Trail (11)

Trail

            “Kevin.”

            The man, so called Kevin, with white shirt turned back and smiled.

            “Yes?”

            “Isn’t it kind of dangerous to…”

            “My, old men are really anxious, aren’t they…” he said. “It’s going to be just fine…”
            “You can say that,” the old man said. “But you can’t guarantee everything will be fine yourself, I guess…”
            “Why not?”

            The old man could feel something choked his throat upon those words. The man turned back and smiled. He then touched his forehead and started to laugh.

            “My, my…” he said between his laughs. “You’re funny when you panic about these…”

            The old man frowned and looked away.

            “I’m not…”

            “It’s going to be fine, geez…” Kevin said. “We just have to pay some very close attention to him…”
            The man raised an eyebrow and smiled.

            “Do you suspect him?”
            “Not really,” Kevin said. “Just in case.”

            “Just in case, is it?”
            Kevin turned to the man, feeling annoyed. He then took out a cigarette and lit it with a grey match.

            “Whatever.”

            “Break up…?”
            Tracy’s eyes widened in disbelief. William looked at her for a while, then he looked away as he could feel something broke down inside him.

            “Sorry.”

            “But…”

            She paused and looked around to make sure there was nobody near them. She turned to William after she made sure there weren’t anybody, then she sighed.

            “Why, all of sudden…!”
            “It’s…”
            William looked away again – he felt like he couldn’t look at her in the eye.

            “I can’t tell here.”

            “Then, you’ll tell me somewhere else,” she said. “Let’s go somewhere else.”
            She took his arm and pulled him out from the row. He was surprised with the sudden reaction, but soon pulled her hands off.

            “What are you doing?” he whispered loudly. “People will notice us…”
            “I don’t care,” she said. “Until you tell, I don’t care.”

            She took his arm again and walked out of the library. She pressed the button with an arrow that pointed down next to a lift and once again William pulled her arm off. He then turned her body to him and sighed.

            “What are you doing?”

            “You don’t understand,” she whispered loudly. “Now, listen to me…”
            DING

            The metal door in front of them opened, then she quickly pulled him in. She pressed the lowest button at the bottom as some people walked into the lift. A young man, possibly a student, leaned forward and pressed another button. The door then closed and they could feel the room moved down.

            “Trace…”
            “Shut up, she whispered. William sighed and looked away to the crowd. Tracy kept watching the screen, which numbers changed from time to time as she felt her heart beated faster.

            DING

            The door opened, then everyone got out but the student. Again, Tracy took William’s arm and dragged him out. William followed her out of the building obediently. She then took out something from her pocket and pressed a button.

            BEEP

            She opened the door of a white Corolla Altis in front of them and got in. William walked to the other side and opened the door.

            “You’re telling me to come…”

            She pulled his arm, forcing him to get in. He sighed as she started the car, then he closed the door.

            “Where are we going?”

            “Nowhere,” she said. “And I won’t stop the car until you’re done telling everything.”
            She stepped on the gas and switched gears, then he looked back.

            “Surely to the least details.”

            William looked out, knowing there wasn’t any way out. He sighed and turned to her.

            “Why?”
            “No reason.”
            Tracy sighed as she stopped before a traffic light.

            “I thought you’re different.”

            “I am,” he said. She turned to him as she felt something inside her heated up.

            “You’re still saying you’re different?”
            “No, I mean…”
            William sighed and looked out again.

            “Nevermind,” he said. “You won’t understand…”

            “Why not?”

            The car started to run, then William turned to her and quickly understood that she was angry with him. He looked out again and sighed.

            “Fine, fine, let’s end this,” she said. “Although I won’t understand what you’re talking about, I will still respect your decisions and do it.”

            She steered the car aside and stopped it. William smiled and opened the door.

            “Thanks,” he said. “By the way, I had a good time with you, Trace.”

            He got out of the car and turned to the pavement. Tracy watched him walk to the pavement and stopped by a vending machine. She sighed, then she stepped on the gas and the car rolled away. She kept looking at him for a while, then she turned to the road as she turned on the radio.

            “He…”
            She lifted her foot from the gas, then the car slowed down and finally stopped near a road sighn. She put her head on the steering wheel and sighed.

            “No…”

            She could feel somethin inside her broke down. She turned the key and pulled it out, switching the car off.

            “This can’t be possible…”

 

            “Kid.”

            William looked back and saw an old man. He quickly recognized the old man – the one he saw at the harbour. He turned back and smiled.

            “Yes?”
            “Follow me,” the old man said. “I have someone I want you to take care.”

            He turned back, then William raised an eyebrow.

            “Who…?”
            The old man turned back to William, annoyed.

            “Aiya, just follow me…”

            William sighed as the old man started to walk away. He had no choice but to follow him, so that was what he did.

            The old man looked back and noticed that William was following him. He smiled in satisfaction and stopped at his place.

            “Come on, kid, don’t be shy,” he said. “Come closer so that I don’t have to say it loudly…”
            William sighed, then he walked up to the man and stopped next to him. He looked up and noticed that the treespasser lamp was red.

            “What?”
            The old man looked around and noticed a white Toyota stopping by the road a few hundreds metres away from them. He smiled and turned to William.

            “That’s a no parking sign,” he said. “As a good police in disguise, you should give whoever is driving a warning.”
            William looked down to him, feeling annoyed. The old man turned to him, smiling.

            “Don’t you feel guilty?”

            “There’s no need.”
            The old man smiled as the lamp turned green. He started to walk on the street.

            “I like that,” he said. “Are you trying to cut all ties to this world?”
            William didn’t say anything as he followed the old man. The old man looked at him, then he sighed.

            “You don’t have to answer,” he said. “By the way…”

            He took out a cigarette from his pocket and gave it to William.

            “A little gift for you.”

            “No, thanks,” he said. “I don’t smoke…”
            The old man sighed as he kept holding the cigarette in front of William.

            “Come on, kid…”

            “No, I have some problems with my lungs…”

            The old man bit his lower lip and put the cigarette into William’s pocket. William sighed and looked away.

            “If you insisted.”

            They walked together to the other side, then the old man turned to him and smiled.

            “Ok, kid,” he said. “Got something else to do.”

            The man turned away and left him. William sighed in relief, then he walked away as he took out the cigarette to throw it away. He walked towards a dustbin, then he looked at the cigarette for a while and noticed something odd.

            It wasn’t full inside – it looks like someone rolled something and put it in.

            He looked at it for a while, his heart full with curiousness. What could be in the paper rolled inside?
            He stood there for a while, then he clipped the other end of the cigarette with his fingers to push out the paper, then he opened it. He looked at the paper for a while, then he smiled and took out a match. He lit the fire and placed it at the corner of the paper.

            The paper quickly caught fire. William threw the paper down to the ground and watched it burn. Since the paper was small, it caught fire quickly. He watched the paper got black and eventually turned into ashes. He sighed, then he looked around and started to walk again.

            “It’s not going to be that pleasant, but…”

            He stepped on the ashes as he walked away.

            “I don’t mind.”

            2200 hours

            Devina opened the grey fridge and looked at the things inside. There were a few packs of vegetables inside, and some plastic Tupperwares with something red inside. She then looked down and saw a dozen of black cans there. She smiled and took two of them.

            ‘There aren’t many beer left,” she said as she closed the fridge. “I should go and buy more later…”

            She put the cans on the table and opened one of them. She ten turned to the TV that was turned on.

            KNOCK KNOCK

            She sighed, then she walked to the door and peeked through the small hole and was quickly stunned.

            A man with white shirt and blue jacket was standing outside. He pretended to be looking away, but she clearly knew what he was up to. She walked back to the kitchen and took a knife. She then put it in the pocket of her white shirt. She then walked to the door and opened it.

            “Yes…?”

            “Excuse me,” he said. “I’m looking for a man called Mr. Yu…”

            “Sorry, there aren’t any person with that name here,” she said. “Maybe it’s on another floor…”
            He then took out a small piece of paper and scratched his head.

            “But this is clearly 503…”

            “Or maybe he’s the previous owner,” she said. “Sorry.”

            The man smiled and nodded.

            “Forgive my interruption…”

            “It’s alright,” she said. ‘But if he’s here, what are you planning to do?”

            “Oh, that…”

            He smiled and put the paper back into his pocket.

            “Actually I was going to visit him since today is his birthday,” he said. “I’ve been so busy last year, so I thought this year I’ll come and say ‘happy birthday’ to him…”

            “That’s nice of you,” she said with a smile. “Too bad he’s not here.”

            “It’s alright,” he said. “I will go, then…”

            “Wait.”

            She suddenly pulled his collar and pulled him into the apartment. She then closed the door with her foot.

            “What do you want?”

            He looked at her for a while, then he smiled and took out a gun out of nowhere.

            “That’s my line.”

            “Who cares.”

            He stuck the end of the gun to her neck and smiled.

            “And there are a few things I have to ask you…” he said. “So you’d be better answering.”

            2300 hours

            KNOCK KNOCK

            The woman opened the door and was stunned. The door wasn’t locked at all. She sighed, then she walked in and smiled.

            “My, my, Devina…” she said as she walked in. “Just don’t forget to lock the door, there’s way too much bad guy out there…”

            She looked around the room and noticed that the room has became quite messy. She noticed a few traces of red liquid on the floor and followed it.

            “Hm…” she said. “There must’ve been quite a ferocious fight…”

            She stopped before an open wood door and looked in. It was dark inside, so she put her hand in through the open gap and pressed something. The room became bright, and she walked in.

            “Hm…”

            She opened the door wider, then she looked around the room and suddenly she felt like her heart has been stopped by something.

            “No way…”

            She could see blood all over the room. There was a body sitting on the corner, blood oozing out from her head. The blood was still red, meaning it was still fresh. She walked slowly towards the body and touched its cheek.

            “Hey…”

            It felt cold. She could feel her hands shivered as she pulled her hand. She stood up slowly and looked at her hand. There were a few drops of blood at her fingertip. She walked out of the room and looked around, then she walked to a white door and opened it. She walked to the front of the mirror and turned on the tap. Water started to run down to her hands, and the water quickly became red.

            “My…”

            She turned off the tap and walked out of the room. She took out her phone and smiled.

            “Hello, is this the police department…?”

            She listened to the person on the phone for a while, then she smiled.

            “I’d like to report a murder,” she said. “Possibly done by one of your colleagues…”