Chapter 4

My mom handed the paper, corroded by stomach acid, to the CSU. Rubbing her sore lower back, she sighed and turned to my dad. "I hope we get something from this. Did you remind Chloe to lock the doors?"

My dad nodded grimly. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Honey, you know Sophie hasn’t answered her phone or responded to Julian. Do you think something might have actually happened to her? Should I have someone check on her?"

My mom, irritated, quickly cut him off. "Come on, don't you know her by now? She’s just hiding, waiting for us to come looking. It’s not the first time she’s pulled a stunt like this. She just doesn’t want to go to Chloe’s match. By tomorrow at the latest, she’ll call us crying and apologizing."

The last time I went missing was during summer break, when Chloe locked me in the school bathroom. The building was completely empty, and no one could hear my cries for help.

I eventually managed to climb out, covered in dirt, and limped home with a twisted ankle. But instead of comfort, I was met with Dad’s hard slap and Mom’s furious scolding.

"Chloe said she saw you going to a hotel with some thug! How could I have raised such a shameless girl!"

I couldn't even defend myself. I could only watch as Chloe smirked in secret.

Julian tried to comfort me later, gently applying ointment to my bruises. "Mom and Dad don’t hate you. They just don’t know how to connect with you."

But I knew better. Compared to the clever and charming Chloe, I would never get my parents' attention or concern. In our family, love and attention were never distributed equally; they always leaned toward the favorite.

Unfortunately, that person would never be me.

If I were still alive, I would be making them homemade soup and bringing it to the station when they couldn't come home from work. But this time, I wouldn't be showing up to apologize like they expected.

After all, I was just a dead person now.

The results from the CSU came back quickly. The paper was a receipt.

The killer had stuffed it into my mouth, forcing me to swallow it as part of his torture. "Is this something you bought for your parents? They’ll just throw it in the trash."

My dad frowned. "What’s this place?"

Arthur hesitated. "I checked. It’s a shop that sells good luck charms."

When my parents and the other officers walked into the shop, the owner jumped in surprise. She took the tattered receipt, glanced at the number in the corner, and flipped through her records.

"A young girl bought this a while back. She said it was a gift for her parents because their jobs were dangerous. But she never came to pick it up, and when I called, no one answered." She pulled out two small good luck charms and added softly, "These charms symbolize protection, happiness, and a long life."

My dad took the charms. He sighed heavily and asked, "Do you still have the security footage?"

The owner nodded. "The girl was quiet and polite. She spent a long time picking out the right charms for her parents. I remember her well."

When the footage played, all the officers stood in silence.

My mom swallowed hard, staring intently at the screen. "Why does this girl look just like Sophie?"

The owner overheard and said, "Sophie? That’s the name on the receipt!"

My dad’s expression darkened as he tried to maintain his composure. "It’s probably just someone with the same name. Sophie is hiding somewhere, laughing at us right now. Are you in on this with her? Do you really think you can trick the police?"

Suddenly, my mom’s phone rang. She answered with a trembling voice. "Hello, Felix?"

Felix Thorne from the forensic lab spoke urgently. "Dr. Keller, the DNA results for the victim are in."