Twenty-four hours after the young woman went missing, her mother, having been unable to reach or find her all this time, was already worried sick. With no idea of her daughter's whereabouts, her anxiety reached a peak and she called the police again for help.
"Hello, this is the 999 emergency center. How may I help you?"
"Hello, is this 999? I'm the person who called earlier. My daughter still hasn't come home. It's already been over twenty-four hours now. I'm extremely worried and afraid something might have happened to her. Could you please help investigate? I beg you."
"May I have your daughter's name and address?"
"My daughter's name is Wong Hiu Man. She lives in Tsuen Wan…"
Tsuen Wan Police District Headquarters:
I was busy with work in my office, as there had been quite a few cases recently. Although none were particularly serious crimes, they still needed handling, so I was swamped.
Suddenly, one of my subordinate detectives, Sergeant Chan Ming Choi, knocked and entered. "Sir, 999 just notified us. A lady called to report her daughter missing. She hasn't been able to contact her for twenty-four hours and can't find her. The family lives in Tsuen Wan, so it's been assigned to our district for follow-up."
"Twenty-four hours!"
I thought for a moment. "Did she leave any details? If it's over twenty-four hours, we need to open a file."
"We have the details provided by them. The missing woman is twenty-two years old, named Wong Hiu Man. She just returned to Hong Kong from Australia for vacation. She called home around 6:30 PM yesterday saying she was going painting, but the destination is unknown. However, there's been no contact with her since. The informant is now very worried and hopes the police can quickly find her daughter."
When a daughter is late returning home, what parent wouldn't worry? So I thought and asked, "Did the informant provide any additional information over the phone?"
Chan Ming Choi hesitated briefly. "The information 999 gave us is just that much. I think we should start investigating."
"Alright, then go open a file and investigate promptly. Sigh! But cases like these missing persons reports are often baseless. Usually, they return home after a couple of days," I remarked with a sigh.
Chan Ming Choi shrugged upon hearing this. "Hmph, I hope it's that simple. If it were, we wouldn't have to bother investigating her so much." With that, he walked out.
My name is Yip Chi Ho, a Chief Inspector. Although wearing three pips on my shoulders might make me seem high-ranking and powerful, the daily pressure I face is equally heavy. Sometimes, thinking about it all makes me feel quite weary and gives me a headache.
My work has always been average, but when it comes to investigating cases, I give my all. This is because I am a police officer. Since I am a police officer, I must fulfill my duty to maintain law and order and provide the public with an appropriate account.
We began following up on this suspected missing persons case. Based on past investigative experience, if a young woman suddenly goes missing, it's usually either due to conflicts with parents, falling in with bad company and frequenting late-night venues, or staying at a friend's house for several days, returning home when appropriate.
However, a situation like Wong Hiu Man's is quite rare. According to the informant, Wong Hiu Man claimed she was going painting when she disappeared. To rule out any hidden circumstances and for the sake of prudence, we invited the informant to the police station to give a formal statement.
Soon, a woman appearing to be in her forties arrived at the station by invitation to provide a statement. During the process, Sergeant Chan Ming Choi asked, "Ms. Fung Pik Chun, you said your daughter Wong Hiu Man called you yesterday, which was Thursday, February 6, 1992, around 6:30 PM. Did she reveal anything during that call, such as going to a friend's house or a specific place? Please think carefully before answering."
Fung Pik Chun thought seriously, her face showing worry. "Because yesterday was the third day of the Lunar New Year, also 'Chik Kou'（Red Mouth）. My daughter and I usually don't visit others on Chik Kou, fearing we might say the wrong thing and offend people, so I was cooking at home."
She continued, "Then, around 6:30 PM, I received her call. She said she was going painting and wouldn't be home for dinner. However, she didn't mention where she was going to paint. I've been calling her constantly, but no one answers. Officer, could she be in danger? Please help investigate."
"Besides your daughter, does anyone else live with you at home? What about her father?" Chan Ming Choi asked.
"Her father!"
Fung Pik Chun paused. "Her father moved to the US ten years ago. We've been divorced for a long time. My daughter has always lived with me, so how would I know about her father's affairs!"
"Other than that, is there no one else living together?" Chan Ming Choi asked again.
"No one else. Just my daughter and me."
"I understand your daughter Wong Hiu Man is studying in Australia. How long has she been back in Hong Kong? Is she here for vacation?" Chan Ming Choi asked.
"Yes, she returned for the Lunar New Year holiday. She came back on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month."
Chan Ming Choi calculated. "The 28th, that's February 1st?"
"Exactly, February 1st," Fung Pik Chun confirmed.
"Ms. Fung, could you provide your daughter's phone number? We will do our best to help find her and hope to locate her soon," Chan Ming Choi requested.
"Alright, my daughter's number is 92874502."
Chan Ming Choi immediately noted it down.
Then Fung Pik Chun said, "Then I'll trouble you with this, Officer. I hope you can find her and bring her back soon. Because she's my only daughter, I can't lose her. I beg you."
"Don't worry, madam. As police officers, it is our greatest duty to serve the public with our utmost effort."
He then thought for a moment. "Alright, our preliminary statement ends here for now. You may go home. We will notify you immediately if there's any news."
"Okay, thank you for your trouble."
After Fung Pik Chun left, Chan Ming Choi reviewed the entire statement once more, then came to my office and knocked. "Sir Yip, I've taken a detailed statement from Fung Pik Chun. We know her daughter returned on the 28th, but after going out yesterday, she hasn't returned home and contact has been lost. What should we do next?"
After listening, I said, "Since it's been over twenty-four hours, her daughter can now be included in the missing persons investigation. Go contact the telecommunications company immediately and ask them to help trace where Wong Hiu Man's call originated from."
"Yes, sir. I'll get on it right away."
With that, Chan Ming Choi walked out.