“I’m going on a business trip for a month. Could you feed my cat at my place? Oh, and the mango juice in the fridge is about to expire.” It was two in the morning, and the vibration of my phone jolted me awake. I picked up my phone and saw it was a message from my best friend. The next second, all my sleepiness vanished. A cold sweat broke out. First, she’s a freelancer. “Business trips” aren’t really her thing. Second, she doesn’t own a cat. Third, she’s allergic to mangoes. “Aubrey, I’m going on a business trip for a month. Could you feed my cat at my place? Oh, and the mango juice in the fridge is about to expire.” It was two in the morning, and the vibration of my phone jolted me awake. I grabbed the phone from my nightstand. It was a message from my best friend, Chloe. I’m a light sleeper. No exaggeration, a needle dropping on the floor at night would wake me up instantly. Chloe knew this, which was why she never messaged me in the middle of the night. The next second, a realization hit me. All my sleepiness vanished, replaced by a cold sweat. Chloe and I had been friends for over a decade. She was my closest friend, and no one knew her better than me. First, she’s a freelancer. “Business trips” aren’t really her thing. Second, she doesn’t own a cat. Third, she’s allergic to mangoes. A while ago, Chloe and I watched a thriller about the safety of women living alone. There was a scene where two best friends agreed on a secret code word to alert each other if they were in danger. “Aubrey, if I ever send you a weird message, you *have* to come save me.” My heart pounded with panic. My first instinct was to call Chloe. But then it hit me. If she was using these bizarre messages to hint at something, instead of just telling me what was going on, it could only mean one thing: the attacker was right there, watching her every move. It was two-thirty in the morning. Outside, the power seemed to be out; everything was pitch black. In the darkness, it felt like countless eyes were secretly watching me. My heart hammered against my ribs, the rapid thumping echoing clearly in my ears, as if it would burst out of my chest. I quickly pulled out my medication from the drawer and dry-swallowed two pills. It took a while for me to calm down. Once I had my composure, I called Asher first, then the police. Asher is my boyfriend. He’s incredibly smart and tall. Whether it was facing the police or going to find Chloe, having him by my side always made me feel safer. The moment I saw Asher, I threw myself into his arms and started crying, completely ungracefully. “Don’t be scared, Aubrey. I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you anymore,” Asher whispered, gently patting my back. Breathing in his subtle scent, my fear slowly dissipated. Thank goodness, I still had Asher. About five minutes later, the police arrived. I sat on the sofa, listening to Asher talk to them. “Aubrey Jiang?” a slightly surprised voice from the police rang out. I finally looked up, toward the doorway, and saw the familiar face of the lead officer. I was surprised too. It was Devin. Funny enough, Devin and I were old acquaintances. We were middle school classmates. If you really went back, he was even my first love. However, the way we broke up was quite brutal, something I’ve never forgotten to this day. Back then, we were young and naive. That kind of childish, pretend-play romance wasn’t meant to be serious. Still, seeing Devin in this situation made me feel strangely awkward. Devin, however, was professional. He had no intention of reminiscing. He stated matter-of-factly, “We understand the situation. We’re heading to Chloe’s place now.” “I’m coming with you,” I said, mustering my courage. Devin shot me a disapproving glance, as if he thought I’d just be in the way. Asher also tried to persuade me, “I know you’re worried about Chloe, but it’s better to let the police handle this.” I bit my lip, stubbornly insisting, “Chloe is my best friend. I have to see her safe with my own eyes to rest easy. Plus, I have her house key. I can help.” Seeing my persistence, Asher and Devin had no choice but to compromise. They knew how stubborn I was, that I’d always stick to something once I’d made up my mind. Left with no other option, Devin brought Asher and me along.
As an heiress, Chloe lived in a luxury townhouse with top-notch security. Devin immediately sent his team to check the surveillance footage, while he, Asher, and I headed straight for Chloe’s private residence. The moment we reached the door, a strong metallic smell of blood hit us. I shivered, a chilling premonition gripping me. My breathing became shallow. I reached into my bag for the key, but the more nervous I got, the less I could do anything right. The key, which was usually in the outer pocket of my backpack, was nowhere to be found. As if sensing my fear, Asher gently wrapped his arms around me from behind, softly reassuring me, “Aubrey, don’t be scared. I’m here.” I took a few deep breaths, forcing myself to stay calm, and finally found the key, handing it to Devin. Devin shot me an annoyed look, probably thinking I was too slow. Without a word, he turned and unlocked the door. Chloe’s house was dark. The pungent, sickening smell in the air made it hard for me to breathe. I stared at the closed door, an inexplicable dread filling me, as if a flesh-eating monster would leap out of that dark doorway any second. I clung tightly to Asher’s arm, as if it could bring me some peace. The door opened. Devin went in first, fumbling to switch on the living room light. Still reeling, I looked at the center of the living room. This scene, I will never forget. Chloe was dead. In her own living room, in a terribly gruesome state. She was kneeling, crucified, her face slashed beyond recognition, and her body stabbed countless times. Blood was everywhere. I screamed, terrified, and almost collapsed. Thankfully, Asher caught me in time and pulled out the pills he always carried, handing them to me. After taking the medication, I felt a little better, but I was still sobbing uncontrollably. “It’s all my fault. I came too late. If only I had come sooner.” Devin stood a short distance away, glaring at me irritably. “The killer is extremely brutal. If you had come sooner, there’d only be one more body.” I flinched. Devin’s words were as cutting as ever. Still, good to know he hadn’t changed. The police quickly secured the scene, taping it off. The officer who went to check the surveillance footage came back empty-handed. “The surrounding cameras were destroyed.” I sat blankly on the steps outside the door, a wave of numbness washing over me. My best friend, brutally murdered in her own home. It was hard for anyone to accept. Just as I was lost in thought, a fluffy head suddenly appeared in front of my face, scaring the living daylights out of me. Thankfully, Asher was still by my side and immediately pulled me into his arms. “Buddy! Back!” Devin called out sharply. That’s when I saw it clearly: it was a police dog. “Excuse me, Aubrey is afraid of dogs. Could you please keep your dog on a tighter leash?” I heard Asher’s displeased voice. Devin, holding the dog’s leash, shot me a thoughtful glance. I guessed he was probably wondering when I became afraid of dogs. After all, when we were dating back then, we even adopted a puppy together. But people change. As the person who reported the crime, Devin questioned me privately as standard procedure. “What was your relationship with the deceased, Chloe Chen?” “She was my best friend.” I thought, Devin should know the answer to that question without asking. The three of us were middle school classmates, and Chloe and I had been closest ever since then. More than just my best friend, she was my *only* friend.
My father was a compulsive gambler, always buried in debt. My mother… well, she ran a massage parlor in our town. You know, one of *those* places. The news spread like wildfire, and soon, the whole school knew. No one wanted anything to do with me, except Chloe. My entire adolescence, thanks to Chloe’s companionship, didn’t seem so bleak. She meant more to me than my own parents, with whom I had long since cut ties. “What was her job? Did she have any enemies?” “She was a food influencer. She rarely got into arguments with people. I honestly can’t imagine anyone hating her enough to kill her so brutally.” As I spoke, I started to choke up again, lowering my head and covering my face. “Did she have any romantic entanglements?” I racked my brain for a long time, then shook my head blankly. “I don’t know. I didn’t really pry into her love life.” “Weren’t you best friends?” Devin narrowed his eyes slightly. I felt a little awkward. “Even best friends don’t tell each other *everything*, do they?” Devin said nothing, then continued to ask, “What about you? What do you do for work now?” I paused, then answered truthfully, “I just quit my job recently. I’m currently unemployed.” “Why did you quit?” “Officer Devin, how are these questions relevant to Chloe’s death? Or are you implying *I’m* the killer?” I was angry, but Devin coldly continued, “Chloe died in her home. There were no signs of forced entry. The killer must have been someone Chloe knew, someone she let in, or someone who had her house key.” “You reported receiving a strange message from Chloe, but we haven’t found Chloe’s phone at the scene.” When he put it that way, I understood perfectly: he was genuinely suspicious of me. I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping me. “So you think I, someone with no stable job or income, killed my best friend out of jealousy because she lived a better life than me?” “Answer my question.” His voice was devoid of warmth. I caved. “Fine. I quit my job because I suffer from severe anxiety. It makes it impossible for me to live and work normally.” I kept my head down, not wanting to see pity or sympathy in his eyes. Honestly, his distrust disappointed me. But then again, when we were together all those years ago, he never really believed in me with that much conviction either. To him, I was, at best, a familiar stranger. Why *should* he believe what I said? Devin stared intently at me, seemingly trying to read guilt or panic on my face. We sat in silence for a long time. Then, he suddenly pulled out an evidence bag and gently placed it on the table. “This phone, it’s yours, isn’t it?” It was an outdated, old phone. The screen was lit up, displaying my selfie. Given Chloe’s family wealth, she wouldn’t own a generic phone like this. Her phone had always been the latest model from a certain fruit company. I stared at the phone for a long time before nodding. “It’s mine.” “Can you explain why your phone was found at the crime scene?” Devin asked. That’s when I noticed the bloodstains on the back of the phone. I shook my head. “I have no idea. Honestly, I lost this phone three years ago. The one I’m using now was a gift from Chloe.” My expression must have been terrible. Otherwise, Devin wouldn’t have been staring at me with such a complex look. “Tell me, what happened?”
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