Chapter 13: Easy Solution
Edward stared intently at the phone, his mind racing to pinpoint the intruder's location.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a dark shape squirming behind the couch in the den.
Upon closer inspection, it was someone's butt sticking up, as if they were hiding there.
Edward immediately shouted, "You're behind the couch in the den!"
The voice on the other end of the line paused, seemingly surprised. "How did you know?"
Edward frowned, replying irritably, "Your ass is sticking out!"
"Hehehe, wrong!" the mysterious caller cackled.
In that instant, Edward sensed a sharp presence behind him—like a blade cutting through the air at incredible speed, aimed straight at him.
He instinctively rolled forward, then quickly spun around, finally getting a clear look at his attacker.
The figure before him was completely shrouded in a flowing black robe and wore that iconic Ghostface mask with its wide-open screaming mouth.
"Are you serious?..." Edward almost laughed out loud. "You've gotta be kidding me."
The mask was way too recognizable. Even if you'd never seen the original Scream movies, you'd have seen it plastered everywhere during Halloween.
Edward's impression of it was particularly vivid because of the Scary Movie parodies he'd watched—those spoofs were burned into his memory.
Just as Edward paused briefly, the attacker seized the opportunity and violently hurled the kitchen knife in his hand.
A metallic flash cut through the air as the knife shot toward Edward with deadly force.
Edward reacted lightning-fast, instinctively jerking his head sideways. The sharp blade whistled past his cheek.
Almost the instant he dodged, Edward quickly raised the white Ivory pistol, aiming in the attacker's direction.
But when he looked, the Ghostface wannabe had already vanished around the corner, movements swift as a shadow.
Edward muttered to himself: This guy's fighting skills are nothing special, but damn, he can run fast.
"Didn't you just say if I found you, you'd let me 'hehehe'? Well, I found you! Come out so I can 'hehehe' you!" Edward shouted into the empty room.
Only dead silence answered him. Clearly, Ghostface didn't keep his word.
Edward frowned deeply. After a moment's thought, he picked up the landline and hit redial on the last number.
Instantly, a phone's ringtone suddenly echoed from upstairs.
"Gotcha!" Edward's eyes sharpened, and he strode toward the second floor without hesitation.
As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he heard a muffled thump. The Ghostface attacker was pinned helplessly against the wall by Carrie's telekinesis.
Carrie's face was flushed red, veins bulging on her forehead—clearly using every ounce of her strength. The attacker showed signs of being crushed even further.
"Carrie, it's okay! I'm here," Edward quickly said to calm her.
Hearing Edward's voice, Carrie released like a snapped rubber band. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious.
Edward quickly turned to Lilith. "Lilith, take care of Carrie for me." Lilith nodded and rushed to Carrie's side.
Edward then walked toward the pinned attacker, used some effort to pry him off the wall, found some rope and tied him up tight, then dragged him downstairs.
Next, he grabbed the phone and dialed 911. After the call, Edward looked down at Ghostface sprawled on the floor and reached out to yank off the mask.
Upon closer inspection, Edward vaguely recognized him—this guy's name was Stu Macher.
Not long after, sharp sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder, piercing through the night's silence.
Soon, a police cruiser screeched to a halt outside. The door swung open, and Deputy Dewey Riley stepped out with a serious expression.
He quickly surveyed the scene, his gaze falling on Edward and Stu Macher on the ground.
After a few brief questions, he took both of them down to the station.
At the police station, Edward sat in an interrogation room, facing the detective's questions, and recounted everything in detail. After giving his statement, Edward finally walked out.
Stu Macher was charged with the murders of Casey Becker and Steve Orth, as well as attempted murder of Edward Connor, among other crimes. He was looking at serious prison time.
However, the area outside the police station was already swarming with news reporters who'd caught wind of the story.
Among the crowd, reporter Gale Weathers was particularly aggressive. She clutched a microphone, her eyes revealing professional hunger and urgency. She immediately pushed her way in front of Edward, shoving the mic in his face, eager to start firing questions.
Edward gave a few terse responses, then spotted his anxious parents arriving through the crowd.
He quickly pushed through and got into his parents' car. As the vehicle pulled away, he finally escaped the annoying circus.
John sat in the driver's seat, looking at Edward in the back through the rearview mirror with worried eyes. He couldn't help but glance back. "Son, are you sure you're okay? When we heard what happened, we almost had heart attacks!"
Sarah gripped Edward's hand tightly, her eyes red-rimmed, tears not yet dried, her expression still filled with fear.
Edward gently patted Sarah's hand and said with forced casualness, "Dad, I'm totally fine. But maybe keep your eyes on the road? I just survived a serial killer—I don't wanna end up in the hospital because of a car accident."
He paused, then deliberately put on a cocky grin. "Besides, Mom, Dad—you know I'm awesome, right?"
Edward's playful tone and expression broke the tense atmosphere in the car.
Sarah's tight nerves finally relaxed a bit, and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh, though it came out as more of a snort.
The slightly awkward moment lightened the mood in the car, and the fear they'd all been holding seemed to dissipate somewhat.
At Maria's house, warm light spilled across the dinner table, but the atmosphere felt a bit strained.
Amy, with barely contained excitement on her face, looked at Maria and said, "Sweetie, guess who I ran into today? Sue—George's mom. You remember George, right? That boy from science camp last summer?"
Maria frowned slightly, confusion in her eyes. "I don't remember him."
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