Another month passed.
One morning, while out for a walk, I spotted a familiar figure. A man with a large hiking backpack, looking every bit like an adventurous mountaineer.
It made no sense. There wasn’t a single noteworthy mountain for hundreds of kilometers around here.
“Lloyd? What brings you here?” I asked, astonished.
He gave a sheepish smile. “Just traveling. And, well, I wanted to see you.”
Before I could respond, another voice called out from behind me. “Valerie! How’s your recovery?”
The middle–aged policeman had just stepped out of his car. He grinned at me as he walked over.
“You’re here!” I replied. “I’m fully recovered now.”
Watching his cheerful face, I remembered the young policewoman’s words during my statement–taking session.
“He wasn’t always this serious. Back when he worked as a detective, he was full of energy every day.”
When my mother returned with her vegetables and saw the two of them, she happily ushered them inside. Soon, she had prepared a feast that left everyone thoroughly satisfied.
The middle–aged policeman, slightly drunk, announced that he was planning to hike a mountain the next morning and insisted Lloyd join him.
“Spare me,” Lloyd said with a laugh. “I’m in no shape to climb a mountain.”
The policeman chuckled, clearly amused. “If you’re not climbing, why’d you bring so much gear? You’re coming, no excuses!”
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+25 BONUS
Chapter 13
Then he turned to me. “What about you? Join us?”
I nodded. “Sure, why not?”
Throughout dinner, the policeman watched the two of us intently. Lloyd drank happily from his cup, his face flushing a darker shade of red with each sip.
The policeman finished his own drink, wiped his beard, and said with a sudden flair, “How does a stream stay so clear? It’s because freshwater keeps flowing in.“”
“Wow,” I remarked with a smile.
After the meal, Lloyd had clearly drunk too much. I helped him to his room, laid out his bed, and sat by his side for a moment, watching his peaceful face as he slept.
Then my mother’s voice called for me from the other room
“I’m coming,” I replied, turning to leave.
At the door, I paused, glancing back to see Lloyd’s eyes open, watching me quietly.
We locked eyes in the dim light. I smiled at him.
After a moment, I asked, almost on impulse, “Lloyd, back at the rest stop that day, where did you go?”
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