Then I took out my police badge and lied, claiming I was here to investigate the missing persons case in the county. In truth, I’d only seen her file in the investigation archive.
Suddenly, the man in front of me shook his head, looking deeply dejected. He let go of my hand, but there was still a glimmer of hope in his eyes. He walked toward the other people in the shop, handing out flyers and asking the same questions.
I stood there in a daze, my mind drifting back to the first day I met Sophie Su—soaked to the bone. That was the first time I sensed something strange about the apartment building, and right then, John Chou’s Shadow Realm opened up there.
After that, ghosts kept coming to my door—Sophie Su was one of them. When I finally realized she was a ghost and John Chou tried to drive her away, she said she couldn’t go back.
My heart felt unbearably heavy. I stared blankly at Peter Su, and when I saw the hope in his eyes, I realized he still believed his daughter was alive. That’s why he kept searching.
I gulped down my soy milk and finished my fried dough stick in one go. Then I stood up. There had to be an explanation for all this, so I walked over.
“Mr. Su, hello. Can you tell me more about your daughter’s disappearance?”
Suddenly, Peter Su erupted in anger.
“What kind of police are you? My daughter’s been missing for months and you haven’t given me any answers! You keep saying you’ve put out a nationwide alert, but that’s bullshit, absolute bullshit! A living, breathing person has been gone for months—dead or alive, you owe me, her father, an explanation!”
Suddenly, people around us crowded in, all talking at once. Especially about the recent disappearances—the police kept delaying and never gave a proper explanation. Now it’s just been swept under the rug.