Mike stood on the shore of the lake, bent over, still feeling a little out of breath.It was a few minutes before he thought of Macy, and how she had been coloring in a pad at the table.He walked up the embankment from which they could see their camp.But there was no sign of her.He quickened his pace and hurried to the tent trailer.He called her as calmly as possible.no answer.she's not there!Even with his heart beating fast, he gave himself a plausible explanation: someone had taken her to watch over her in the chaos just now, maybe Sarah Madison or Vicky Doucet, maybe someone older child.
He found two new friends and tried his best not to look too anxious and flustered, but he just told them calmly that Messi was missing and he asked them to go back to their camp to look for them.The two immediately turned and walked back.Jess came back first to say that Sarah hadn't seen Macy all morning.He and Mike then headed to the Doucet family's camp, but before they could get there, Emil hurried to meet him, with obvious concern on his face.
"No one has seen Messi today, and we don't know where Amber has gone. Maybe they are together?" Emil said with disturbing hints.
"It must be," Mike said, trying to reassure himself and Emil.
"Where do you think they might have gone?"
Jess suggested, "Why don't we check the shower?"
Mike said, "Great idea. I'll check out the one closest to our campsite, my kids use this shower. Can you and Emile check out the one between your two campsites?"
The two nodded.Mike walked briskly to the nearest shower.Only then did he notice that he was barefoot and topless.What have I become!he thought.If he hadn't been fully focused on Messi, he might have laughed softly.
At the door, he met a teenage girl who had just come out, and asked her if she had seen a little girl in a red dress, or two girls.The girl said she didn't pay attention, but she could go in and take a look.In less than a minute, she came out shaking her head.
"Thank you." After Mike finished, he walked towards the shower room at the back of the house.As soon as he came around the corner he started shouting at Messi.The sound of running water could be heard, but no one answered.Eager to know if Messi was in there, he began banging on every cubicle door until someone answered.But his only gain was to scare a poor old woman half to death when the door was accidentally knocked open while he was knocking on the compartment.The old woman screamed, Mike apologized profusely, closed the door quickly, and moved on to the next one.
No Macy's in any of the six shower stalls.
He also checked the men's shower, unable to even think that he didn't need to check those places.nowhere.He trotted back to the camp of Emil's family, praying repeatedly in his heart: "Oh, God, help me find her... Oh, God, please help me find her."
As soon as Vicky saw him, he hurried to meet him.When the two hugged, she kept trying not to cry, but she couldn't help it.Mike suddenly longed for Nan to be by his side, at least she knew what was the right choice.He was a little at a loss.
Viki sobbed and said to him, "Sarah brought Joshua and Kate back to your camp, you don't have to worry about them."
"God," thought Mike, who had completely forgotten about the other two children.
"What kind of father am I!" Although he was relieved to have Sarah with them, he wished Nan could be here.
At this moment, Emile and Jess suddenly appeared in front of them.Emil had a relieved expression on his face, while Jace was tense like clockwork.
Emil's face lit up and he exclaimed, "We've found her." His tone turned somber as soon as he realized something: "I mean, we've found Amber. She's going where there's hot water Just got back from the shower. She said she spoke to Mom, but Vicky probably didn't hear..." His voice trailed off.
"But we didn't find Macy." Jess quickly interjected, mentioning the most important question, "Amber didn't see her today either."
Emil looked responsible to the end: "Mike, we should contact the camp management office immediately and issue a notice to find Messi. Maybe the noise and commotion just now scared her silly, and she ran out and got lost, or It's also possible that she was trying to come to us, but she took a different road. Do you have a picture of her? There may be a photocopier in the office over there, and we can make a few copies to save time."
"Yes, I have a snapshot of her in my wallet." Mike reached for his back pocket, but couldn't find anything, which made him panic.His first thought was that the wallet had died at the bottom of Lake Wallowa, but then he remembered that he had left the wallet in the car after the cable car ride yesterday.
The three ran to Mike's camp.Jess arrives first, telling Sarah Amber that she is safe, but does not yet know where Macy is.At the camp, Mike hugged Joshua and Kate, tried his best to say encouraging words to them, and he had to keep his cool just for their sake.He changed out of his wet clothes and put on a T-shirt, jeans, clean socks, and running shoes.Sarah assured that she and Vicky would be with Mike's two older children, and whispered that she was praying for him and Macy.Mike gave her a quick hug, thanked her, kissed the two children, and ran with the two men to the camp management office.
There are only two small rooms in the camp headquarters. The news of the water rescue has reached here, and everyone is excited.But when the three of them explained the disappearance of Messi, the atmosphere suddenly changed.Fortunately, there was a copy machine in the office, and Mike printed six or seven enlarged photos of Messi and handed them over to everyone.
There are a total of 215 camps in the Wallowa Lake camp area, divided into five ring areas and three gregarious areas.Jeremy Bellamy, a young assistant manager, volunteered to help with the search.So, they divided the camp into four areas, and each of them brought a map, a photo of Messi, and a radio walkie-talkie for the staff, and went to each area to find out.There was also an assistant equipped with a walkie-talkie who went to Mike's camp and reported as soon as Macy was back there.
It was slow, methodical work, but still too slow for Mike.He understood that if she...if she was still in the camp, it would be the most reasonable way to find her.He kept praying and promising as he searched through tent after tent and trailer after trailer.He knew in his heart that it was foolish and irrational to promise God, but he couldn't help it.Get Messi back anyway, God knows where she is.
Many people who came to camp were either not at the campsite, or were almost done packing and were about to leave.None of the people he asked had ever met Macy or anyone who looked like her.The searchers checked with the camp management separately at regular intervals to get the latest progress.If there is a new situation, everyone can know.But toward 2:00 p.m., there was still no progress.
When the message came from the walkie-talkie, Mike had almost finished his search of the area.Jeremy, who was searching near the camp exit, thought he had discovered something new.Emir instructed everyone to mark the places they had searched on the map, and then told everyone the phone number of Jeremy's camp.Mike was the last to arrive, and when he arrived at the camp, Emile, Jeremy, and a young man Mike didn't know were talking emotionally.
Emil hurried forward and pulled Michael over.He introduces Mike to Virgil Thomas, a city boy from California.Virgil camped here with a few companions all summer.He and his pals slept in late because of the night's overplaying.He was the only one who saw an old army green truck drive by.The truck came out of the camp and onto the road to Joseph City.
"What time was it?" Mike asked.
Virgil pointed to Jeremy with his thumb.
"I told him it was before noon, though I'm not sure what time it was. I was in a daze. We really haven't paid much attention to the time since we got here."
Mike handed the photo of Macy to the young man and asked eagerly, "Did you really see her?"
Virgil glanced at the photo again, and replied: "Someone showed me the photo before, and I felt like I hadn't seen her, but later, when he said she was wearing a bright red dress, I remembered that there was a little girl in the green truck wearing Red dress. She was either laughing or yelling, I'm not sure. Later, someone seemed to hit her, or push her down, but I thought maybe he was just joking."
Mike felt his whole body freeze.The information overwhelmed him, but unfortunately, it was the only news they heard that made any sense.That explains why they couldn't find Messi.But he never wanted it to be true.He was about to turn around and run towards the camp management office when Emir stopped him.
"Mike, wait! We've already spoken to the office, and we've also contacted the police in Joseph City. They'll send someone here right away, and they'll issue a national announcement to that truck."
As soon as the words fell, two patrol cars drove into the camp.The one in front drove straight to the camp management office, and the other turned to Mike and others.Mike waved to stop, and as soon as the police officer stepped out of the car, he rushed forward.A young man of seventeen or eighteen, calling himself Inspector Dalton, began to listen to their statements.
Reactions to Messi's disappearance escalated considerably over the next few hours.A detailed bulletin was sent west to Portland, east to Boise, Idaho, and north to Spokane, Washington.Joseph City police set up a barricade on Imnaha Highway.This road is the local way out of the city, leading to the depths of the Hells Canyon National Scenic Area.The police believe that if the boy kidnappers took Massey up the Imnaha Highway (just one of the many directions he could go), they would be able to get information about people coming out of this road.Due to limited manpower, they contacted the local ranger and let the latter go to the lookout.
The Phillips family camp was cordoned off as a crime scene, and everyone in the vicinity was questioned by police.Virgil provided as much detail as possible about the truck and the driver, and the final description was rushed to all relevant departments.
The FBI bureaus in Portland, Seattle and Denver were notified.Nan received word that she was on her way when her best friend, Marianne, drove her over.Even search and rescue dogs were used, but no trace of Macy disappeared completely in the nearby parking lot.This lends even more credence to Virgil's story.
After a thorough search of Mike's camp by forensic experts, Officer Dalton asked Mike to re-enter the area to see if anything was different from what he remembered.Despite the emotional ups and downs and exhaustion of the day, Mike was desperately trying to do everything that might help, trying to remember everything that had happened that morning.He was careful not to disturb anything, and retook the morning route.Everything can be restarted, as long as this day can start again.If that was the case, he would rather burn his fingers again and flip the pancake batter again.
He did the appointed thing again, but everything seemed to be the same as he remembered, nothing changed.He came to the table where Messi had been busy coloring.The book lay open on the page she was coloring, a half-finished portrait of a Mornoma Indian girl.The crayons are there, but her favorite red crayon is missing.He looked around on the ground.
"We found the red crayon by that tree," Dalton said, pointing to the parking lot.
"She probably dropped the crayon in there, while struggling..." His voice trailed off.
Mike pressed: "How do you know she's struggling?"
The officer hesitated, then stammered, "We found one of her shoes in the bushes nearby, probably kicked off. You weren't there, so we asked your son to identify it."
The scene of his daughter fighting the beast flashed before his eyes. Mike felt as if he had been punched in the stomach, his eyes went dark, and he felt like he was about to suffocate.He had to lean his body against the table, trying not to vomit and pass out.That's when he noticed a ladybug pin pinned to the coloring book.He jerked awake as if someone had opened first aid smelling salts up his nostrils.
"Whose is this?" he asked Dalton, pointing to the pin.
"Whose is what?"
"This ladybug pin! Who put it here?"
"We all thought it belonged to Messi. You mean the pin wasn't here this morning?"
Mike asserted firmly: "I'm sure she doesn't have this thing. It definitely wasn't here this morning!"
Officer Dalton was already on the walkie-talkie.Within minutes, the medical examiner arrived and took the pin away.
Dalton took Mike aside and explained, "If what you're saying is true, we'll have to assume that Messi's assailant left it here on purpose." He paused, then added, "Mr. Phillips , which could be good news or bad news."
Mike replied, "I don't understand."
The police officer hesitated again, wondering if he should tell Mike what he thought.He searched for the right words.
"The good news is that we can get some kind of evidence from this. It's the only thing that connects the killer to the crime scene."
"And the bad news?" Mike held his breath.
"As for the bad news...I'm not sure that's the case, but the guy who leaves stuff usually does it on purpose, and generally that means he's done it before."
"What do you want to say?" Mike asked hurriedly, "You want to say that guy is a serial killer? This is the mark he left to identify himself, like marking his own territory?"
Mike was irritated.The expression on Dalton's face clearly showed remorse for raising the matter.But before Mike could attack, the intercom on Dalton's waist sent a call.The walkie-talkie was linked to the FBI station in Portland, Oregon.Mike is unwilling to walk away, he hears a woman's voice, she claims to be a secret agent.She asked Dalton to describe the pin in detail.Mike followed the police officer to the work area set up by the forensic team.The pin was sealed in a zipped bag.Mike was right behind these people, pricking up his ears to listen to Dalton's description.
"This ladybug pin is pinned across several pages in a coloring book. Like the kind women pin on their lapels."
"Please describe the color and number of ladybug spots," the voice on the intercom instructed.
"Well," said Dalton, with his eyes almost pressed to the pin-bag, "the head is black, with a... er... ladybug's head. The body is red, with black borders and spacers. From above, there are two black dots on the left side...is that a good description?"
"Yes, go ahead," said the voice patiently.
"There are three black spots on the right side of the ladybug's body, so there are five spots in total."
There was a pause on the intercom, "You must have five black spots?"
"Yes, ma'am, there are five." He looked up and saw Mike.Mike has turned to the other side to get a better look.The two men made eye contact, and Dalton shrugged, as if to say "who cares how many black spots there are".
"Well, now, Officer Dabney..."
"It's Dalton, ma'am, Tommy Dalton." He looked up at Mike again, rolling his eyes.
"Excuse me, Officer Dalton. Can you turn the pin over? Tell me what's in the ladybug's belly."
Dalton turned the pocket over and examined it carefully.
"There's something engraved on the bottom... ma'am... uh, I didn't catch your name."
"My name is Vykowski, and it is spelled as it is pronounced. Tell me whether it is engraved with letters or numbers?"
"Oh, let me take a look. Yes, I think you're right, it looks like some kind of model code. Uh...C...K...1-4-6, yes I believe it is Charlie, Kilo 1, 4, 6. Hard to tell through the bag."
There was silence on the other end of the intercom.Mike whispered to Dalton, "Ask her why she asks, and what it means." Dalton hesitated, and asked as he said.There was still silence.
"Vikowski, are you there?"
"Yes, I am." The voice suddenly sounded, sounding tired and low.
"Hey, Dalton, can you find a quiet place to talk alone?"
Mike nodded exaggeratedly, and Dalton understood what he meant.
"Wait for me." He put down the bag of pins and walked away.He allows Mike to follow him.Dalton treats Mike in a strange way.
"Now it does. So tell me, what's so special about this ladybug?" Dalton asked.
"We've been trying to catch this guy for almost four years, and we've tracked him across nine states. He's been moving west and he's been dubbed the 'Girl Killer'. We haven't released the details of Ladybug to any media or individuals. , so please keep it a secret. We believe he has abducted and killed at least four children so far, all girls, all under the age of ten. Each time he puts a black dot on the ladybug, so this time the number should be 5. He always leaves the same pins, same size codes at the kidnapping scene. He seems to have bought a box. But we're unlucky and never tracked down the source of those pins. We have one of the four dead bodies Haven't found it yet, and while the medical examiner can't come up with any evidence, we have every reason to believe that none of these kids survived. Every crime was committed in or near a campground, next to a state park or nature preserve. Killer He seems to know the forest very well, and is good at climbing mountains. Except for the pin, he left no clues."
"And what about the car he was driving? We've detailed the green truck he drove off."
"Ah, you might find that car as you wish. If it's who we're after, it must have been stolen a day or two ago, repainted, filled with fielding gear, and wiped clean net."
Listening to the conversation between Dalton and Agent Vikowski, Mike felt that the last hope in his heart was also snatched away.He collapsed to the ground, covering his face with his hands.Is there any man as tired as he is at this moment?For the first time since Macy disappeared, he thought of all kinds of terrifying possibilities. Once he started, he couldn't help himself, and his imagination of good and evil mixed together to form a silent but terrifying procession.He tried to get rid of them, but couldn't.Some are horrific, snapshots of pain and torment; monster demons from the depths of darkness stretching out fingers like barbed wire that feel like sharp razors to the touch; Macy screams for Papa, but no one Promise... Some past memories also flashed in my mind, mixed with these horror scenes: Macy as a toddler with a cup nicknamed "Macy's Sip Cup" in his mouth; Messi who is inexplicably excited by chocolate cake; Messi who sleeps peacefully in his father's arms...the impressions are so close and endless.What would he say at her funeral?What would he say to Nan?How can this happen?God, how could this happen?
Now things have reached the most difficult stage - waiting.Mike felt like he was in the eye of a hurricane, the wind was raging around him, and he was being dragged and moved slowly.Reports from all over the world came in one after another.Even Emir is busy connecting with people he knows, some of them experts, online.
In the middle of the afternoon, the FBI arrived.They come from precincts in three cities.Obviously, the person in charge is Vykowski.She was hot and fast, a slender little woman.She immediately won Mike's favor.She also publicly returned the kindness.From this moment on, no one questioned Mike's presence, and he didn't have to avoid even the most confidential conversations.
After setting up a command center at the hotel, the FBI brought Mike in for a formal interview.They insisted on doing so, saying it was routine in such circumstances.Agent Vykowski was working at the desk, when he saw Mike coming in, he stood up and held out his hand.When Mike reached out his hand, Vikowski's two hands held it tightly, and her smile was serious.
"Mr. Phillips, I'm really sorry. It's been so long, I haven't had time to have a good chat with you. We are busy establishing contacts with various law enforcement agencies and relevant departments looking for Messi. I am very sorry, we can only do this under such circumstances. See you next time."
Mike took her word for it.
"Mike," he introduced himself.
"Sorry, I didn't catch you."
"Mike. Please call me Mike."
"Okay, Mike, then please call me Sam, short for Samantha. But I grew up to be a tomboy, and when I was young, if any child dared to call me Samantha to my face, I would beat him up."
Mike couldn't help showing a smile, relaxed a little, and found a place to sit down.He saw her flip through two folders full of papers quickly, and then asked him without looking up: "Mike, can you answer a few questions?"
"I try my best," he replied.He was grateful for the opportunity to do something about it.
"Very good. I won't ask all the details again. I have reports here on what you have described to others, but I have one or two important issues to study with you." She raised her head and looked at him .
"I'll do anything I can to help," Mike said frankly. "At this point I don't feel like I'm useful at all."
"Mike, I understand how you feel, but your presence is very important. Believe me, everyone here cares about your Messi. We will do everything we can to get her back safely."
"Thank you." That's all Mike could say.He lowered his eyes to the ground.Emotions surged almost gushing out, and even a little kindness would burst his emotional dam.
"Well, now... I had an unrecorded conversation with your friend, Officer Tommy, and he told me exactly what you had with him, so you don't have to cover up for him. In my opinion Come on he did the right thing."
Mike raised his eyes, nodded, and smiled at her again.
"So," she went on, "over the past few days, have you noticed any suspicious people around you?"
Mike was surprised and leaned back in the chair.
"You mean, he's been following us secretly?"
"No. He seemed to be quite random in his choice of victims, but the victims were all about the same age as your daughter, and had the same hair color. We believe he set her sights on her a day or two ago, waiting and watching around, looking for Appropriate timing. Haven't you seen any weird, unusual people by the lake or near the showers?"
Mike shuddered at the thought of his child being watched and hunted.He tried to recall the past, but to no avail.
"I'm sorry, I don't remember such a thing..."
"Did you stop somewhere on the way to the camp? Also, did you notice any unusual people when you were active in this area?"
"We stopped at Mornoma Falls on the way here. We've been all over the place for the past three days, and I can't recall seeing anyone out of the ordinary. Who would have thought..."
"It's true, Mike, so don't blame yourself. Some things may not come to mind for a while. No matter how trivial or irrelevant it may seem, let us know if you do." She paused to look at another picture on the table. Paper, "That army green truck... have you noticed any similar cars here?"
Mike searched his memory. "I can't really remember seeing a car like it."
For the next quarter of an hour, Vykowski continued to question Mike, but did not activate his memory to provide anything useful.Finally, she closed the notebook, stood up and held out her hand, "Mike, I once again express my regrets about Messi. Once there is any breakthrough, I will tell you personally as soon as possible."
At five o'clock in the afternoon, the first hopeful report finally came from the roadblock set up on the Imnaha Highway.As she promised, Vykowski immediately found Mike and told him the details of the report: Two couples came across a green truck that appeared to be military, matching the car everyone was looking for.They went to visit several Nez Perce sites in remote areas of the National Forest Reserve off Highway 4260.On their way back, they encountered a vehicle just south of the intersection of 4260 and 250 in the National Forest.Since the road in this section is basically a one-way street, they had to back up to a safe place and let the truck pass first.They noticed that there were several gasoline cans in the back of the car, as well as a lot of camping gear.Oddly enough, the man bent over towards the passenger seat, as if looking for something.His hat was pulled down, and he wore a big coat on such a hot day, as if he was shy of seeing people.They made a few jokes at the time, saying that the man looked a bit like a weirdo from the Self-Defense Forces.
The report was immediately notified to the members of the case handling team, and everyone became even more nervous.Tommy came over and told Mike that, unfortunately, everything he had learned so far was consistent with the situation of "Girl Killer", the guy's usual practice is to go deep into remote areas and finally get out.He obviously knew his purpose, so he only went to places that were off the beaten track.But he was unlucky, and there were other people in such a remote place.
Dusk fell quickly, and members of the case handling team had a heated discussion-whether to pursue immediately or wait until dawn before acting.Regardless of perception, everyone who spoke seemed deeply moved by the situation.Mike stood in the corner of the room, listening impatiently to their argument, feeling like it was a waste of time.If necessary, he was really going to kidnap Tommy and go after the bastard himself.Time is running out.
Mike felt that it was not surprising that the time was too long. In fact, various departments and members quickly reached an agreement, and after a little arrangement, the hunt began immediately.While there aren't many roads that can be driven out of that area (and they're going to immediately barricade them as a precaution), their real concern is that a seasoned "traveler" could sneak east into Idaho wilderness areas, or as far north as Washington State.While the investigators were in contact with officials in Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Washington, to report the situation, Mike quickly called Nan with the latest news, and then set off with Tommy.
...
All he could say at this point was the following prayer: "Dear God, please do take care of Messi. I can't take care of her right now." Tears rolled down his cheeks and wet his shirt.
At 7:30 in the evening, a convoy of patrolling police cars, FBI multi-purpose off-road vehicles, trucks carrying police dogs, and several Ford "patrol" cars drove onto the Imnaha Highway.Instead of heading east directly into the Walowa Mountain Road in the National Reserve, they drove north along the Imnaha Highway.They finally drove onto the Imnaha Lowland Highway and entered the reserve from the Dagba Highway.
These roads often have narrow zigzag sections, and the edges often reach the steep cliffs that drop sharply. The convoy crawls slowly on the mountain road, which is even more dangerous in the dark night.They finally passed the spot where the green truck was last seen, just a mile from the intersection of National Forest Highway 4260, which runs north-northeast, with National Forest Highway 250, which runs southeast.
According to the prior arrangement, the convoy was divided into two groups. A small group of people and Vykowski headed north on Highway 4260, while other cars (including Mike, Emile and Tommy) drove southeast along Highway 250. direction.After a few miles of difficult driving, the second team split in two.Tommy and a police dog truck continued down Highway 250—the end of the road according to the map. Straight towards the Templars River.
At this point, the pace of all searches becomes even slower.The trackers were now on foot, with powerful searchlights shining brightly behind them as they looked for signs of recent activity on the road.They examined the area carefully, wanting to discover more than just because it was the end of the road.
Nearly two hours later, Vykowski called Dalton.Her team had a clue.The headlights of one of the officers participating in the search caught sight of a hubcap less than fifty feet from the main road.Out of curiosity, he picked it up.Blow off the dust on the hubcap and find that it is covered with little green paint.Probably the truck dropped it while struggling with the potholes.
Tommy and his party immediately returned the same way.Mike didn't want to let himself have illusions, especially after being told everything about the crime, he didn't dare to expect the miracle that Messi survived.Twenty minutes later, Wikowski called again, this time telling them they had found the truck.Search planes would never have spotted it from the air because the truck was completely hidden by a carefully constructed shed of branches and branches.
It took almost three hours for Mike and his party to arrive, and by then everything that should be done was done.The rest of the work was left to the dogs, who found an animal trail, about a mile long, leading down to a deep creek valley.On the edge of a ravine, a dilapidated little shack was found, close to the edge of a clear lake, only half a mile wide.The lake water comes from a stream that pours down a hundred yards away.The shed may have been home to immigrants about a century ago.It has two spacious rooms, big enough for a small family.It has most likely been used as shelter by occasional hunters or poachers since then.
When Mike and his friends arrived, the sky had revealed the fishy white before dawn.To protect the crime scene, the base camp was set some distance away from the shed.As soon as Vykowski's team found the shed, they sent people and dogs to search the place, trying to find the smell.Occasionally, the dogs barked to indicate they had smelled something, but then lost track.At this time, the people sent to search all came back one after another, gathered together again, and discussed the deployment during the day.
When Mike arrived, Samantha Wikowski was sitting at a small folding table reading a map and drinking from a large dripping bottle.She gave him a bleak smile, but he didn't respond, just took another bottle of water from her.Her eyes were sad and soft, but her words seemed routine.
"Hey, Mike," she seemed hesitant, "why don't you get a chair and sit down?"
Mike didn't want to sit down, he had to fight the churning in his stomach.Realizing that trouble was coming, he stood waiting for her to continue.
"Mike, we found some clues, but it's not good news."
He didn't know how to ask, anxiously looking for the right words.
"Did you find Messi?" It was the question he dreaded to hear answered, but he desperately needed it.
"No, I didn't find it." Vykowski paused, ready to stand up.
"However, I need you to identify what we found in the shed. I need to know if this is..." She tried to back herself, but it was too late, "I mean, is it Macy of."
His eyes were lowered, and again he felt as if he had lived through a million years of vicissitudes, and he almost wished that he had become a huge and emotionless rock.
"Oh, Mike, I'm sorry," Vikowski stood up and apologized, "Look, you can wait a little longer if you want. I just wanted to..."
He didn't dare to look at her, he felt that it was really hard to be able to speak without falling apart.He felt the emotional dam was about to collapse again.
"Now," he murmured softly, "I want to know about all the new discoveries."
Vykowski must have signaled to the others, because although Mike didn't hear anything, he suddenly felt Emil and Tommy holding him on the left and right.They turned around with him and followed the female agent down the path leading to the shed.The three adults walked together arm in arm, showing the incomparable dignity of unity.They walk toward their worst nightmares.
A medical examiner opened the shed door and let them in.Generator powered lights illuminate every corner of the main house.Shelves line the walls, and the room contains an old desk, a few chairs and an old sofa that took a lot of effort to lug in.Mike saw immediately what he was trying to identify.Turning around, he collapsed in the arms of his two friends, weeping uncontrollably.
On the floor by the fireplace was Macy's torn, bloodstained red dress.
In the next few weeks, Mike became numb and stupid, and all that remained was only a vague memory.Interviews with law enforcement officials, interviews with journalists, followed by a memorial service for Messi.A small empty coffin, and a boundless sea of human faces. They were all sad when they passed by, and no one knew what to say.A few more weeks passed before Mike painfully drifted back into his daily life.
人们似乎都相信那个“女童杀手”夺走了第五个受害者——梅莉莎·安妮·菲利普斯的幼小生命。和前面四起案子的情况一样，尽管搜索队在发现那座棚屋之后，花了几天时间搜遍屋子周围的森林，还是没找到梅西的尸体。杀手既没有留下指纹，也没有留下DNA。除了那枚别针，他没在任何地方留下有力的证据。这人有如鬼魂。
“巨恸”降临之后，每个在生活中同梅西有关联的人都不同程度地被阴影笼罩。麦克和南相当成功地携手顶住了丧女的风暴，在某些方面他们的关系更紧密了。南从一开始就明确表示，后来又一再重复：对于发生的事情，她不会以任何方式责怪麦克。这自然大大有利于麦克走出阴霾，即便只是一小步。
人很容易陷入“要是”的游戏，一玩起来就会迅速滑入绝望的谷底。要是他当时决定不带孩子们出游就好了，要是当时孩子们请求去划独木舟他一口拒绝就好了，要是他提前一天离开就好了，要是……要是……要是……然后一切都归于虚无。他不能让梅西的遗体得到安葬这个事实，大大突显了他身为父亲的失败。她还独自待在那森林的某个地方——这个想法每天都萦绕在他的心头。如今事情已经过去三年半了，梅西已被正式认定为谋杀。生活无法回到正常状态，任何时候都不会真正正常起来。他的梅西，不在了！少了梅西，生活多么空虚！
这个惨剧加剧了麦克内心与上帝关系的裂痕，但他没太在意这种不断加深的分离，反而使自己试着去接受坚韧淡漠的信仰方式。但即使从中寻找到了慰藉和安宁，也并未驱走那个噩梦——他双脚深陷泥淖，发不出声的尖叫救不了他珍爱的梅西。可怕的梦倒是不那么频繁出现了，而且欢笑和快乐时刻也在逐渐回归，但他为这种欢笑和快乐万分内疚。
收到来自“老爹”的字条，要他回到棚屋一见，绝非什么可以忽略的小事。上帝竟然写字条？而且为什么要去那个棚屋——他至深痛苦的地方？上帝当然可以选择更合适的地方同他会面。实际上涌上心头的还有一种忧虑——杀手也许想激怒他，或者把他骗走而使其他亲人失去保护。也许这整件事就是一个残忍的恶作剧。可那样的话，干吗要署名“老爹”？
麦克试过让自己不去理会，即使上帝传递字条的想法与他的神学常识不相符，但他无法逃避这张字条终究可能来自上帝的念头。在神学院，他受到的教育，是上帝已经彻底停止与现代人公开联络，而偏向于要求人们只是倾听和遵循神圣的神谕，允许他们进行适当的阐释。上帝的声音已简化成书面的文字，即使是那些也必须由合适的权威机构和智慧超群的人来审核和解析。与上帝直接交流仅似乎是古人和未开化人的专利，受过教育的西方人要接近上帝，必须由知识阶层居中促成，必须受他们的控制。没人想要上帝存在于一个盒子里，只是一本书。特别是那种昂贵的盒子，包着皮子，镶有黄金的边——或许镶着内疚？
麦克因那字条想得越多，就越迷惑和烦躁。谁送来这该死的字条的？上帝也好，杀手也罢，就算是恶作剧，又有什么关系？不管从哪个角度看，他都感觉自己被玩弄了。说实在的，追随上帝到底有什么好？你瞧瞧这约人见面的地方！
但不管麦克怎么愤怒沮丧，他知道自己需要得到答案。他意识到自己陷入了旋涡，无法再靠礼拜日的祈祷和圣歌（假如它们真能帮人解脱的话）解脱。在他认识的人当中，没有人因这种与世隔绝的精神改变生活中的任何事情，也许南是个例外。但她是特别之人。上帝可能真的爱她。她不像他那样永远焦虑不安。他对上帝和上帝的宗教产生了反感，他也反感那些信仰联谊小俱乐部，它们似乎毫无真正的效果，根本无法让人脱胎换骨。是，麦克想要的更多，而他的确会有超乎预想的收获。
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Notes: