In mid-February, the end of winter, the weather begins to warm up.
The sun is shining brightly this morning.
After waking up from meditation, Dean temporarily suppressed the auditory hallucinations in his ears, said hello to Paquet and Rust, and drove to the LVPD alone.
Under the mask shed at the police station gate, police cars carrying heavily armed police officers drove onto the road, connected end to end like a long black dragon.
…
"Isn't Rust together?" Holden was about to go out with his briefcase. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was greasy. It was obvious that he hadn't slept all night.
Dean shook his head and pretended to be ignorant and asked, "He was so worried about Grace that he couldn't sleep and was in a very bad state. I asked him to rest at home today. What's going on in the bureau? What big thing happened?" "
Holden was silent for a long time,
"I have bad news to inform you. We found Grace in the Red Dragon Club in the Lake District, but unfortunately..." Holden placed a photo in front of Dean. In the center of the photo, there was the girl sleeping quietly. A normal corpse, "She had lost her breath."
Dean closed his eyes tightly, lowered his head, clenched his fists, and asked tremblingly,
"If Grace didn't arrive in California, why would she appear in the Lake District?"
"It's still unclear." Holden's eyes moved. "Perhaps the murderer deliberately created an interstate case to confuse the LVPD's investigation."
"How did she die?"
"Based on the preliminary survey and investigation of the scene, the bureau has drawn some conclusions. Al Daris is the leader of a cult organization. He often organizes some kind of killing rituals in the Red Dragon Club and confuses a group of bosses and celebrities of big companies. , politicians are involved.”
"Grice is the victim they chose."
"But there was an even more terrible massacre in the club last night. Someone killed all the party attendees to avenge Grace."
Holden paused and looked at Dean sharply,
"Where were you, Paquet, and Rust?"
"Posting missing person notices everywhere, do you doubt me?"
"Don't mind, I'm just analyzing all possibilities," Holden said seriously, staring into his eyes. "After all, your best friend Rust's mother was killed in the club. You have the motive to kill and you have the qualifications." The ability to kill a group of people.”
"The identities of the deceased are not simple. This incident has a great impact. The director may be dismissed from get out of class. If it was you who did it, just nod and I will think of a way to help you cover it up."
"Unfortunately, it's not me."
A red light flashed in Dean's eyes, and he gritted his teeth.
"If I had discovered their brutal behavior, I would never have let them die so happily."
Holden pulled his tie and asked tentatively, "Let me come into the club tonight for a psychic ceremony and ask about the soul of Al Dallis?"
"No problem." Dean agreed decisively, "But I have to take Rust with me."
…
After returning home, Dean conveyed the information he had found out to Paquet and Rust. Paqui sighed and put on an apron to prepare lunch, while Rust just listened silently, with an extremely empty expression, as if in his heart There is a gap missing that can never be filled.
Dean sighed, glanced at his uncle in the kitchen, lowered his voice,
"Man, do you want to say goodbye to Grace? I don't mean the body, but her soul."
Rust's expression changed, and he looked over with bloodshot eyes.
"Don't worry. To act tonight, you must first know some rules of the mediumship ceremony..."
…
night.
Paquet went to a friend to discuss an escape plan in case of an unexpected situation.
Dean and Rust followed Holden into the Red Dragon Club, which was guarded by several police officers and surrounded by a blockade.
The bodies and bloodstains from last night were all cleaned up.
There are only circles of white fixed lines left in the empty hall, recording the shape and direction of the corpse as it fell to the ground, and the impact point of the bullet.
Dean walked to the kitchen, took out the divination suit from his handbag, and placed the soul divination board filled with characters on the knees of the three people, forming a fixed triangle.
One last look at the expectant Holden, and the uneasy Rust.
Light incense, candles.
Hold down the tablet with three fingers and place it on the Ouija board.
“Friends gather together with sincerity.”
"The soul is near, we call you..."
Dean's calm voice echoed in the hall.
"The ghost lingering in the club, Al Dallis, you kill people like crazy, and the crimes you commit are unforgivable, but you don't deserve to die for nothing. Now there is an opportunity in front of you. Show up immediately and tell The identity of our killer.”
“If you’re around, please let us know!”
"Huhu..."
A breeze made the candlelight flicker.
The three people looked expectantly.
"Shadows of the Past" flew out of the tablet and pieced together the word "YES".
At the same time, Dean's spiritual voice squirmed like mist, transforming into a man wearing a white chef's uniform, with a body shape and face that resembled Al Dallis.
Dean immediately handed the tablet to Holden, allowing him to observe the disguised face of "Shadow of the Past" through the lenses.
"Sure enough!" Holden looked shocked and asked,
"Al Dalis, who are your murderers?"
"Three people, one of whom is Dutton, the club's security guard, and the other two I don't know...red hair, big nose, burly...a bit of Slavic descent."
The board was pieced together according to Dean's fabrication.
Holden seriously questioned and questioned "Shadow of the Past" for a long time, and completely locked the identity of the murderer on the security guard and his three "vigilantes" who drove away. At the same time, he also gave up the last trace of doubt about Dean. ,
"Man, it's all thanks to you this time. Next, I will convince the bureau to fully arrest the fugitive. Catching Dutton should calm the anger of those big shots."
Well, I hope you find the body in Lake Mead in advance.
"It's your turn, Rust."
Dean looked at his friend who looked nervous and apprehensive, and recited another prayer.
Soon, a woman wearing a blue professional skirt arrived as promised and landed in front of them.
The red-haired face is still delicate and beautiful, but it is illusory and dull. It lacks the enthusiastic smile of the past, and its eyes are staring blankly into the void, like a mannequin dummy in a clothing store.
Rust, who was observing through the lens, was completely stunned. He suppressed his excitement and stuttered and asked,
"Is this true, Dean, is she really Grace?"
"That's right, but because it is a soul, it is different from a living person and is rather dull..."
"Grace!"
Before Dean could finish speaking, Rust stood up and threw himself into Ghost's arms.
But after all, it was not a living person. The illusory body was like a slightly cool mist, with nowhere to put any force, and Rust's hands passed through it.
But he didn't give up. He carefully opened his arms and hugged his mother like a treasure. Feeling the coolness in his arms, he kept apologizing.
"I'm sorry, Grace, you have always taken care of me and given everything for me, but I have never cared about you and helped you share some of the pressure."
"In the end, I couldn't protect you or save you. I don't deserve to be your son."
"Ouch...I'm sorry..."
"sorry!"
Cries echoed throughout the hall.
Dean picked up the bamboo board on the ground and put it in front of him. He saw the woman standing in the air struggling to change her stiff posture. A misty arm hugged Rust back and held him in her arms. , the other hand gently patted his back.
Grace's mechanical face became vivid, shining with the brilliance of motherhood, and she was still humming a song in her mouth. The clear tears in her eyes fell down her chin and fell on Rust's shoulders, and she suddenly seemed like It disappears into the air like steam.
Dean clearly felt that every tear was filled with a mother's deep attachment, reluctance, and love.
Dang…
Dean put down the wafer and took a cigarette from Holden next to him. For the first time in his life, he took a deep breath. Stimulated by the light tobacco, he closed his eyes tightly.
…
Everything is going smooth.
Dean misled the police investigation and allowed Rust to say his final goodbye to his mother.
In the following days, he, Paquet, Britney, Gretchen and a group of relatives and friends accompanied Rust home to sort out his belongings and went to the police station to collect Grace's body.
After Rust cried loudly, he prepared a coffin, a tombstone, and a grave for his mother.
The total cost was seven to eight thousand dollars.
Everyone stayed with him all the time, contributing money and effort. Finally, his ashen face changed, and he began to express his gratitude to everyone.
…
The funeral came quietly.
Because the apartment Rust lived in was a high-rise building and was too narrow to accommodate guests, the coffin was transported to a church in North Las Vegas.
According to custom, a vigil is kept for several days.
On the first night, Dean stayed with Rust.
The church was dimly lit, the rows of chairs were eerily empty, and the coffin was placed in front.
A cold draft blew outside the door, the light bulbs hanging on the ceiling swayed slightly, the yellow wires swayed, the coffin also made a creaking sound, and the reflection on the wall seemed like a group of demons dancing wildly.
"Dude, you know, people who are prone to mental problems have one characteristic. Their minds are full of things in the past or future, and they don't focus on the present. If you focus on the present, you won't feel regretful."
Dean, who was sitting in the first row, patted the shoulder of his friend next to him. Rust's thin body was wearing a solemn black suit. After this blow, his green face had matured a lot, but there was an extra look between his eyebrows. The lingering melancholy,
"You have already said goodbye to Grace. After today, it's time to let go and carry her last wish to study in college. You don't have to worry about the tuition. I will help you solve it."
In the past few days, Britney and Rust have received admission notices from the University of Arizona, but they did not celebrate because of time constraints.
After these words, Dean thought Rust would remain silent like in the past.
But Rust shook his head and said in a voice as hoarse as a bad cold with a strong nasal tone,
"I've already told Grace that I won't go to the University of Arizona. I can't protect my family by becoming an astronomer."
"Don't blame yourself for Grace's accident and punish yourself," Dean shook his head. "Even if it were another person, well, even if this tragedy happened to someone else, the outcome would not change."
"No, it wouldn't be a tragedy if it were you." Rust suddenly turned to look at Dean, and the swaying light hit half of his face, revealing deep envy, "In recent months, I have often There will be some unrealistic fantasies. If I am like you and change my mind in half a year, then I can have your insight."
He withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and clenched his fists unwillingly, "Then I will definitely find out in advance that Grace has fallen into the casino's trap, and I can prevent this tragedy in advance."
"If I had your skills and superpowers, even if those perverts in the club wanted to capture Grace by force, I would be able to deal with them cleanly just like you once did."
Dean rubbed his face with his hands, standing in the envied position, he had nothing to say.
"But there is no what if..." Rust shook his head mockingly, "I, Cole Rust Spencer, am still that useless little dwarf, a nobody. I can only cry and have no effect at all. I It was like this when my father was torn to pieces by those guys selling grass and lying in the coffin, and it was the same when my mother was killed by those perverts."
Dean was silent.
"Your uncle Paqui gave me a good suggestion."
"What advice?"
"I have to make changes." Rust suddenly stood up, straightening his rickety back. "If I don't want to experience similar tragedies in the future, I must change myself from now on."
"I also discussed it with Grace when I said goodbye, and she agreed with my idea."
He walked slowly toward the open door of the church,
Dean followed him into a winding path among the outdoor shades.
The night air is unusually fresh.
The cold wind howled by, and both of them closed their collars.
Rust said slowly,
"Paqui hated the police, but he still suggested that I go to the police academy to hone my skills and marksmanship, understand the basic laws, have the power to protect myself, and protect the people I love in the future..."
He paused, stared at the garden with burning hatred in his eyes, and said in a solemn tone as if he was swearing to the sky,
"Then I have to deal with all the criminals like Al Dallis in the world."
"These crazy, inhumane beasts should all die!"
He yelled, and his angry voice echoed far into the night.
Dean's face was startled. What a naive and simple idea, but how could this be possible if all criminals were to be eliminated?
Black and white will never disappear in this world.
Dean moved his lips to say something to dispel his idea, let him stick to his ideal of astronomy and enjoy a wonderful college career with Britney.
Then he swallowed the words again.
If it were him, if he encountered a misfortune like Rust, where the people he valued most were killed, he might have embarked on an even more extreme path.
"Last, you want to take revenge and eliminate these bastards, I understand and support it. But you don't need to take risks yourself and become a policeman. Well, you can continue your dream, study astronomy, and later research spacecraft and manned spaceships." Rocket...become a great scientist and businessman, and when the time comes, you can spend money to hire people to help you realize this wish."
Dean stared into Rust's eyes and said seriously, "When you graduate from college and become successful in your studies, I will give you an investment to help you start your career."
"Thanks, man," Rust said gratefully to him, then suddenly shook his head, remembering,
"Do you remember? I said I used to live in the countryside of Alaska..."
"Yes, I once had dinner at your house. You said that you would make up some stories about the starry sky."
"Well, I didn't watch TV at that time, so I had nothing to do every day. I could only look around, lie by the window, and look up. At that time, I just felt that the black starry sky was full of deep and unknown charm. and attractiveness that made me want to explore.”
"But now that I have grown up, I finally discovered a truth about the starry sky in the universe." Rust suddenly looked up at the night sky. The stars and the moon were dim tonight, "Those blacks are not a beautiful existence, they are full of pain and evil. , it was like the abyss crushed everything and destroyed my life.”
Rust suddenly covered his mouth and choked twice. The night wind blurred his vision and tears filled the corners of his eyes.
"I no longer want to look up at the stars and study astronomy. I need to find something bright, otherwise I will get lost. Otherwise, I don't even know what the point of living is."
The pessimism that hit him made Dean hesitate to speak, and he couldn't help but think of the auditory hallucinations that had tortured him during this period.
He unconsciously slowed down and looked up at the night sky, but perhaps because of his excellent eyesight, he could still see the edge of the black sky, dotted with a few bright stars.
He stood side by side with Rust, put his arm around Rust's shoulders, and dragged him towards the open lawn beyond the deep shade of trees.
"Listen, man, it may seem like the darkness is overwhelming. But you know, there used to be only darkness... but now," he pointed to the twinkling stars, "the light is slowly taking over."
(End of chapter)
