"Enough, I'll count to three, and if you don't show up, don't expect to see me ever again!"
I desperately wanted to respond to him.
But he couldn't hear me.
Impatiently, he scoffed, "Fine, Chloe, you've really learned some tricks, playing hard to get now. Even if you die out there, I won't come back for you!"
With that, he stormed out.
I rushed forward to stop him, wanting to tell him that I really wasn't throwing a tantrum.
He walked right through me, his eyes cold.
I froze.
Arthur really hated me...
Even though I wasn't at home, he found even the places I'd been unbearable...
Just as he neared the door, he suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on a voice recorder on the entryway cabinet.
Excited, I floated in front of him.
Please, just play it!
Luckily, I used to have a habit.
Arthur didn't like checking messages I sent on WhatsApp. He was often not replying for days.
I worried he might come home and not find me.
So, I always left a voice recorder at the door explaining where I'd gone.
If only Arthur would listen, he'd surely realize I had vanished long ago!
Arthur frowned, picking up the recorder.
After a long pause, he tossed it aside with a mocking laugh.
"Are you still playing tricks with that recorder, Chloe? When it comes to scheming, no one beats you!"
I floated in front of the sofa, reaching for the recorder that had fallen underneath.
No, I didn't...
Please, Arthur, just listen to it!
Arthur didn't look back.
He returned to the police station.
Chris and the others crowded around him anxiously.
"How is it? Arthur, is Chloe alright?"
"Yeah, how is she? She must be okay, right?"
Arthur clenched his fist, his tone disdainful.
"What could be wrong with her? She still has the energy to go out and have fun, and she even left me a voice recorder to help me find her. Stop mentioning her. It makes me sick just thinking about her. Let's talk about the case.
"Jackson mentioned earlier that the victim had a previous injury to her left leg. Check the records at nearby hospitals to see if there have been any surgeries related to her left leg in recent years."
For several days, Arthur had been vetting candidates.
He rubbed his temples and set the documents aside.
Louise called him out...
Amanda had come to see him.
Arthur pulled her into his private lounge.
Watching Amanda walk confidently into the room and take a seat on the sofa, I felt a sudden daze.
I had never been here...