Chapter 54

Glancing back at the screen of his car, Mr. Thomas's eyes narrowed as he noticed fingerprints smudged upon it. A memory stirred within him, recalling my earlier attempt to access his vehicle when Annabelle had locked herself inside. Anger simmered beneath his composed exterior as he silently seethed at the audacity of my actions.

Resolute in his determination, Mr. Thomas retrieved a testing nylon to capture the fingerprints for analysis. As he worked, Detective John approached, his movements deliberate and curious. "What are you doing?"

Startled by the sudden interruption, Mr. Thomas turned to face the detective. "Gosh! You startled me," he exclaimed, his heart still racing from the surprise.

Detective John's brow furrowed in confusion as he inquired about Mr. Thomas's actions. "Why are you lifting fingerprints?"

Mr. Thomas's gaze drifted back to his car, his mind churning with thoughts of apprehending the culprit. "Someone stole from my car. I need to catch them."

Detective John scoffed incredulously. "Who would steal from that rundown car of yours?"

Mr. Thomas chuckled wryly, his amusement evident. "You know, right? Can I identify the fingerprints? Will you do that for me?"

Detective John hesitated, his reluctance palpable. However, he couldn't refuse Mr. Thomas outright. "Submit an official report. So, is that why you're here?"

A broad smile spread across Mr. Thomas's face as he produced a packet of instant noodles, extending it towards Detective John. The detective's skepticism melted away as he eyed the offering with surprise. "You brought me instant noodles? Really?"

Mr. Thomas regarded him warmly, his gesture genuine. "Instant noodles are the best when you are working late like this. Here, have some of this hot broth."

Detective John's initial skepticism gave way to gratitude as he accepted the noodles, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Normally you can order the best food with your phone anytime you want," he remarked, gesturing towards his own meal.

Undeterred, Mr. Thomas shrugged off the comparison, focusing instead on the simple pleasure of sharing a meal with a colleague. "Instant noodles have their own charm, don't you think? Especially on a night like this."

Detective John regarded the food in his hands skeptically, suspicion coloring his expression. "I know you are here to ask for a favor. Is this a bribe?"

Mr. Thomas met his gaze evenly, dismissing the notion with a shake of his head. "Don't be ridiculous. I have just a few questions."

Detective John remained unconvinced, his stance unwavering. "I was right. I don't want it."

Undeterred, Mr. Thomas pressed on, revealing the true purpose of his visit. "I was asked to look for someone. A young lady has disappeared, and her parents consulted a gifted shaman. They said their daughter was drenched or something."

Detective John's skepticism deepened at the mention of a shaman. "A shaman in this day and age?"

Mr. Thomas remained steadfast, his focus unwavering. "There are many reservoirs in this city, but is there any of them with peculiar occurrences, perhaps with many drownings?"

Detective John pondered the question for a moment before offering a mundane explanation. "People often slip and fall while fishing at reservoirs."

Mr. Thomas shook his head, dismissing the notion. "It's nothing like that."

Detective John acknowledged the disparity with a nod. "Exactly. But even so, there weren't any unidentified bodies. None of them match the one you are looking for."

Mr. Thomas sensed Detective John's hesitancy, recognizing the guarded expression on his face. Leaning closer, he pressed for more information. "There must be something that is bothering you."

Detective John shifted uncomfortably, avoiding Mr. Thomas's probing gaze. Finally, he relented, exhaling deeply as he revealed a startling detail. "You see... It's quite strange. All the drowning victims had one dislocated leg."

Mr. Thomas's confusion mirrored Detective John's own as he processed the information. "It's not like some monster could have pulled them under the water."

Detective John nodded in agreement, his expression grave. "Are you serious? Which reservoir?"

Caught off guard by Mr. Thomas's sudden interest, Detective John couldn't help but feel perplexed by the turn of events.

Mr. Thomas attempted to downplay his urgency, stating, "Well, I'm just curious, that's all. I've been fishing lately, so I want to avoid that place." His worry was palpable as he pressed Detective John for more details. "So which reservoir is it?"

Detective John met Mr. Thomas's gaze with a measured look before finally divulging the information. Mr. Thomas wasted no time, quickly rushing out of the police station to investigate further.

Meanwhile, I stood beside the stream, deep in thought. Annabelle approached me, her expression a mix of concern and uncertainty. She voiced her concerns about the potential return of danger. "Do you think he will return?"

I considered the question carefully before responding. "Maybe. This could be his hunting ground."

Annabelle's gaze shifted to Jade's safety. "What about Jade? Do you think she's safe?"

I offered reassurance, albeit temporary. "Until tonight, yes."

Annabelle's sadness was evident as she questioned my motives. "But why are you trying to save her? Even back at the mountain, you seemed genuinely worried about her."

I remained silent, unwilling to disclose my true intentions.

Suddenly, a Jeep caught our attention as it approached the river. I instinctively crouched behind some foliage, with Annabelle following suit. The Jeep parked, and a figure emerged. I tensed, ready to confront the individual, but Annabelle restrained me.

"It's not him," she whispered.

I glanced at her, puzzled. "How do you know?"

She nodded toward the figure. "I can sense monsters when they get near. He's not one of them."

Surprised by her revelation, I regarded her with newfound respect.

I inquired, "You can sense them? How?"

Annabelle explained, "When they're around me, my entire body trembles. I get goosebumps, too. I've always been like this."

Her revelation left me surprised, a newfound understanding of her unique ability dawning upon me.

She swiftly answered her phone, acknowledging Detective Thomas's call. We hurriedly made our way to meet him at my place.

Upon arrival, I offered Detective Thomas a chair. He seemed bemused by the gesture, questioning why there weren't more chairs for all of us. I explained that I lived alone, hence the scarcity of seating.

As Detective Thomas settled into the chair, I wasted no time in querying him about the police investigation. Both Annabelle and I awaited his response anxiously.

Detective Thomas hesitated, exchanging glances with David, who was standing nearby. David's hand signals indicated caution, but Detective Thomas was undeterred.

"First, get rid of him," Detective Thomas instructed, pointing towards David.

Annabelle and I turned our attention towards David, curious about the disturbance he might cause. Detective Thomas hinted that the information he was about to share was not suitable for minors.

David seemed oblivious to the tension, quipping about a possible kidnapping or peculiar drowning case. His persistence grated on Detective Thomas, who sternly ordered him to leave.

However, David's curiosity remained unabated. He glanced at me, then at Detective Thomas, before defiantly declaring, "Forget it!" He stormed off, leaving us in peace.

With David gone, I turned back to Mr. Thomas and urged him to continue. Confusion flickered across his features as he asked, "Continue with what?"

I reiterated, "All of the victims had a dislocated leg."

Mr. Thomas's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?" he inquired.

I explained to Mr. Thomas that I had encountered the culprit long ago. He had a modus operandi of pulling his victims underwater and killing them, often resulting in dislocated limbs.

Mr. Thomas was perplexed. "To the point that their legs are dislocated? How is that possible?" he wondered aloud.

Annabelle interjected, "I have something to tell you. The man who kidnapped my sister is not an ordinary human."

Mr. Thomas's confusion deepened. "What do you mean?" he asked incredulously.

Annabelle elaborated, "There were monsters who reincarnated as humans."

Mr. Thomas's expression shifted from confusion to frustration. "My goodness," he muttered.

I urged Annabelle to share more details, but Mr. Thomas seemed skeptical. "Just believe me for now," Annabelle pleaded.

With a resigned sigh, Mr. Thomas agreed to focus on the task at hand. "Tell us what you found out," Annabelle urged him. "Where is that reservoir?"

Mr. Thomas questioned how this information would aid in locating the kidnapper. I explained that the kidnapper used to have a hiding place by the waterside, and if his habits hadn't changed, he would likely be at that reservoir.

Mr. Thomas processed this information, exhaling heavily as he stood up from his chair. He turned to me and confirmed, "The Silver Reservoir. It's fairly close to the place we went to yesterday."

The revelation sent a shiver down my spine. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place, leading us closer to the elusive kidnapper and, hopefully, to Jade's safe return.

Without wasting another moment, we prepared to embark on our mission to the Silver Reservoir.