treated the girl like a leper until she couldn't take it anymore, Xiaorui said, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly, and William had a nervous breakdown and left the village.So it's not recent that they've been like this, and Glensky has always been a center for madmen. I felt a shudder down Daniel's spine.It was a despicable thing, he said: Really.I sometimes wonder if we should apply the no-past principle to the house as well, although Daniel looks around, the room is full of things, dirty and dilapidated, the wallpaper is peeling, the door is wide open, and the mirror in the hallway is speckled, reflecting us The dark blue figures of the three of them.Although I'm not sure, he almost murmured: It can be done.

Daniel gathered the manuscript, carefully put it back into the box, and closed the lid.I don't know about you, he said: But I've read enough tonight, let's go find Justin's. All the papers on Grunsky in Ireland, I think I've seen them all, I called Sam that night and he said to me.His tone was tired and vague (document burnout, I know) but satisfied: I know that village better than anyone else, and I found three people who fit your profile. I sat on a tree with my feet tucked tightly between the leaves.The feeling of being watched is getting stronger and stronger, and I wish the guy would just jump out and let me see.I didn't mention it to Frank, let alone Sam.As far as I can tell, the voyeuristic sense is nine-tenths out of my imagination, Lacey's soul, and unfinished stalkers, but I don't want to tell anyone.During the day I always felt that my imagination was the culprit, and maybe the wildlife helped a little, but at night, I wasn't so sure.Only three?Three out of four hundred people?

The Glenskys are disappearing, Sam's tone is flat, almost half are over sixty-five, the kids pack up and move to Dublin, Cork or Wicklaw, anywhere that's even remotely popular. A person whose family owns a farm or inherits a family business.There are less than 30 villagers between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five. After deducting those who work in other places, those who are unemployed, those who live alone, and those who have a way to get away during the day, such as working night shifts or working alone, there are only three people left. personal. God!I said, thinking of old men stumbling across empty streets in the morning, of people behind the lace curtains of one window in rows of dilapidated houses.

I think this is progress, at least the three of them still have work, and there is a sound of page turning on the other end of the phone: Okay, here are the three people's information.Benen, 31 years old, runs a farm outside the village. He is married with two children.Naylor, twenty-nine, from the village, lives with his parents and works on someone else's farm.McEdge, twenty-six, also lives with his parents and works the day shift at a petrol station on Rathowen Road.All three of them have nothing to do with Hawthorn Forest House. Does anyone particularly make you suspicious? I couldn't think of it for a while, so I said: Sorry.Almost fell off the tree after speaking.Well, that's right, said Sam, calmly.Yes I expected too much.But I hardly listened to him.Naylor, it's about time someone's initials are N. Which one would you pick?I asked, trying to be as quiet as possible.Sam is the most ignorant detective I know, and it works better than I thought. It's too early to tell, but if I had to choose, I'd pick Bennen, the only one with a criminal record.Five years ago, a pair of American tourists parked their car on the side of the road and went for a walk on the trail.The car blocked the entrance and exit of the farm, making it impossible for Beneng to move the sheep. He kicked the car viciously, creating a big hole.Criminally damaging and unfriendly to outsiders, graffiti vandalism may be his interest. The other two have no criminal record? Byrne said he'd seen both men in bad shape, but never so badly that they warranted arrest.They may all have hidden crimes, because Grunsky is such a place, but as far as it goes, yes, they are doing well. Have you talked to them?It's hard to explain, but I just think we should look at this Naylor. Going to the village pub is obviously out of the question, and it's not a good idea to pretend to be passing by the farm where he works, but if it's possible when he arrives at the Bureau for questioning Sam laughed. Give me a little time, I just locked the subject this afternoon, and I plan to talk to the three of them tomorrow morning.I want to ask if you can come over?Just look at them and see if anything comes to mind. I really want to kiss him.Goodness.Where?What time is it? Sure enough, I think you should be interested, Sam said with a smile: Let’s just go to the Rathowen branch, their family is of course the best, and it won’t scare them, but I’m unlikely to take you there. Sounds good, I said: awesome, actually. The smile deepened in Sam's words.Me too, do you have a way to avoid other people? I'd tell them I had a doctor's appointment to check the stitches, which was supposed to happen anyway.Thinking of other people gave me a strange pain in my heart.If Sam finds a definite lead on these three, the undercover operation will be over, if not arresting, and I'll have to leave the Forest House and go back to Dublin and the Domestic Violence Squad. They wouldn't want to accompany you to the hospital? It's possible, but I wouldn't let them follow.I'll get Justin or Daniel to drive me to Wicklaw Hospital, can you drive to the hospital to pick me up, or can I take a taxi to Rathowen? Sam laughed.How could I miss the chance to pick you up?Is half past ten all right? No problem, I said: By the way, Sam I don't know how much you want to probe them, but before you talk to these three people, I have a little new news for you, about the pregnant girl, the uncomfortable betrayal Feelings gripped me again, but I reminded myself that Sam wasn't Frank, and he couldn't have come to Lin House with a search warrant and a bunch of deliberately annoying questions.The whole thing seems to have happened in 1915, the girl is unknown, but her lover is William, born in 1894. Surprised silence, then: Ah, you are amazing, Sam said happily: How do you know? So, Sam didn't listen to the microphone recording, at least not all of it.I was so relieved that even I was startled.Uncle Simon wrote a family history before his death, and mentioned the girl. Some details are not correct, but it is indeed the girl. Wait a minute, Sam said, and I heard him flip through the blank pages of his notes.Well, tell me. According to Simon, William participated in World War I in 1914 and returned home a year later physically and mentally.He broke off his marriage contract with a good girl of the same family, cut off contact with his old friends, and started activities in the village.From what Simon read between the lines, it was clear that the people of Glensky were not very happy. There was nothing he could do if he wasn't happy, Sam's tone was indifferent: the other party was a landlord family who knew it too, and he could do whatever he liked. Later, the girl became pregnant, I said: Her claim that William was the child's father Simon seemed suspicious, but anyway, the incident shocked the village, and the residents regarded the girl like dirt and wanted to send her to the Magdalen Laundry .But before the Grunsky could force her into submission, the girl hanged herself. The breeze blows through the forest, and the raindrops lightly splash the leaves. So, Sam was silent for a moment, and then said: Simon believes that the responsibility is not with his family, but with the crazy farmer in that village. The anger came to me suddenly, and I was caught off guard. I just wanted to bite Simon's head off. William wasn't much better, I said, clearly hearing myself exasperated: he'd had some sort of breakdown, the details of which I don't know, but it seemed he ended up in a nursing home, and it wasn't necessarily unrelated to his unborn child. There was another silence, a little longer this time.Indeed, Sam said: Yes, I'm not going to argue tonight anyway, because I'm too happy to see you. It took me a while to realize it. All I thought about was the chance to meet the mysterious N, not Sam. With less than twelve hours left, I said: I'm going to dress up as Lacey, with nothing but white lace underwear. Oh, don't do that to me, said Sam: We're doing business, miss.But before I hung up the phone, I could still hear the smile in his voice. Daniel sat in an armchair by the fire reading Elliott while the other three played cards.Well, I'm sprawled flat on the hearth rug, the butt of the gun slamming right between my ribs, and I flinch openly.What's the matter with you, you've never been the first to lose. He was knocked down by me.Abby raised her glass and said loudly. You're less smug there, Justin said, feeling like a loser: not charming at all. She was right, Daniel said: she was bluffing more and more.Does your wound hurt again? The table was quiet for half a second, only the sound of Xiao Rui fingering coins was heard.Just because it happened to me, I said: I'm going to have a follow-up clinic tomorrow, let the doctor poke me a few more times, and then tell me it's okay, I already knew that.can you give me a ride Of course, Daniel put the book between his legs and said: What time? Wicklaw Hospital, ten o'clock, I'll take the train to school later. But you shouldn't go to the hospital by yourself, Justin turned around in his seat, forgetting his cards.Let me drive you. I'm fine tomorrow. I can accompany you to the hospital and then to school together. Justin seemed worried, but if I couldn't stop him, I'd be in big trouble.I don't want anyone to accompany me, I said: I want to go alone. But the hospital is horrible and always has you waiting like a cow in a horrible waiting room for hours! I looked down and reached into my jacket pocket for a cigarette.So I will take the book to read.In fact, I don't want to go at all, because I hate people approaching and watching my every move.I just want to get over it and forget about it, okay?Can I do this? It was her decision, Daniel said: If you change your mind, tell us again, Lacey. Thank you, I said: You know, I am an adult, I can lift my clothes and let the doctor see the wound. Justin shrugged and went back to playing cards. I knew he was hurt, but there was nothing I could do.I light a cigarette and Daniel hands me the ashtray on the arm of the chair.Have you been smoking a lot recently? I must have looked dazed on the outside, but I was panicking inside.In fact, I have reduced the amount of smoking. I only smoke about fifteen or six cigarettes a day, which is between my own ten and Lacey's twenty.But I ignored the statement that the twenty roots were roommates, which was a one-sided statement heard by Frank.Daniel didn't believe that Lacey was just assassinated and unconscious. God knows what else made him suspicious.He was interrogated before, as long as he revealed one or two false information first, then he could just watch the changes (with those calm gray eyes, there was no trace of impatience in his expression), and see how the bait he set would attract you into the urn .It's that simple, as simple as it gets. I don't know, I said with a puzzled face: I didn't pay attention, did I? You didn't bring cigarettes for a walk before, Daniel said: I mean before the accident, you will now. I was so relieved that I could barely breathe.I should have noticed, because the body didn't smell of smoke, but it's a much easier slip than Daniel's, holding a good hand of cards to his chest. I also wanted to bring it before, and I said: I just kept forgetting.Now you let me remember to bring my mobile phone, so I also remember to bring cigarettes.Anyway, I sat up, glared at Daniel angrily and said: Why are you bothering me?Xiao Rui smokes almost two packs of cigarettes a day, and you never miss him. I'm not troubling you, Daniel smiled at me across the book and said: I just think that doing bad things should be enjoyed, otherwise why bother?But if you smoke out of nervousness, it's not enjoying. I'm not nervous, I told him.To prove it, I lay back again, put my elbows on the ground, and put the ash red on my stomach: I'm fine. It’s natural to be nervous for a while, Daniel said: It’s easy to understand, but you should find other ways to relieve stress, instead of ruining a great bad thing, he smiled half-smile.if you want someone to talk to You mean see a therapist?I asked: Damn, the people in the hospital told me, and I told them not to even think about it. Well, well, Daniel said: I think so, and I personally think you're doing the right thing.I've never been able to understand why you would pay a thoughtless stranger to listen to your troubles.Don't friends exist for this purpose?If you want to talk to someone, all of us My invincible lord, Xiao Rui raised his voice and said.He slammed the cards on the table and pushed them away.Somebody get me a vomit bag.Oh, I agree with your feelings, why don't we talk about what I missed?Did we move to California and no one told me? What is wrong with you?Justin asked, his tone tinged with ferocity. I hate gross nonsense the most.Lacey's fine, she says it's fine, what goddamn reason do we have to meddle? I sat up straight and Daniel put down the book.It's none of your business.Justin said. If I have to listen to this bullshit again, it's none of my fucking business.I'm not following, Justin, you win this game.Abby, deal the cards.After Xiaorui finished speaking, she reached over Justin to get the wine bottle. Speaking of doing bad things to relieve tension, Abby's tone was indifferent, don't you think you've had enough wine tonight? In fact, Xiao Rui replied: I think it is not enough, it is far from enough.He filled the wine glass until it overflowed a drop onto the table.Besides, I don't remember ever asking for your opinion, so fuck you up and deal the cards. You get drunk, Daniel says coldly, and get annoying. Xiao Rui rushed in front of Daniel, holding the rim of the cup with one hand, and I felt that he was about to smash the cup out. That's right, Xiao Rui said in a low and rough tone.I was really drunk, and I was going to get a little more drunk.Do you want to talk to me too, Daniel?Do you want to?Do you want us all to talk about it? Xiao Rui's voice was very strange, with a hint of danger, as if he could smell gunpowder, ready to explode. I don't see the need to discuss anything with someone in your situation, Daniel said: Sober up, get some coffee, and stop being a spoiled little baby.After speaking, he picked up the book again and turned his back to the others. Only I could see Daniel's face. His expression was very calm, but his eyes didn't move, and he didn't even read a word. Even I could see clearly that Daniel's handling of the situation was terribly wrong.As long as Xiao Rui gets emotional, he doesn't know how to deal with it. He needs others to help him change the atmosphere of the scene, whether it's playing tricks, mediating, or even discussing the matter, so that he can follow suit, and he will only add fuel to the flames. That Daniel would commit such a common mistake made me shudder.In addition to surprise, there is also a feeling, similar to fear or excitement. I can get Ray in seconds (oh, do you think I have PTSD? Like a Vietnam Veteran? Someone yells for a hand grenade, see if I'll drop right away) and almost actually up.I gritted my teeth and didn't do it because I needed to see how things went. Xiao Rui paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something else, but then changed his mind, shook his head with disgust on his face, pushed the chair away, and strode out of the living room with a glass in one hand and a wine bottle in the other.Soon, his door slammed shut with a bang. What are you doing?After a while, I said, Looks like I'm going to have to see a therapist after all and tell him my roommates are bugs. Stop talking, Justin said: Stop talking.His voice trembled. Abby put down the cards, got up, pushed the chair back carefully, and left the room.Daniel didn't move, and I heard Justin knocking over something and cursing under his breath, but I didn't look up. Breakfast the next day was quiet, ominous of the sort.Justin deliberately didn't talk to me, and Abby walked back and forth in the kitchen with a frown. She didn't drag Xiao Rui out of the room until we finished washing the dishes, and the three of them went out to school together. Daniel sat at the table and stared out the window, lost in his own world.I wiped and put away the dishes, and finally he moved and took a deep breath.Alright, he said with a slightly confused wink at the cigarette between his fingers: we'd better go out. On his way to the hospital, he still didn't say a word.Thanks.I said to him after getting out of the car. Where, he answered absent-mindedly, if something goes wrong, I don't think so, or if you change your mind and want to find someone to accompany you, remember to call me.After speaking, he turned his head and waved to me, and walked away. After confirming that Daniel had left, I bought coffee in a Styrofoam cup at the hospital cafe, and waited against the outside wall of the hospital.I saw Sam's car pull into the bay and he got out and looked around the lot before he saw me.Sam's face was tired, bloated, and old, so old that I could hardly recognize him, thinking: Who is this guy? Sam saw me and smiled, and I knew for a moment that it was Sam.I reminded myself that Sam always put on a kilogram or two when he was working on a big case, because he often ate junk food because he was busy, and I have been with young people in their twenties, and it is natural to see people in their thirties They are very old.I threw the cup in the trash and headed for the car. Oh my God, Sam hugged me tightly and said: It's good to see you.His kisses were warm, strong and unfamiliar, and even the smell of soap and ironed cotton on my body made me unaccustomed.It took me a while to recall this feeling. It was the first day I arrived at Hawthorn House, and I should be completely familiar with all the strange things. Hi!I said smiling up at him. Sam put my head on his shoulder, God, he said with a sigh, let's just forget about this damn case and elope all day, shall we? We were down to business and I said: remember?It was you who told me not to wear white lace underwear. I changed my mind and he brushed my arms with his hands.You look great, you know that?Feeling relaxed and awake, not so thin, all thanks to this case. It's country air, I said, plus Justin always cooks for twelve.what's your plan? Sam sighed again, let go of my hand, and leaned back into the car.The three boys will arrive at Rasovan in half an hour, and there is still plenty of time. This time I just want to check the water temperature, and I don't intend to provoke them.There is no observation room in the police station, but you can hear the interrogation clearly at the information desk.When I bring them in, you can hide behind and sneak out to listen. I wanted to see them too, and I said: Why don't you let me stay at the service desk, there shouldn't be any danger if they accidentally see me.If one of them happened to be a suspect, be it a murderer or a vandal, he would react violently when he saw me. Sam shook his head and said: That's what worries me, yes.Remember we talked on the phone last night, did you seem to hear someone nearby?If it's one of them who's following you, he'll think you're talking to the police when he sees you and we already know the killer has a bad temper. Sam, I put my finger on his and said softly: You and I are here for this, to get closer to the person we are looking for.If you don't let me do it, I will become a big slob who spends money on good food and reads popular novels all day long. After a while, Sam smiled, reluctantly.Well, he said: Makes sense, then when I bring them in, you just take a look. He pressed my finger lightly, then let go.Before I forget he rummages in his coat and says: Frank wants me to give you this.Samton gave me a jar of medicine, the same as the one I took to the Hawthorn House, deliberately marked in large letters as oral antibiotics.He wants me to tell you that your wound has not fully healed and the doctor is still worried that you will get an infection, so you still need to take medicine again. Now I don't need vitamin C anymore.As I said that, I put the medicine jar in my pocket, feeling heavy, and pulled the jacket to one side.The doctor is worried that Frank is already thinking about my exit mechanism. The Rasovin police station is rotten.I've seen many of these little police stations, in the backcountry of Ireland, caught in a vicious cycle, despised by those who pay, offer jobs and find other jobs on earth.The service desk only had a broken chair, a poster advocating that cyclists should wear helmets, and a small window, allowing Bourne to chew gum and stare out the door in a daze.The interrogation room is obviously also a storage room. There is a table, two chairs, an unlocked filing cabinet, and a stack of self-filling confessions. There is also an old riot shield from the 1980s in the corner. I don’t know why. .The plastic floor was starting to turn yellow, and there was a squashed fly on the wall, so it was no wonder Bourne had become what he was. Sam kicked around, trying to get the interrogation room sorted out, and Bourne and I stayed at the service desk, out of sight.Bourne pushed the gum into one cheek, stared at me dejectedly, and said: It's no use. I didn't know what to say, but he obviously wasn't expecting an answer either.Bourne turned back and continued to stare at the small window, and began chewing gum again.Now this guy is Bennen, he said: Big ugly. Sam was good at interrogating if he wanted to, and he was going to do that today.He kept the atmosphere lighthearted and nonthreatening.Do you know who stabbed Miss Lacy?Will there be any concept by chance?What do you think of the five people who live in the Hawthorn House?Have you seen strangers haunting Glensky Village?Sam's message is casual, but it's clear that the investigation is drawing to a close. Facing the question, Bei Neng answered impetuously and muttered.McAde is less savage, but also less interesting.Both said they had no clue, and I listened casually, and if there was something Sam would catch, I just wanted to see Naylor, the look on his face when he saw me.I stretched out my feet, pretended I was being called in for more frivolous questions, and sat in the broken chair and waited. Benen was really big and ugly, with an exaggerated beer belly sandwiched between his strong limbs and an egg head.Sam led him out of the interrogation room, and Bein saw me, recognized me, gave me another look, and gave me a vicious, sinister sneer.He obviously knew Lacey and didn't like her.McAde was the complete opposite, tall and lanky, his beard scrambled because he wanted to grow a beard.He just nodded slightly at me and staggered away.I went back to the desk and waited for Naylor to come out. Naylor's answer is similar, that is, I don't know what to ask.His voice is pleasant, like a lilting baritone, with a Glensky accent and a touch of tension.I've only just learned to recognize the accent, and it's a little rougher and more outgoing than the Wicklaws.Sam finished the interrogation and opened the door of the interrogation room. Naylor was of medium build, lean and wiry, wearing jeans and a baggy faded jumper, with matted red hair, a bony, angular face with prominent cheekbones, a wide mouth and narrow eyes with bushy eyebrows and green pupils.I don't know Lacey's taste in men, but this guy is clearly attractive. As soon as Naylor saw me, his eyes widened, almost making me jerk back.There was a raging fire in his eyes, perhaps mixed with hatred, love, anger and fear at the same time, but it was not like Beneng sneered viciously, not at all.There was passion in his eyes, as bright and blazing as a beacon. What do you think?Sam asked me as he watched Naylor striding across the road towards the muddy 1989 Ford worth fifty pounds at most as scrap metal. Only one thing was on my mind, and now I'm sure where the tingling in my neck is coming from.Unless McEdde is a master of disguises, I think you can put him last on the list, because I bet he has no idea who I am.Even if the saboteur wasn't a murderer, he spent a lot of time paying attention to the forest house, and he must have recognized my face. Like Bennen and Naylor, Sam said: "Both of them are not at all happy to see you. They're from Glensky, Bourne whispered behind our backs: Needless to say, they're not happy seeing anyone, and nobody's happy seeing them. I'm starving, Sam said: Let's have lunch? I shook my head: No, Xiaorui has already sent me a text message, asking me if I am okay.I told him I was still waiting, but if I didn't get back to school soon, they would come to the hospital for me. Sam took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders.Well, he said: At least we've eliminated one guy, leaving two.I'll drive you back to Dublin. When I went back to the library, the four of them didn't ask any questions, just nodded at me, as if I had just gone out to smoke.Looks like my rant against Justin last night really worked. Justin was still very unforgiving of me, and I spent the afternoon pretending to be deaf and dumb.The silent offensive made me extremely nervous, but Lacey's stubbornness never faltered, only her focus.By dinner time, the stew was thick as a solid, the house smelled fragrant, rich, and warm, and I finally exploded.can i talk to youI asked Justin. Justin shrugged and didn't look at me.The heroine is here.Xiao Rui said something in a low voice. Justin, I said: Are you still angry that I acted like a bull yesterday, why didn't you listen? He shrugged again.Abby held the saucepan and wanted to pass it to me, but she put the saucepan down again. I was terrified, Justin, I was terrified of walking into the hospital and the doctor was going to say something was wrong with me and I had to be operated on or something.I saw him look up, his eyes flickered with anxiety, and then he continued to twist the bread into small pieces.If you get scared too, I can't handle it.I'm really, really sorry.can you forgive me After a while, Justin squeezed out a half smile and said: I think so, then moved the saucepan to my plate and said to me: Now, finish the meat. What did the doctor say?Daniel asks: You shouldn't need another operation, right? No, I scoop up the stew and say: just need another antibiotic.The wound wasn't completely healed and they were very worried that I would get another infection.Talking loudly made me tense up, right under the microphone. Did they check it?Daniel asked. I have absolutely no idea what a doctor should do.I'm fine and I said: can we stop talking? Good boy, Justin looked at my plate and nodded: Does this mean we can use onions more than once a year for cooking? My stomach suddenly sank, and I looked at Justin blankly. Uh, I mean, since you know how to eat now, Justin’s expression is stiff: it means that onions won’t make you want to vomit, right? Fuck Fuck Fuck!I ate almost anything, and it never occurred to me that Lacey might be a picky eater, something Frank was unlikely to get out of ordinary conversation.Daniel put down the spoon and looked at me, I didn't taste it at all, I said: I think the antibiotics might make my mouth weird, everything tastes the same. I thought it was the taste that you hated.Daniel said. Oh shit!What I dread is the thought of onions, now that I know there are My grandma did the same thing, says Abby: She was on antibiotics and her sense of smell went away and never came back.You'd better talk to your doctor about it. Please, please don't, Xiao Rui said: We managed to make her not complain about onions, and I voted for letting nature take its course.Do you want the rest?or to me? I don't want to lose my sense of taste and eat onions, and I say: It's better than an infection. Very good, then bring it here. Daniel continued to eat, I turned the stew on the plate suspiciously, and Xiao Rui gave me a supercilious look.My heart was beating wildly, and I thought: sooner or later, I will definitely make an inexplicable mistake. The onion matter turned beautifully. That night, Frank said: You have arranged your own exit mechanism, and it depends on the timing.Antibiotics ruin your sense of taste, so you stop taking them, and, hey, you get an infection.Wish I could have thought of this trick. Sitting in a tree wrapped in a utility jacket, the sky was cloudy, the rain was tapping the leaves, and it could turn into a downpour at any moment, and I pricked up my ears for Naylor.Did you hear that?You are not going home? I haven't been back much these days, anyway, I have time to catch up on sleep after I catch someone.Speaking of which, my weekend with Holly is coming up, so I'd be content if we could get it over with. Me too, I say: trust me. oh?I thought you were starting to get used to it, it was very comfortable. I can't hear the meaning of Frank's words. No one can be as calm as him.It could be worse, of course, I said: but I've had enough of it tonight, and I can't keep getting over it.What progress have you made there? 運氣不好，查不到梅露絲逃跑的原因。查德和她好友都不記得那星期有什麼異狀，但這本來就有可能，因為畢竟是四年半前的事了。 我不意外。嗯，好吧，我說：起碼試過了。 不過，我們倒是發現一件事，法蘭克說：可能和案子無關，但這件事很怪，而在這個階段，任何怪事都值得注意。從外表看，蕾西是怎麼樣的一個人，妳覺得？ 雖然法蘭克看不到我，我還是聳聳肩。這個問題太過親密，讓我有些不自在，彷彿要我描述自己。不曉得，活潑吧，我想。開心、自信、活力旺盛，或許有點孩子氣。 嗯，我也覺得。我們從錄影畫面看到的是這樣，她的屋友也這麼說，但聯邦調查局問了梅露絲的朋友，得到的回答可不是如此。 我忽然腹中一涼，忍不住雙腳抬高，更往枝葉裡收，嘴巴咬住指關節。 他們說梅露絲很害羞，非常靜。查德認為是她來自阿帕拉契山上偏遠小鎮的關係，雷利市對她來說就像一場大冒險，雖然喜歡卻有點難以承受。梅露絲個性溫和，愛作白日夢，喜歡動物，正在考慮要不要當獸醫助理。好，我問妳：妳覺得這聽起來像是我們認識的蕾西嗎？我一手拂弄頭髮，希望人在地面上，因為我很想動。所以你想說什麼？你認為有兩個女孩恰巧長得和我很像？我得告訴你，法蘭克，這件案子已經快要耗盡我對巧合的容忍極限了。我腦中突然浮現一幅瘋狂的景象，我的分身在世界各地不斷出現、消失又重現，宛如電玩店裡的打地鼠機，每個洞都有一個我上上下下。我咬定牙關不讓自己咯咯笑出來，心想：我童年一直想要有個姊姊或妹妹，結果你看。所以，許願的時候千萬要小心 法蘭克笑了。 no.妳知道我愛妳，寶貝，但兩個妳就夠了。再說，女孩的指紋也和梅露絲吻合。我只是覺得奇怪，我認識不少人改名換姓，例如保護證人或類似女孩的成年逃家者，但他們都告訴我一點，就是這些人之前和之後完全一樣。改名換姓展開新生是一回事，改變個性又是另一回事，就算訓練有素的臥底，也得時時叮嚀自己。妳現在二十四小時喬裝蕾西，應該很清楚，知道那是什麼感覺。絕對不容易。 我做得還可以。我說，心裡又有衝動想笑。這女孩，無論她到底是誰，絕對能當頂尖的臥底。也許我真的該和她互換身分。 那是當然，法蘭克討好我說：但女孩也是，這點很值得調查。女孩或許只是天賦異稟，但也可能受過訓練，比如臥底或演員。我會開始打探，妳自己也想想，是不是有什麼跡象可以判斷。這能算是計畫嗎？ 嗯，我說，身體緩緩靠向樹幹。Not a bad idea. 笑意消失了。我初次造訪法蘭克辦公室的回憶閃過心底，鮮明得彷彿能聞到灰塵、皮革與威士忌咖啡的氣味。我忽然懷疑那天下午在陽光飽滿的房裡，自己是不是完全沒有察覺真相，是不是太過雀躍，心不在焉，以致錯過了關鍵時刻。我之前一直認為開頭幾分鐘就是測驗，包括分析街上那對情侶和法蘭克問我會不會怕，從來未曾發覺這只是第一道關卡，真正的考驗來自許久之後，在我自認早已取得入場券的時候。當年我和法蘭克做下秘密約定，但卻毫無所覺，或許正因如此，我才能輕鬆化身蕾西。 查德知道嗎？法蘭克正要掛斷，我突然問：梅露絲其實不是梅露絲？ 知道，法蘭克開心回答：他曉得。我之前盡量讓他多保有一點幻想，但這週找人跟他說了，因為我需要知道他是不是有所隱瞞，不管基於忠貞或其他理由，不過顯然沒有。 可憐的像伙。他反應如何？ 他會沒事的，法蘭克說：我們明天再聊。說完就掛了電話。我坐在樹上，指尖循著樹幹的紋路，坐了很久很久。 我開始懷疑自己是不是低估了死者，而非兇手。我不願這麼想，心裡不斷逃避，卻又非常篤定，蕾西肯定有問題，在她生命深處。她我行我素，不聲不響地拋棄查德，笑著預備離開山楂林屋，在在有如困獸咬斷陷阱夾住的腳掌，沒有一絲呻吟。女孩這麼做可能是情急使然，這些我都能理解。但她從害羞甜美的梅露絲變成活潑逗趣的蕾西，轉換得天衣無縫，這就不同了，是不對的，一個人再怎麼情急恐懼也不致如此。但她做了，因為她想。女孩如此隱瞞、如此黑暗，極有可能引來某人的滔天怒氣。 絕對不容易，法蘭克說。但這就是重點，對我來說一直很容易。前後兩次，我化身蕾西就像呼吸一樣自然，輕鬆走進她的生命，有如套上舊牛仔褲。這一點始終讓我害怕，恐懼不已。 直到睡前，我才想起那天在草地上，一切喀噠各歸其位，我開始將五人看成一個家庭，而蕾西是淘氣的么妹。蕾西的思路與我相同，只是迅速百萬倍。她只瞥了一眼就看出他們是誰，少了什麼，眨眼就讓自己補上空缺。