The Urban Abyss

The Old Man Following Them Around the Corner

During the weekend, Vivienne and Sophia took Cathy to a children's playground for some fun. They played until dusk before heading back. 

Sophia's place was somewhat secluded, so Vivienne escorted them home. As they approached the alley near Sophia's house, Vivienne suddenly noticed a shadow lurking behind the corner street lamp, seemingly spying on them. Her police instincts immediately kicked in.

She crouched down, pretending to tie her shoelaces, and took a quick glance behind her. This time, she saw clearly: a tall, thin old man was sneakily peeking around the corner, evidently trailing them.

Vivienne pulled Sophia aside, deliberately bypassing her own doorstep and heading to a large supermarket nearby. She instructed Sophia to wait inside the supermarket with Cathy. Then, she swiftly turned back towards the alley, close to where Elizabeth had been murdered. In such a secluded area, she did not want to let a suspicious individual trailing women get away.

From a distance, Vivienne saw the old man still standing in the shadow of the street corner, with the glow of a cigarette flashing on and off, as if he was smoking. Vivienne approached quietly.

Suddenly, a group of young men came around the corner, making noise and chasing each other. Startled, the old man slipped into the darkness, and Vivienne ran after him.

The alley was dim and branched in many directions, causing Vivienne to lose sight of him. She retreated and picked up the cigarette butt left by the old man under the streetlamp, placing it in a sealed bag.

The next day, Vivienne asked the forensic department to check for fingerprints, hoping to find a match with those collected at the murder scene of Elizabeth. However, she was disappointed; there was no match. Jonathan from the forensic department complained, "Officer Vivienne, you brought back a cigarette butt, making us busy for quite a while, and I thought you had caught a suspect. It turned out to be just paranoia..."

Captain Benjamin interrupted Jonathan, "How can you speak like that? Vivienne did well, showing great responsibility. Being a police officer is exactly about maintaining a keen sense of alertness, even if it turns out to be a mistake, it's better than an oversight!"

Vivienne silently thanked the captain in her heart and resolved to find valuable clues to crack the case. After work, she stayed back to analyze the case on her own in the archive room.

At nine in the evening, Vivienne's phone rang. It was Sophia calling, her voice trembling, "Cousin, can you come over quickly? I was attacked!"

Vivienne rushed to Sophia's place by taxi. Sophia was not seriously hurt, just some scrapes on her knee and elbow. She was scared and shaking uncontrollably. Cathy was in the corner, pouting, about to cry.

Sophia recounted that after dinner, she wanted to go to the supermarket to buy some things and told Cathy to stay home and watch cartoons. As she reached the corner near the supermarket, someone suddenly emerged from the shadows, blocking her way and dragging her into the dark.

 When she screamed, the person covered her mouth, and in the struggle, she fell. Just then, someone riding a bicycle passed by, and the attacker ran away, allowing her to escape and run home.

Vivienne asked, "Sophie, did you see what the person looked like?"

Sophia described, "It was an old man, thin, tall, and very strong." Vivienne felt she had her answer. This old man was either scouting for victims or had specifically targeted Sophia; otherwise, he wouldn't have been lurking around for two consecutive nights.

The next evening, Vivienne arrived at Sophia's house earlier, dressed in Sophia's shoes and clothes, and let her hair down. The resemblance between the two cousins was striking, and from behind, it was hard for acquaintances to tell them apart.

Vivienne carried Sophia's purse and walked slowly through the alley, but nothing happened. After half an hour, she walked back, and the alley remained silent. For three consecutive nights, the old man did not appear.

The following weekend, Vivienne deliberately left an hour later, around ten in the evening. As she approached the alley, her nerves were on edge, and she quickly sensed someone approaching from the darkness. Sure enough, an arm suddenly reached out and grabbed Vivienne.

Vivienne was not the delicate Sophia; with an over-the-shoulder throw, the man was promptly subdued on the ground, indeed the old man who had followed them the previous weekend. Vivienne grabbed his arm, and as the man's face buried in the ground, he moaned in pain and called out, "Sophie, Sophie!"

Vivienne loosened her grip, dragged the old man under the streetlamp, and saw his face, which seemed vaguely familiar. The man also recognized her and was startled, "You're not Sophia!"