Morning – Physical Therapy Center
Lila's breathing was regular. She raised and lowered her arm while looking at her reflection in the mirror. The movement no longer hurt; it only served as a reminder. The physical therapy room was sterile and silent, everything suppressed except the ticking of the wall clock.
—You're doing well today, said the therapist. —You're not denying it anymore.
—I don't have the strength to deny it.
That was true. The battle she had been waging against her body in recent weeks was over. The scars of the accident weren't gone, but their hold was weakening.
—The psychological threshold has been crossed, added the therapist. —Now you'll accelerate.
Lila nodded. The word "accelerate" was the most accurate word she had heard in a long time.
Interview with Billy
Billy had spread the files on the table in the small interview room at the police station.
—I can't do it officially, he said. —But I can ignore it personally. —Even that is enough.
Billy spoke without taking his eyes off Lila.
—There are a few leads under Karen's name. The Canadian connection is strong. But a record leading to Asia also emerges. — Asia? — Yes. An old adoption agency. It's closed on paper.
Lila's heart raced.
— I can go. — Can you walk? — I can run away.
Billy smiled involuntarily.
— Then be careful.
Sandra's Suspicion
Sandra was waiting in the hallway. Her arms crossed, her gaze stern.
— What are you doing here? — I don't have to explain this to you. — If you're in a police station, you do.
Lila remained calm.
— I'm looking for my sister.
A look of contempt appeared on Sandra's face.
— Like a fairy tale.
— You don't like fairy tales.
This answer stopped Sandra. But the suspicion remained.
Anna – Analysis
Anna was taking notes at Lila's house.
— It's good that you're speeding up, she said. — But you're becoming emotionally uncontrollable. — I had no control. — You did. You just weren't using it.
Anna closed her notebook.
— This journey won't heal you. But it can complete you.
Meeting Ashley
The workshop was messy. Wires, stones, unfinished necklaces.
— I like rules, said Ashley. — Mess is a rule too.
Lila smiled.
— I need help. — Everyone does.
Ashley was one of the rare people who could investigate the Asian connection.
— I have a contact in Tokyo. — I'll go. — Not yet. First, get yourself together.
Night – Lila's Inner Voice
She looked at herself in the mirror. She was walking. There was no pain. There was fear, but it was the kind that propels you forward.
I survived the accident, she thought. Now it's time for the past.
End of Chapter
As Lila packed her suitcase, a message arrived on her phone.
Unknown Number: "It's Karen. I'm close to you. Closer than you think."
Lila stopped.
She didn't want to stop anymore.
***Billy – Illegal Border***
Billy closed the file. This meant he was officially giving it up. He was alone in the small room at the back of the police station. The walls were yellow; the color of old buildings, both hiding and suffocating.
He went to the computer. He exited the official system and accessed his personal contacts. From this point on, it wasn't policing; it was habit.
—Just once, he said to himself.
He called an old colleague. He'd served on the Canadian border, then been discharged.
—Billy… do you still wear a uniform? —I don't. But it's in my pocket. —That's not a good thing. —I need a name. An adoption agency. One of those that's closed.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
—There's a price to pay. —I know.
Billy felt he had crossed a threshold he'd avoided for years. Lila's face flashed before his eyes. It was about helping. But sometimes, help was a crime.
—The Asian connection is correct, said the voice. —The recording was made via Japan. But someone deliberately deleted it. —Who? —Not an official. Worse.
Billy hung up the phone. There was no turning back.
Billy and Lila – Open Conversation
He found Lila at her house. Her suitcase was half open.
—There's something I need to tell you, said Billy. —Is it illegal? —Yes.
Lila smiled. It wasn't a reassuring smile.
—For the first time? —For you.
Billy became serious.
—I can't protect you from this point on. —No one has ever protected me.
This sentence silenced Billy.
—The Japan possibility has strengthened. —I'll go. —Not yet. First, I'll clarify the trail.
Billy left. When the door closed, Lila realized for the first time that she wasn't afraid of being alone.
***Sandra – Inner Monologue (Beginning)***
Sandra looked in the mirror. She noticed her hands trembling as she adjusted her uniform.
"Billy is hiding something," she thought. "He's hiding something from me."
This thought wasn't new, but it had never been so clear.
She walked down the corridor. People's conversations sounded like whispers to her.
"They all know," she thought to herself. "I don't know."
Lila's name echoed in her mind.
That woman is a problem.
But was Lila the problem, or was it the way Billy looked at her?
Sandra sat down at her desk. She shuffled through the files. Billy's access records.
"You've logged in too much, Billy," she whispered.
That whisper was her first paranoid statement.
***Sandra – Night***
She came home late. Billy wasn't there.
Normal, she told herself. That's just how it is.
But she didn't turn off the light as she sat on the couch. The darkness amplified her thoughts.
He'll leave me, she thought. Or he already has.
She looked at her phone. Lila's number wasn't saved, but it was in her head.
—I'm watching you, she murmured.
Sandra's inner balance had unnoticedly cracked.
Chapter 2 – Ongoing Suspense
From this point on, everyone would begin to lose something.
But no one knew it yet.
***Ashley – Japan Connection***
Ashley locked the back door of the workshop. It was late, but still early for Tokyo. She picked up her phone, looked at the screen. She paused for a few seconds before making the call. She liked rules; but this would be an unconventional conversation.
—I hope you're still using the same number, she said quietly.
The call connected.
—Ashley?
The voice was clear, calm, and measured.
—Yes, Hiro. It's been a long time. —Five years. That means it's either very bad or very important.
Ashley smiled slightly.
—Both.
Hiro Tanaka
Hiro Tanaka was an unofficial data analyst in Tokyo, working closely with official institutions, providing private archive consulting. He was neither a police officer nor a criminal; he looked at who wanted the information more.
—Adoption records, said Hiro. —Old. Especially the deleted ones. —We're looking for a woman. —Everyone's looking for someone.
Ashley was clear.
—This woman didn't want to be found.
There was a brief pause on the other end.
—Then someone hid her well, said Hiro. —That's expensive. —The price isn't the issue. —Who's paying? —Nobody yet. But soon everyone will be paying.
This answer piqued Hiro's interest.
—I'll open the file. But I need to know her name. —Karen.
Hiro's voice changed.
— Last name? — We don't know.
— Then that's more of a story than an identity.
Ashley took a deep breath.
— I know you work with stories.
Lila and Ashley – Real Contact
The next day, Ashley was at Lila's house. On the table were notes, maps, small pieces of paper showing time differences.
— There's someone in Japan, Ashley said. — Is he trustworthy? — Not trustworthy. But it's true.
Lila agreed.
— What does he want? — Time. And silence. — I can do that.
For the first time, Ashley looked at Lila for a long time.
— Do you really think you can do that? — For my brother, Lila said, — I gave up my body. Silence is easy.
***Hiro – First Findings***
It was night in Tokyo. Hiro was looking at the screens. Old recordings, erased lines, inconsistent dates.
"—Interesting," she said to herself. "Very interesting."
A file was opened.
K. / 1996 / Anchorage connection / Asia crossing – 2004
Hiro's eyebrows rose.
"—You're close," he murmured.
---Closing---
Lila looked out the window. The snow had started again. But this time it wasn't stopping.
Her phone vibrated.
Ashley: "We've started."
Lila closed her eyes.
Now it was time to move forward, not to search.