The events that followed all seemed unreal in hindsight. For instance, when she was at the police station giving her statement, she was in such a daze that she couldn’t say a word. Now, she couldn’t even recall the face of the policewoman who took her statement. She also vaguely remembered how she had clung to Lu Heng’s coffin at the funeral, refusing to let go, until she cried herself into unconsciousness. Then there was the time when she saw a news report showing the vicious, panicked face of Muddy Eel on the screen, driving her to smash her computer and destroy everything around her in a mad rage.
It was as if her brain had been protecting her, hiding these memories deep within, day by day, over the past month.
But in her nightmares, there was always the same scene on loop: Lu Heng falling slowly after being stabbed, and that final smile he gave her while lying on the stretcher.
It wasn’t until she received that phone call, went to the police station, and retrieved Lu Heng’s phone, seeing traces of him again, that these sealed memories were brought back to life, fully replaying the tragedy in her mind.
Bai Cheng lifted her heavy head from her knees, exhausted from crying. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, and her head throbbed painfully.
She picked up the phone on the table and opened the drawer, intending to put it away with the rest of Lu Heng’s belongings. But as soon as she opened the drawer, she noticed something faintly glowing inside. Bai Cheng placed the phone into the drawer and took out the glowing object.
It was a bronze cross necklace.
Bai Cheng couldn’t remember where this necklace came from. Neither she nor Lu Heng had any religious beliefs, so it wasn’t something they would have bought. After thinking for a long time, she finally recalled that someone had wrapped this necklace around her wrist when she was nearly unconscious from grief at the funeral. When she had come home that day and was sorting through Lu Heng’s belongings, the necklace had slipped from her wrist into the drawer.
But Bai Cheng had been too devastated that day, and now, all she could remember was the cold touch of the necklace on her wrist. She had no memory of who had given it to her. Confused, she wondered why the owner of the necklace would give it to her at the funeral.
Could this necklace be a clue related to the case?
With that thought, Bai Cheng put the necklace in her pocket and went straight to the funeral home where the ceremony had taken place. She reviewed the footage from that day and finally saw the face of the person who had given her the necklace. Bai Cheng immediately recognized the woman.
Without hesitation, Bai Cheng drove to the hospital.
She remembered that woman. Her child had been hospitalized for three years with uremia, and Lu Heng had been the child’s attending physician. Bai Cheng had chatted with the woman a few times in Lu Heng’s ward. Lu Heng was always great with kids, and he truly cared for this particular child during those three years. The child was sweet and loved to draw. She often pestered Lu Heng to pose for her, and whenever Lu Heng wasn’t too busy, he would humor her, sitting still for an hour or two as her model. Afterward, he would happily play with the child without complaint. Unfortunately, the child passed away before a suitable kidney transplant could be found.
After the child’s passing, when Lu Heng bid farewell to her parents, the mother handed him a thick stack of papers. It turned out the child had filled several sketchbooks during her three years in the hospital. The mother had organized all the drawings of Lu Heng and gave them to him. Bai Cheng had seen those drawings later. The child had real talent; the sketches of Lu Heng were lively and vivid. Because of these drawings, Bai Cheng had a strong impression of the child and her family. The woman who had given her the necklace was the child’s mother.
Bai Cheng quickly arrived at the hospital. She asked the nurse on duty to pull up the child’s medical records, and from there, she was able to find the mother’s contact information. Bai Cheng thanked the nurse and dialed the number.
The call connected quickly, and a soft female voice came from the other end. “Hello?”
Bai Cheng said, “Hello, Miss Wu. I’m Bai Cheng, Lu Heng’s fiancée. At Lu Heng’s funeral, you gave me a necklace, didn’t you? Why did you do that?”
There was a brief silence on the other end before the woman replied, “Miss Bai, are you free tomorrow morning?”
“Yes,” Bai Cheng responded almost immediately.
“Could you come to Bjorn Cathedral tomorrow? I’ll be there all morning.”
“Alright, I’ll meet you at Bjorn Cathedral tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you, Miss Bai. See you tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Bai Cheng couldn’t contain her excitement. Could there really be a clue?
