Chapter 23 Twenty-third psychological consultation

Doctor, I'm sorry to register with you temporarily, but too many things happened in the past two days, and I can't wait for the fixed treatment time. The last time I left your clinic, I drove straight to the Clayton Falls Police Department and spent an hour filtering photos.My back was so sore, the looks of each villain were getting closer and closer, and I was about to call it a day and go home, only one of the faces was a little familiar, but I remembered that I had seen this person in the newspaper recently.Then I thought about Gary, who was visiting with a portrait of a psycho, and I should do my bit.I turned to a man with a big bald head and a beard, and I was about to omit it, but his blue eyes were sincere and contradicted with other features on his face, so I took a closer look.

it's him. Cold sweat gushed out all over my body at the same time, and my vision was blurred.To keep myself from fainting, I had to look away and press my forehead to the table.I tried my best to slow down my heartbeat, took a few deep breaths, and chanted sutras with my heartbeat, he died, he died, he died.After my vision recovered and my heartbeat slowed down, I looked at his photo again. I beckoned a policeman over, and as soon as he heard that I had identified the culprit, he immediately called Gary's cell phone to notify him.None of the headshots had their names on them. I asked the police, but they refused to tell me, so I insisted on talking to Gary.

I don't understand why no one will say who he is!He obviously has a criminal record.I spend so much time looking at fucking pictures, at least let me know his name too. It's great that you pointed out the photo, Annie, but first we need to verify some information.I don't want you to be happy too early, only to find out that you've got the wrong person He was right.I lived with him for a whole year. I don't doubt you at all.I'll let you know as soon as his full file is pulled up.Now you go home and have a good rest, okay?But before you leave the police station, please think about who is trying to harm you, and make a list for me.

Where is that kind of person?I've written a copy to show to my therapist, listing the names of everyone I know.A pervert must have a friend It's this direction that I'm investigating.Alright, you go home quickly, make a list and pass it to me, and we'll discuss it later. The next day, I paced back and forth in my house, waiting for Gary to call.The call was delayed, and he didn't answer the phone.I had to clean the house, killing two hours, and then I remembered the first mugshot that made me feel familiar. I couldn't bear my curiosity, and I turned out all the old newspapers for recycling, and checked them page by page.In the last one, I saw a headline saying that the repeat offender had just been released from prison, and because he was involved in a convenience store robbery, the police hoped that he would come to the case to explain.I read the report carefully.As soon as I read the name, I immediately knew who he was.My mother's stepbrother.Judging from newspaper dates, he had been released from prison a few weeks earlier.I wondered if my mother knew about his release from prison, and considered whether to tell her the news.All afternoon, I weighed whether or not to tell her.At five o'clock, I was like a squirrel on steroids, when my mother called and asked me to come over for pasta, and I said yes.

Dinner wasn't bad, but toward the end, while I was hesitant to tell my mom that her stepbrother was out of prison, my mom started talking about a little girl who had just disappeared in Calgary.I told her that I didn't want to hear it, and she continued on without stopping for a second, mentioning that the girl's mother went on TV to beg her daughter to go home as soon as possible, and my mother thought her attitude towards the media was wrong. She was very rude to reporters. If you want to save your daughter, you'd better not put on a bad face. Mom, it's not like you don't know that some reporters are very arrogant.

The last thing she should worry about right now is the media.The police are questioning the girl's father because he is said to have a concubine who is pregnant. Mom, stop talking, okay? She opened her mouth and I blurted out before she could speak: I saw Dewitt's picture in the paper. She snapped her mouth shut and stared at me. Your stepbrother, he's just out of prison, Mom, but he's involved in a robbery and the police want to check him out Do you still want to eat something?The mother and daughter stared at each other for a long while. It's my fault if it upsets you, I just want to

There is some soy sauce left, do you want it?Her face didn't reveal any emotion, but the hand twisting the napkin told me to back away. I'm stuffed.I'm sick to my stomach because I finally identified a photo at the police station today.Gary won't say his name yet, but he's checking his background and says he'll have more information soon. Mom froze for a second, nodded, and said, "That's good, maybe you can finally put an end to this whole thing, Annie Bear."She pats my head.Wayne got up and went outside for a smoke. After he left, I said: It's not over yet.Gary thought the gangster might have a partner, the same guy who tried to kidnap me that day.

Mom frowned.Why did Gary say that to scare you? He's not trying to scare me, it's because a psycho stole a photo of me.I thought he stole it from the company, but Gary questioned why he went to the company to steal that one.He even asked me to fax the list.Damn.In a hurry to defend Gary, I not only revealed the old photo to Mom, but also revealed the secret of the list of enemies. what list? It's a psychiatrist's bad idea, nothing more. If nothing, why did Gary ask you?What is written on the list?hateful.She bites on it. Just a few people who might have a grudge against me.

For example who? What I'm dying to say is that I listed all the people I'm close to, so I say: just a few ex-boyfriends and a couple of ex-clients.By the way, there is also the mysterious real estate agent who competes with me for performance. You mean Christina. No, it was the one who wanted to compete with me for the Seaview Building project from the very beginning. She narrowed her eyes.She didn't tell you? Who didn't tell me what? I don't want to cause trouble. Come on, mom, what's the matter? I thought you should know.She took a deep breath.Remember my friend Carol?Her daughter Antria, who also works at your company, has a friend who is very close to Christina's assistant.

So what? From the very beginning, Christina wanted to fight you on the mansion case.The mysterious house agent is her. Nonsense.If it had been Christina, she would have told me.The construction company saw that I was missing, so they picked her. Ma shrugged.I had the same feeling as you, but Antria said that Christina's assistant worked overtime for several weekends in a row, and was in a hurry to write a proposal.She said she even saw a few promotions for Christina Help Builders. I shake my head.Christina is not a villain, and she would never tease me in that way.In her opinion, friends are several times more important than money.

money?I heard that her husband has been struggling recently.The house he bought her was not cheap, but it was a pity that she spent money like running water and didn't know how to control it.Her husband must be a very considerate man. During the period when you disappeared, Luke and Christina were in love with each other. Of course they came together to search and rescue me, so it goes without saying.Moreover, that house was not given to her by her husband Andrew, it was bought by the two of them together.She likes to live a good life, so what's wrong?Christina's money is her hard earned money. Why do you keep protecting her? You suggested that Christina and Luke were messing around! Where do I have it?I'm just passing on the wind to you.She went to Luke's restaurant every night, often staying until closing time.Oh, by the way, you know what, the restaurant wasn't doing very well before you disappeared.Wayne chatted with the bartender at the bar a few days ago. The bartender said that he knew Luke's chef, and that the boss thought that if this continued, the restaurant might collapse.But then you disappeared, the news made a lot of noise, and it was his head, and the business immediately boomed.I guess it's the luckiest of misfortunes. Spaghetti with chicken diced cream, which was delicious, is now sticky and settling in my stomach. I want to go to the bathroom. I thought I was going to vomit for a moment, but after washing my hands and face with cold water and leaning my forehead against the vanity mirror, the nausea has gradually dissipated.My hair was hot and humid with sweat stuck to the nape of my neck, so I pulled a pink scrunchie out of a drawer and tied it up.I walked out of the bathroom and Mom was refilling the wine. Mom, I have to go. Thanks for dinner. If there is a new development, call me immediately.She rubbed my back and said, I believe everything will turn out well. I got home and the nausea had turned into a restless drive, so I decided to go for a run.It's not too late, even if it's bedtime, I can't fall asleep and I'm tense, and I'm startled by the sound at every turn.With my feet on the sidewalk, my thoughts are in a mess. Are Luke and Christina secretly dating?In the past when we were together, I don't recall any signs of their super-friendship.However, she and I robbed the marketing case of the building, so I was also kept in the dark?Did she know it from the beginning?I didn't let her talk that day, and that's what she wanted to tell me?Or was she trying to tell about her relationship with Luke?Luke's restaurant is not doing well, how come he never told me?A series of questions came one after another, churned in my mind, and then smashed into more questions. After half an hour of intense running, my mood eased a lot, but a vague feeling of uneasiness followed me home and into the shower.If I can hear their voices, I will stop thinking about it, right?Wrapped in a bath towel, I quickly called Luke's number in the restaurant.He answered the phone in a hasty tone. Are you busy?I said. Can speak for a few minutes. I just want to tell you that I went to the police station today to identify the photo of the gangster, and Gary said he would transfer the information to me as soon as possible. Hey!Very good! I guess so.I still want to know more. Please let me know what information the police brought up. I’m in a hurry to leave now. I’m sorry. Today’s business is so good that I can’t get out. Still fluctuating, I almost said I'd go to his restaurant for a drink and chat, but I hesitated too long before he hung up. I called Christina's cell phone, and she said that the construction company was going to hold the opening ceremony of the seaside building tonight, and she was in a hurry to meet the VIP at the door, and she would call back when she was free.After saying our goodbyes, I stared at the phone in my hand.Emma sat at my feet, looking up at me with big brown eyes. I'm making a fool of myself, right?She wags her tail, and I think her answer is yes. On my way back to my bedroom, I finally remembered where that old photo came from. The bell rang for a long time before Gary answered.It wasn't until I heard his soothing voice that I realized that my body was stiff for a long time. His voice slightly relieved the pressure in my muscles. I called your cell phone all afternoon but no one answered it, I said. Sorry, the battery is out. I want to tell you a few things.I hate this can't wait tune. I'm all ears. It occurred to me just now that there was a small shelf on the wall of the corridor outside my bedroom, and there were a lot of photo frames on it, and suddenly I remembered that there was a pewter photo frame, which I moved behind the other photo frames, because the photos inside were older, so it was abnormal crazy one That old photo was originally in your house? The nauseous feeling came back. A pervert can't pass Emma's level, so he must have come in to steal the photo while we were out for a walk.However, why did he take the risk of breaking into the empty door to steal this kind of thing? Good question.Have you ever given someone the keys to your house? I went hiking a few months before I was kidnapped and lost my keys, so I changed all the locks and haven't given the spare keys to anyone. So the thief is probably an inside thief, Anne.The thief gave the photo to the pervert so he could remember your face. My heart started beating wildly.But why pick that one? You might think that without that one, you wouldn't have noticed.There are many possible reasons. The guy who kidnapped me a few days ago It could be the same guy who stole the photo, or maybe he's the same gang that's been brought in to kill him. This is unreasonable.Why would someone kidnap me?No one ever asked for a ransom. Whether the gangster's intention was kidnapping is still a question.The gangster who took you up the mountain may have been ordered to do another job, but he later decided to keep you because he had other goals for you. Do you think his order was actually to kill me?God, Gary.My eyes wander to the alarm system. They're not going to do it so soon You're the center of attention now But I'm going to call the police car and keep patrolling your house.By the way, you write down all the people who may be close to that photo for me. A lot of people have been in my house. My furnace is broken. I just got someone to fix it. This case is too complicated, it is impossible for the criminals to improvise, the instigator must have other personal factors. Didn't I already send you the list you asked for? You are listing people who want to work against you.Now turn around and think about who benefits most from your disappearance. I'm dizzy.I need a little time.to think. Gary said: Go to bed first, and write tomorrow, okay?I'm in Eagle Valley, you take down the motel's phone number.Call me as soon as you think of something.I was about to hang up when he said, "And, Anne, don't talk about it just yet." I shook my hands and put on my clothes, Gary's words still ringing in my ears.Who benefits the most?I thought of Luke's thriving restaurant.I think of Christina's sale of the building. Then, I remember the pervert saying that he picked me because the chance came and it just so happened that my normally punctual boyfriend was late for dinner that day.In addition, the pervert also said that he saw Luke with a woman, but the pervert likes to torture me. If the woman is Christina, why didn't he just say it?Or does he want to keep it temporarily, waiting for an opportunity to say it and hurt my heart?However, if Luke secretly associates with Christina and removes the thorn in my side, why don't they get together openly?Also, why give the pervert that photo?They both have pictures of me.Ugh, that's ridiculous.Christina and Luke loved me so much that they would never hurt me. Who benefits the most? I stared at the hallway wall, where the small shelves had been removed.Someone stole my photo, and it was an inside thief.I checked the alarm system again, checked the door locks.A car passed by, Emma barked a few times, and I was almost scared out of my wits.I have to get out of here. It was an hour's drive to Eagle Valley. Gary's motel name, room number, and Google map were on the seat next to him. I thought why I didn't ask him why he went to Eagle Valley.But I guess he wants to investigate my case.What scenery I passed along the way that night, I don’t remember at all, I just feel so cold and too hasty to leave home, I forgot to put on my coat, only a vest and yoga pants, no warmth.The hands holding the steering wheel were shaking. Gary waited two or three minutes before answering the door. Sorry, I was in the shower and didn't hear it.What's up?Are you okay? There was still steam in the room, and he was buttoning the last buttons of his white shirt.He took off the towel hanging around his neck and wiped his hair, which turned steely when wet.After wiping, he threw the towel on the back of the chair and hurriedly smoothed his hair with his hands. Hey, I said, I want to talk to you about something.He gestured me into the room. The room is not big, just a bed, a telephone desk, a TV, and a bathroom.It occurred to me that this was the first time we were alone in a room, and the room suddenly became smaller. There was a half bottle of red wine on the bedside table.I never thought he was a drinking man, but how much do I know about him?Without saying a word, he picked up the wine bottle and raised his eyebrows at me.I nod.He poured me a glass from the hotel glass.I was lucky to have something easy to hold in my hand, and I raised my head and took a big gulp. I felt that the alcohol was instantly absorbed by the blood, my muscles relaxed, and a warm current spread all over my body.I sat down at the end of the bed. Gary pulled a chair from the phone table and sat facing me, elbows on his knees, chin in his hands. What's up? This thing is driving me nuts.Gary, you must find out who was trying to kidnap me the other day.The more I thought about it, the more I was annoyed, I was out of my mind all day long, and felt that everyone was suspicious.Just because of the gossip my mom heard, I even doubted Luke and Christina.Enough talk? What gossip did your mother hear? Gary, Luke and Christina aren't bad guys.My mother said that the mansion case was taken by Christina, and the two of them were often together after I disappeared.It is said that they also had financial problems at the time, but why bother with such gossip?The point is, I'm driving myself crazy about this. Gary stood up and paced the room, rubbing his chin with one hand.Tell me about the building case. I explained it to Gary and it ended with: Christina wouldn't do this to me, Gary. If I want to find out who is behind the scenes, I have to consider all kinds of possibilities. Well, she absolutely cannot. Is her marriage happy? Not bad, I thought.She doesn't mention it often, but it's probably because I just suffered so much, so she doesn't want to talk about it. Someone often sees her with Luke in the restaurant? Yes, but they are not dating now.At that time, we got together just to find people. Gary continued to pace. Hey, why did you come to Eagle Valley?I asked.Are you still looking for someone to identify you with the portrait? I just arrived this afternoon and just asked the night shift staff.Tomorrow I will ask the day shift. Have you called up the information on the photos I pointed out?Is David his real name?You said that you will notify me as soon as the information is released, but I haven't been able to wait for your call. Tomorrow other departments will pass on information, so that's all I can say for the time being. I hate it when you use police language to deal with me.I'm going straight to you, and you want to keep this little thing from me. The combination of frustration and alcohol eroded what little self-control I had left, and I wept. I lowered my head and buried my face, stood up from the end of the bed, and walked towards the door.As we passed Gary, he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to face him.I pushed against his chest with my other hand, but he wouldn't let go.The tears have dried. Let me go, Gary. Wait until you calm down. I shove his chest with my palm near the wrist.Fuck you, Gary.What are you doing, the more I look at it, the more annoying I get.I'm missing, you police just sit around and have nothing to do, but now you still want to make a fuss.Damn, I get raped almost every night and you don't even tell me his name?Don't you understand?Not only has my life been ruined, but now I still suspect that there is someone around me who wants to ruin me.You actually have the face to tell me that I have no right to know the identity of the gangster?This time I punched him on the shoulder.He didn't respond.I punch it again. He grabs my wrist.stop fighting. I glared at him.Don't play dumb with me. Under the principle of not affecting the handling of the case, I have told you everything that can be said. that's all?In your mind, this matter is nothing more than a case. Then his expression turned to anger.Do you know how many missing persons are there every year?How many children are missing?Most of them never come back.When I was young, my sister disappeared and never came home, so I aspired to be a policeman. I don't want others to experience the bitterness of our family.He lowers my wrist.Because of this case, my marriage is over. how come i don't know you There was a breakdown in the marriage before you disappeared, but we tried our best to get back together, so I applied for a transfer from Greater Vancouver to Vancouver Island.Later, not long after I was transferred here, you were kidnapped, and I worked overtime every day to handle the case. One month before you came home, she left.He chuckled, with regret in his words.She told me that I was busy looking for outsiders, so I didn't see the insider standing in front of me. Sorry, Gary, for causing you so much trouble.I know I've been having a hard time lately, but my heart is really messed up and I don't know who to trust anymore.Someone wanted my life, and I lost my voice and started crying. Gary took a step forward and took me into his arms.My face was at the height of his chest, and his chin rested on top of my head.As he spoke, his chest rumbled and shook my cheek. No one will hurt you, Anne.I won't let you get hurt again, understand? I tore my face away from his chest and looked up at him.His eyes were dark, and his hand on my back was so hot it burned through my shirt.It felt so good to lean against his strong body, I wanted to absorb his strength and carry it with me.We locked eyes. Standing on tiptoes, I stretched up against him, my lips against his.He refused to open his mouth, froze for a second, then he murmured: Oh, damn it. Being with Luke had always been sweet, tender, warm but never passionate.Gary and I kissed, silent and horny.He took my hips in both hands, lifted me up, and put me on the bed.He held the left and right sides of my body with both hands and bent down. At this moment, the pervert's face flashed in front of my eyes, and I was stunned.Gary questioned me with his eyes, and was about to stand up straight, but I pulled him to the bed, pushed him down to lie beside me, climbed on top of him, and grabbed the sheets on both sides of his face.We faced each other for a second, our bodies felt every inch of his skin, and our two hearts throbbed through the skin.He reached for my ribs with his blunt hands and lifted me slightly, his legs tensed as if he was about to push me away from his body. I put my cheek against his and whispered into his ear: I can only take the initiative.Only in this way can I He relaxed his limbs, held my face in one hand, turned my face to him, and forced me to meet his eyes.His tone of voice was staccato but tender, and he stroked my cheekbone with his thumb. Are you sure you want to do it, Annie?If you just stop here, I'm fine. A shiver of fear ran through me, but I turned my face toward his palm, nibbled at the fleshy spot of his thumb, and leaned down, hair like a curtain, shutting their faces from the world.I pressed my lips down to his mouth. He responded enthusiastically to my kisses, grabbed my buttocks, and rubbed my lower body. I immediately panicked and became a wooden man again.He sensed something was wrong and was about to speak, but I grabbed my hands and pressed them on the back of his head.My face was flushed with embarrassment, and I murmured into his mouth: You can't touch me and I won't let you move. Whether he understood, I don't know, but his lips relaxed.When I brought my lips to his, he didn't kiss back.I pressed and pulled my lips against his, pushed, nibbled, and played with his lips.Once my tongue slipped into his mouth, I sucked and sucked until he moaned. I undressed both of them, leaving only the underwear, and then kissed his chest, gently dragging my long hair back and forth, scratching his nipples hard, and goosebumps erupted on his skin.I straddle him, keeping eyes on him, while pulling his hands towards my breasts, caressing my nipples with his hands, caressing my ribs with his hands down, I feel more comfortable after , and moved his hand between my legs.I caress myself with his hand after the pervert, the first hand deep into the box, including myself.A wave of pleasure came up and I wasn't ready to surf, so I had to pull his hand back around my tits.I kissed him again, hooked my toes around his boxer briefs, and pulled them down.Then, while kissing, I took off my panties and kicked them. I clasped his hands on his upper back, touched my foreheads, lay quietly on his body, slightly separated from his lips, and lingered in the sky, feeling his hot breath mixed with mine.His skin was hot, almost feverish, and a thin layer of sweat covered both of us.At first he was short of breath, but he eased off, taking it easy for me. Using my toes as a pivot, I straightened up, spread my thighs, and twisted down to wrap myself around him.He didn't come into me, I took him in. He caught his breath in his throat and I paused, my heart pounding, waiting for him to get over it, for him to push me on the bed, hit me hard, push me up, whatever, but he didn't move.I want to cry so much.Thank him for his god-given self-control. He didn't budge as I moved back and forth over him.While I was moving continuously, his breathing was my only indicator, from his breathing I could see through his inner restraint and struggle.This strong and confident man succumbed to me, making my movements even more violent.faster and faster.It's getting rougher.I vented my anger on his body, forgive him for not daring to do anything to me.Sex organs became my weapon.When he climaxed, his hips and legs still didn't lift once, and he didn't sprint. He only contracted the muscles in my hands when his whole body was tense, which made me feel comfortable all over.Go all the way through your body.I continued to ride him until he probably felt pain.But he still didn't reach out to touch me.Finally I stopped, turned my face away, and let go of his hand.Only at this time did he raise one hand to hold the back of my head, embrace me in his arms, and gently shake me.Then, I cried. Afterwards, we lay side by side, gasping for air, staring at the ceiling.Neither of them spoke.Compared with the pervert, this experience has a huge contrast. I was completely helpless, but now I am the one giving orders. I was able to isolate the perverted past from the room, from the bed and outside the body.The fog of desire gradually dissipated, and my thoughts gradually cleared up.I think about where I am in my life right now, and what just happened.Gary opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. For the first time since I regained my freedom, I did what we just did.What I want to declare is that I am very happy that the object is you, but don't worry, I don't have any expectations, I just hope that this matter will not affect the business between us. The rhythm of his breathing changes, pauses, then resumes.He turned to look at me and opened his mouth, but I was one step ahead of him. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret what I did just now, and I certainly hope you don't regret it, but I don't want to analyze it with you for a long time, okay?The past is the past.What is the next phase of investigative action? His gaze seemed to burn two holes in my face, but I continued to stare at the ceiling.He said in a calm voice: Tomorrow I will show the portrait and the faxed mugshot to the hotel staff, and then I will go to the neighboring town of Kinsol.Kingsol is right next door to Eagle Valley, and I forgot.Kinsol isn't that big, maybe a motel or two and most of the residents work at the prison. I smiled and said: You could have said hello to my uncle, but unfortunately he has just been released from prison. Gary propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at me.What uncle? I thought he knew, but my mom and uncle have different surnames, so he probably didn't know I was related. It's my mother's stepbrother, named Dewitt, never heard of it?He robbed several banks.It was reported not long ago because you wanted to find him about another robbery.My family has disowned him, though, so I'm sorry I can't help. Gary lay back and stared at the ceiling.I wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I learned how to be good, and even if I pressed him, I couldn't get an answer. Can I help you with my case?I said. Try not to come in contact with anyone for now.It is necessary for me to insinuate further, but more information should come in tomorrow, and I will report to you on the direction of the subsequent investigation.If you find anything or remember anything that might help your case, call me right away.It's okay to just talk heart to heart. His tone became more and more erratic, and I knew he was about to fall asleep, so I said: I should go.There is a dog at home. Hope you can stay. Thanks, but I can't keep her waiting all night.The truth is, the sheets were ripped up by us, I must have slept badly and it was absolutely hard to explain how I slept in the closet the next morning. It's so late at night, I don't worry about letting you drive back alone. I'm driving here alone, isn't it good? In the dim room, he looked at me with raised eyebrows, and I had no choice but to bury my face in the warm nest between his shoulders and neck.I said: I'm going to take a shower, okay? During the quick shower, I tried not to think about what I had just done, and tiptoed away from him in his deep-sleeping bed after the shower.The drive home was deserted and I was in my own little world.If Emma was in the car, I would drive until dawn. My thoughts drifted back to the scene of the conversation with Gary just now, hating myself for talking too much about Christina and Luke.The police love to find fault with eggs, and love to find potential motives.I'm not without the same problem myself.But what I know best is that the two of them will not want to harm me.Nevertheless, I felt that there was something wrong with the case.My mind filters through everything I know, but I can't grasp which piece of the puzzle is missing. For a long night, I slept in the closet. Although the space was small, I turned over and over again, and got up early in the morning.Drowsy, I went to the backyard and sat on the balcony next to the wireless extension, waiting for Gary to call with the message he had just received. I made an appointment with Luke, he will bring some receipts today and lend me a few books by the way.I forgot about it, so I was taken aback when I heard a truck approaching.I looked out and found that it was Luke, and his legs suddenly became uncontrollable.I pulled myself together and opened the door to let him in.He wanted to hug me, but I barely wanted to hug me back. all right?he asks. Sorry, I'm just so tired I didn't sleep well last night.I hope this is said lightly and casually, but it sounds contrived.I avoid his gaze. Is there a text for the photo you recognized? I mutter that Gary is looking into it, and then I drop a book he's lent me, bend over to pick it up, and we almost bump heads.He looked at me suspiciously as I jumped back, and I hurriedly asked him if he wanted some tea.I prayed for him to drink it quickly, and I poured it myself. I've never felt so hypocritical, chatting about their dog and his career, waiting for the phone to ring, and worrying about what I'm going to do if Luke doesn't leave when Gary calls. Our conversation was stop-and-go, and he barely took a sip of his tea before saying it was time for him to go.Before he left, he hugged me at the door, and I forced myself to hug me back, wondering if he could feel the guilt emanating from my skin. Annie, are you sure you're all right? I wanted to confess all the inside information honestly, but I couldn't say a word.I'm just tired and crooked. Well, then you get some rest, okay?Follow your doctor's orders.he smiles. I forced a smile back.follow orders. After he was gone, I knew there was something between Gary and me that I would never be able to tell him.I also know that I absolutely cannot get back together with him now.Luke belonged to the kidnapped woman, not the one who came home. An hour later, I was too disturbed by the suspenseful atmosphere, so I had to call Gary to find out, but he turned off his phone and didn't answer.At four or five in the afternoon of the same day, he finally called back.I wish I hadn't gotten the call. The pervert's real name is Simon.Rousseau was forty-two years old when he died.His hometown is in a small town in Ontario. He moved to Vancouver in his early twenties, and finally made his way across the sea to settle on Vancouver Island.When he was thirty-nine years old, he injured someone so badly that he was hospitalized for several weeks before recovering. The mugshot I identified was his photo when he was taken into custody.He claimed that the victim was out of anger because his wife was out stealing, so he paid him to be a thug.After he was indicted, he negotiated the conditions with the prosecutor, so he only spent a year in the cell, and the case was overturned because the RCMP had dereliction of duty in handling the evidence.After his release from Kingsore Prison, he moved back to Greater Vancouver and disappeared from police radar until I identified him. The police got hold of his real name and used his background to go back to his former residence to see if he was involved in local unsolved cases.The police found that his mother did die of cancer, and his father was indeed missing. So far, the car and body have not been found. Since the police couldn't compare the unsolved cases he might be involved in, they turned around and began to refer to the closed cases to find the murder of a young woman.The woman named Luo Lun was beaten, kicked and raped by gangsters. After her death, she was dumped in the alley behind her house.Police charged a homeless man after finding her blood-stained sweater and bag.He died in prison a year later. Simon.Rousseau, who lived just a few streets away from Lauren's home, remained close to her family after the murder, even visiting her mother every Christmas until she passed away five years ago.Her mother opens the door every Christmas to welcome the female murderer. Fortunately, she died early, otherwise she would probably be pissed off when she found out the truth. Although Rousseau established his residence in Vancouver in his twenties, he worked as a cook in a logging camp in the north.Sure enough, a female helicopter pilot died locally, but the police did not investigate in the direction of the homicide.Her boyfriend returned to the camp, thinking why she hadn't come back for so long, so he went to find her.He didn't find anyone, so everyone formed a search and rescue team to search again, and found her body at the bottom of the ravine a month later.She was fully clothed and her neck bones were broken. Since she disappeared at dusk, the police judged that she got lost on the way back to the camp and unfortunately fell to her death. After he was released from prison, Rousseau's whereabouts remained a mystery. Gary said that the police may never find out whether he was involved in other criminal cases. I sat on the couch and listened to Gary talking on the phone. I fiddled with the place where the thread of the shawl had come off, almost tearing off the entire cloth. I said: Did you go back to Clayton Falls? Still in Eagle Valley. Didn't you say you're going to Kinsol today? Yes, but a staff member of this hotel is only on duty tonight, and I would like to interview. 訪談什麼？你不是只拿著相片去找人指認嗎？有人認出他的長相嗎？ 我只想面面俱到，忙完了，我明天早上回克雷頓瀑布鎮。Understand? 才怪，腦筋被你攪成爛泥。 對不起，安妮，在澄清事實之前，我只能告訴妳這些了。如果我們假設錯誤，會帶來很多沒有必要的麻煩 What's the meaning?你是說，你知道變態狂的幕後指使人是誰嗎？如果是我認識的人，你至少可以告訴我吧？can't you? 安妮事關重大啊。 我當然明白事關重大這事關係到我的小命啊，你忘了嗎？聽我的口氣凶起來，艾瑪夾著尾巴離開客廳。 別生氣，我暫時只能說，妳指認出盧梭之後，我們取得他的前科。根據他的前科，我們再一次清查他的人際關係這是調查任何案子的標準程序。 調出他的背景之前，蓋瑞去鷹谷的汽車旅館約談了幾位清潔女工，其中一人看了畫像覺得眼熟，蓋瑞出示大頭照之後，她卻又不認得。但是，以畫像裡的那人來說，她倒是記得看過有個戴大墨鏡的女人早上進他房間，大約只待十五分鐘就走。清潔女工沒有看清她開什麼車，不過停車場在樓下，當時另外一個清潔工正好在樓下打掃，她可能有看見車子。蓋瑞等著訪談的人就是她。 I feel dizzy.變態狂見的是哪個女人？ 我說：對不起，我只是想太多東西了，一下子沒辦法全接受。 我能理解，不過妳千萬不要 對不起，我媽打來了，讓我先去打發她，不然她會 不能接！ well.手機鈴聲終於靜止了，我說：她會連環叩。 我們昨晚談的事，妳有跟她提起嗎？他的口氣嚴厲。 我今天只和路克講過話，不過我絕沒有 安妮，這事不能跟任何人討論。他的語調觸動我心中的警鈴。 蓋瑞，她是我媽耶。你再不跟我解釋清楚，我馬上打給她，把辦案進度全說給她聽。 God!他沉默了半晌，接著我聽見他深呼吸。妳聽了，一定難以接受。 快說吧。 妳昨晚來旅館，提到妳有個舅舅在金索爾監獄待過，所以我去調查他和賽門．盧梭服刑的時間有沒有重疊。have.同樣經過證實的是，妳舅舅在牢房的牆壁貼著外甥女的相片。所以，我聽過清潔工的描述之後，向法院申請一分調閱令，然後傳真去銀行調閱妳母親的帳戶資料，看有沒有異常轉帳的現象。 我不查她的帳戶做什麼？ 我還是需要訪談另一位清潔工才能證實，不過，安妮他的口吻變得溫柔。看情形，妳的母親可能涉案。 It's over. 我只知道這麼多了。蓋瑞對我投下這顆震撼彈後，馬上說他要接另一通電話。他叫我發誓不和任何人談這事，還說他過一陣子會再聯絡。所以我才打電話找妳，醫生，所以我才把手機握得這麼緊，好像沒有手機活不下去似的。我不得不離開我家，不得不找人傾訴。在家裡走來走去，為了警察接下來會編什麼天花亂墜的理論而窮著急，我再也受不了了。單憑汽車旅館的什麼鬼清潔工看見神祕女子，警察就能一口咬定是我媽？辦案辦得狗急跳牆了嗎？ 我懷疑蓋瑞會不會打去我家留言，不清楚他記不記得我的手機號碼。或者，更糟的是，如果我在開車過來的路上，他正好打來，車子卻經過收訊死角，那我不是正好沒接到？這條公路的死角好多。我不趕快走不行，一定要再打給他試試看。