chapter 18

Chapter 18

In 2011, the old stories were finally put to rest, and Officer Lu stopped looking for me.

For those who love suspense and mystery, there isn’t just a path toward good or evil-there is a third, middle road. I changed careers and became a suspense novelist.

When we arranged to climb the mountain again, we gazed at each other from afar, separated by the crowd. Then, I walked straight toward my father.

My father pretended to look elsewhere, occasionally letting his gaze fall on me. When I got close enough that we were no longer strangers, he panicked, frowned, signaled with his eyes, and turned to leave.

I stepped forward, grabbed my father, and said to him, “Dad, the case was too long ago. The police told me they’re not investigating anymore.”

“What?”

“It’s all in the past. Now we can be like we used to be.”

In 2001, my father and I parted ways at the entrance of a plastic surgery clinic. Ten whole years passed before we could meet again at such close distance.

My father is 54 now, half his hair turned white, his wrinkles deep. Because of his habit of erasing his fingerprints, his hands are mottled and rough, making him look even older.

These ten years have felt so long, yet at this moment, it’s as if someone pressed the fast-forward button. In my memory, my father was clearly middle-aged, but in the blink of an eye, he has grown old.

I hugged my father, choking up as I said, “It’s all over, Dad. From now on, you don’t have to live in fear anymore. We can meet openly and without worry.”

That day, I supported my father as we climbed the mountain together. It had been a long time since we walked side by side like that.