"Mm, I know."
Chen Ge was grateful to the Hanjiang police. Officers didn't always represent absolute justice, but he knew that Li Zheng, Captain Yan, and the others were doing everything in their power to uphold it. They had helped him a great deal.
"You say you know, but you'll do it again next time." Li Zheng shook his head helplessly. He was genuinely trying to counsel Chen Ge. Compared to himself, who had family support and colleagues to rely on, Chen Ge was all on his own.
"Let's set that aside. Brother Zheng, how did you guys find the body?"
"Following your lead, it was actually pretty simple to track down. The unit on the twelfth floor was vacant, yet the electricity bill was abnormally high every month. We zeroed in on the location right away, and sure enough, when we opened the door we found the body inside the freezer."
"Did they catch the perpetrator?"
"The prime suspect is the owner of the unit. The deceased is his girlfriend, who suffered from anorexia. We've already dispatched officers upon receiving the information. Barring any surprises, he'll be apprehended tonight." The Hanjiang police worked with remarkable efficiency, and in a way, that was partly thanks to Chen Ge.
"That's good. I can finally give her some peace."
"Give her peace?"
"Mind if I go in and take a look? This shouldn't count as the primary crime scene, so there's no risk of contaminating evidence." After Li Zheng gave his approval, Chen Ge entered the apartment. It wasn't large — the girl had spent the final hours of her life within these walls.
He walked through the living room and into the kitchen, where a freezer and a refrigerator stood side by side.
He recalled what the girl had told him that night, and a heavy feeling settled in his chest. "The person who hurt you is about to face the full weight of the law. He won't escape."
The moment Chen Ge finished speaking, a faint knocking sound echoed through the apartment.
Li Zheng instinctively glanced behind him, but Chen Ge, who possessed the Ghost Ear talent, looked straight at the freezer.
He opened the freezer door and saw a gaunt girl curled up in the shadows inside. Her arms were wrapped around her shoulders. Slowly she lifted her head, her pale face streaked with tears.
Sunlight fell upon her face. Her body grew translucent, but she didn't seem to care at all — as though she wanted to spend these last moments bathed in light.
"Don't cry. You deserve a better life."
Chen Ge reached into the freezer, wanting to wipe the tears from her eyes, but his hand touched nothing.
The sunlight fell between them like a chasm that could never be crossed.
"It's all right now. I'm taking you home."
Before the girl faded away, Chen Ge took out the comic book and collected her into its pages.
He stared at the empty freezer for a long while.
"What are you looking at? The body was found here, but it's already been transported away." Li Zheng walked over.
"Nothing." Chen Ge slung his backpack over his shoulder and waved at Li Zheng. "If there's nothing else, I'll be heading out."
"You really think I called you over here just to chat? Now tell me exactly what you were doing last night — every last detail! Give your statement, and if everything checks out, you can go home and wait for the next summons!"
…
By the time Chen Ge returned to the New Century Paradise, it was already afternoon. Between running back and forth across the eastern and western suburbs and pulling an all-nighter, he was utterly exhausted, his body pushed to its limits.
"There's no place like my own haunted house."
Lying down in the staff break room, Chen Ge drifted off to sleep before he even realized it.