"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.