Jackson shook his head. "We haven't found the victim's left leg."

Just then, a police officer walked in carrying a plastic bag.

"This should be the victim's left leg! We just found it! It was in the trash bin downstairs at Arthur's place!"

Jackson attached the left leg to the body.

It was clear that the left and right legs were asymmetrical, with the left leg's bones angling abnormally.

Jackson exclaimed, "This is a clue! The victim had suffered an injury to this leg before, impairing their walking!"

Chris looked uneasy and cast a worried glance at Arthur.

"It was found in the trash bin beneath your apartment... and the leg had been injured. Maybe you should call Chloe?"

Arthur's face turned ashen.

"It couldn't be her. Chloe Kade called me late last night to vent, sounding very much alive and kicking!"

I couldn't help feeling disappointed. He had missed the clue again.

Indeed, I had called him at dawn.

But I hadn't spoken a word.

After all, by that time, I was in too much pain to speak.

Seeing Arthur mention me with undisguised disgust, I felt a sigh of relief.

He would probably be happy to know I was dead.

Chris hesitated repeatedly before finally speaking up.

"Arthur, why don't you head home and check in? It's mealtime already, and Chloe hasn't called you. Plus, the crime scene is so close to your house. Typically, we'd canvass the neighborhood.

"Just now, Louise and the others checked around your area. No one's missing except... they knocked on your door, and no one answered..."

Arthur didn't retort immediately as usual.

After a moment, he relaxed his furrowed brows and snorted lightly.

"She's made a scene before. She pretended to disappear to make me worry and only to come back obediently. Who knows where she's off gallivanting this time? She is cunning! Don't let her usual demeanor fool you!

"Enough, let's not bring up things unrelated to the case!"

His determination was evident.

Seeing this, Chris and the others held back their words, finally ceasing to mention me.

I was growing anxious.

But I was the victim.

How could they solve the case without mentioning me?

I watched as Arthur was consumed with the case, spinning his wheels with no progress for days.

All the nearby missing persons had been checked, yet none of the clues pointed to me.

Arthur looked exhausted.

Chris and the others brought me up again.

This time, Arthur didn't refuse.

He went home.

Upon entering, he seemed to have steeled himself before calling out my name.

The room was empty, and no one responded.

He glanced around the room with disdain.

"Enough, I'll count to three, and if you don't show up, don't expect to see me ever again!"

I desperately wanted to respond to him.

But he couldn't hear me.

Impatiently, he scoffed, "Fine, Chloe, you've really learned some tricks, playing hard to get now. Even if you die out there, I won't come back for you!"

With that, he stormed out.

I rushed forward to stop him, wanting to tell him that I really wasn't throwing a tantrum.

He walked right through me, his eyes cold.

I froze.

Arthur really hated me...

Even though I wasn't at home, he found even the places I'd been unbearable...

Just as he neared the door, he suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on a voice recorder on the entryway cabinet.

Excited, I floated in front of him.

Please, just play it!

Luckily, I used to have a habit.

Arthur didn't like checking messages I sent on WhatsApp. He was often not replying for days.

I worried he might come home and not find me.

So, I always left a voice recorder at the door explaining where I'd gone.

If only Arthur would listen, he'd surely realize I had vanished long ago!

Arthur frowned, picking up the recorder.

After a long pause, he tossed it aside with a mocking laugh.

"Are you still playing tricks with that recorder, Chloe? When it comes to scheming, no one beats you!"

I floated in front of the sofa, reaching for the recorder that had fallen underneath.

No, I didn't...

Please, Arthur, just listen to it!

Arthur didn't look back.

He returned to the police station.

Chris and the others crowded around him anxiously.

"How is it? Arthur, is Chloe alright?"

"Yeah, how is she? She must be okay, right?"

Arthur clenched his fist, his tone disdainful.

"What could be wrong with her? She still has the energy to go out and have fun, and she even left me a voice recorder to help me find her. Stop mentioning her. It makes me sick just thinking about her. Let's talk about the case.

"Jackson mentioned earlier that the victim had a previous injury to her left leg. Check the records at nearby hospitals to see if there have been any surgeries related to her left leg in recent years."