Chapter 5

My mind raced.

I had gone to the police station yesterday afternoon, and there was no way I could let her know.

“Oh, a friend asked me out for coffee.”

“Haven’t seen each other in a while, so we chatted for a bit.”

“Which friend?”

“You don’t know him. A college classmate of mine, last name Hayes.”

“Male or female?”

“Male.”

“Where did you have coffee?”

My heartbeat sped up.

She was pressing me, and the old Lena never used to press me like this.

“Just over by the pedestrian street, at that new café. What was it called again…”

I pretended I couldn’t remember.

“Anyway, it was on the first floor of that mall.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Just random stuff. His wife is trying to get pregnant lately.”

She looked at me without blinking.

I could feel her examining me, judging whether I was telling the truth.

“Oh,” she finally looked away and kept eating her porridge, “next time, invite him to dinner so I can meet your friend.”

“Okay.”

I lowered my head and finished the rest of my porridge in one go, my stomach churning.

At ten o’clock sharp, she took me to the train station.

She carried the two gift boxes into the waiting hall for me and escorted me all the way to the ticket gate.

“Text me when you get there,” she said.

“Okay.”

“Stay a few days and come back. Don’t let your dad wear himself out.”

“Okay.”

She reached out and straightened my collar. When her fingers touched my neck, I instinctively flinched.

“It’s cold,” she said, putting her hands back into her pockets. “Be careful on the way.”

I turned and went through the gate. After I had walked far away, I looked back.

She was still standing there, watching me through the crowd.

I turned back and hurried toward the platform.

After I got on the train and found my seat, I hugged my bag and let out a long breath.

The voice recorder in my pocket was still running, the red light blinking on and off.

I took my phone out of my bag and sent Officer Miller a message:

“Officer Miller, I’ve already left home. I’m on the train back to my parents’ place.”

“I recorded last night and this morning too. She really did ask me to go abroad with her, and I turned her down.”

“She gave me an address, Penang, Malaysia, and said it was for foreign trade warehousing. Also, she pressed me about where I went yesterday, and I didn’t tell the truth.”

Officer Miller replied instantly: “Got it. I’ll verify the address. Stay safe, and message me when you get there so I know you’re okay.”

I put my phone away, leaned back in the seat, and closed my eyes.

The train slowly started moving, and the scenery outside began to slide backward.

Just then, I felt someone sit down next to me.

I thought it was just another passenger and didn’t pay attention.

But after that person sat down, they didn’t put away any luggage or take out a phone. They just sat there quietly.

A familiar scent of perfume drifted over.

It was the same perfume I had bought for Lena.

Citrus notes.

I opened my eyes abruptly and turned my head.

Lena was sitting beside me, wearing the dark blue coat she had on when she sent me off that morning, a small bag on her lap, smiling at me.

My blood froze in an instant.

“You…”

“How did you get here?”

My voice got stuck in my throat.

“Did you forget?”

She said it calmly, like she was stating a fact.

“I bought your ticket.”

She tilted her head and looked at me, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

“I know which carriage and which seat you’re in.”

My mind went blank.

“I thought about it.”

She set her bag at her feet and shifted into a more comfortable position.

“You’re going back to see your dad, and I should go too. We’ve been married for so many years, and I can count the number of times I’ve been to your house on one hand. That makes me pretty irresponsible. I happen to have time this time, so let’s go together.”

Her hand reached over and held mine.

“And.”

She turned and looked straight into my eyes.

“I suddenly remembered that the place you went to yesterday afternoon didn’t seem to be a café.”

My heart thudded hard.

“I went out yesterday afternoon too.”

“When I passed the East Side Police Station, I saw you come out of it.”