Later that afternoon, a notice bearing the man's photograph and details was prepared for circulation. A monetary reward was offered for information that could lead to his location and arrest. Mei Ling read through the notice before it was taken away.
She had expected finding the driver to ease her mind, but instead, it left her more troubled than before.
The notice meant the police were actively searching for the man. His identity was no longer a mystery, and his photograph would be seen by people across the district. Yet the more she considered the situation, the less she could convince herself that the man was simply an ordinary driver who had disappeared after an accident.
She stood near the station entrance, beneath the narrow shade beside the doorway, as a woman arranged bottles of water on a small wooden table nearby. People passed in and out of the station while the woman called out to those walking by. She remained there for a moment as the cool air from the building faded and the afternoon heat reached her. She bought a bottle of water, took a few sips, and continued toward the main road. The heat was beginning to wear on her.
The case had also drawn her attention to another matter, one that involved Boa. She had disappeared, and Mei Ling believed the threats against her might have had something to do with it. There had already been attempts to harm Mei Ling, and now the person whose vehicle had been involved in the accident had disappeared as well.
Mei Ling couldn't shake off the feeling that there was a connection between the events, even though she had nothing concrete to prove it. Could Boa's disappearance have something to do with this?
She knew where she needed to go. Boa's former home.
The house had been empty since Boa left. Mei Ling had avoided going there because she hadn't known what she would find. Now, she needed answers. She made her way to the nearest taxi stand and took a taxi there.
The familiar neighborhood came into view after several minutes. Mei Ling paid the driver and looked across at Boa's former home. Everything appeared unchanged. The same houses lined the street, the same walls surrounded the properties, and the same quiet lane ran through the neighborhood.
She walked toward one of the neighbours.
"Excuse me," Mei Ling called.
The woman looked in her direction.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I'm a friend of Boa. I haven't been able to reach her lately, and I was hoping you might remember anything unusual about the night she left," Mei Ling said.
"You knew her?" the woman asked.
"Yes. Were you around the night Boa left?" Mei Ling asked.
The woman turned her attention toward Boa's house.
"The night she left?"
"Yes," Mei Ling confirmed.
The woman hesitated before answering.
"I remember it."
"What happened?" Mei Ling asked.
The woman lowered her voice. "There were strange cars outside."
"Cars, in front of her house?"
"Yes, black cars. I remember seeing three or four of them," the woman said.
"When did you see them?" Mei Ling pressed further.
"At night."
"How late?"
"Very late. Most people were already asleep," the woman replied.
"What happened after that?"
The woman looked around before continuing. "I heard a loud bang from Boa's house."
"Did it sound like a gunshot?" Mei Ling wondered.
"I don't know. It sounded like someone was trying to break the door down."
"And then?" Mei Ling urged.
"We heard screaming."
"Whose?"
"Boa's."
The woman's voice dropped. "A moment later, the door opened and several men came out. They were dragging another woman with them."
"Her sister?" Mei Ling questioned.
The woman gave a slow nod. "Yes."
Mei Ling fell silent.
"And Boa?" Mei Ling said.
The woman shook her head. "I don't know. Everything happened so quickly."
"Did you call the police?"
The woman lowered her gaze. "No. We were all too afraid to get involved."
The woman's answer made Mei Ling wonder what had happened to Boa. If the men had taken her sister, then where was Boa? Mei Ling thought about where she had been while all of this was happening. She had been somewhere else, living her own life, investigating and reporting crimes while Boa was caught in something she had known nothing about.
"Did you see where they went?" Mei Ling inquired.
"They drove away almost immediately," the woman said.
"Did you see the number plates of these cars?"
"No."
Mei Ling took in the answer before saying, "Thank you."
The woman watched her for a moment. "Are you going to find her?"
Mei Ling turned toward the house. "I will try."
She then made her way down the street.
She headed down the street, but stopped after only a few steps.
Her eyes burned.
She lowered her head.
The thought of what Boa's sister had been through was difficult to bear. Mei Ling had spent so much time uncovering the truth behind other people's stories, yet she had failed to notice how much danger had been surrounding someone close to her.
Boa had needed someone.
And Mei Ling hadn't been there.
A tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away, but another followed. This time, she let it fall.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I should have been there."
She looked toward the house one last time.
The sadness inside her gave way to determination.
She wiped her face and took a steady breath.
"I'll find you," she promised.
She did not know who she was speaking to.
Boa.
Or the person responsible.
Perhaps both.
"But whoever did this, I will find you," she said.
She turned and walked away.