Chapter 8 — Mystery At 3 A.M

He seemed to be familiar with the bank's structure. He turned into the employee entrance and pushed open a door that was normally locked. Police Ha chased from outside. An An sat in the car, her face scary white. The girl's fingers pressed against the glass window, staring at the direction the man ran away from. The girl suddenly spoke.

“It's not him.”

The police next door were stunned. An An's voice trembled.

“The smell is his.”

“The hand is also his.”

“But the person who kicked the door last time was taller than him.”

“He just came to steal the keys.”

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a crashing sound from the back door of the bank. A gray car jumped out of the parking spot, its front scraped against the railing, and then sped onto the side street. Two police officers immediately drove after them. Captain Dien's voice came from the radio.

“Don't chase too far.”

“Protect Khuong Hoa and the child.”

Ten minutes later, the smoke in the bank dissipated. The man wearing a cleaning uniform was not arrested. He threw his clothes in the back alley, climbed the wall and ran into the old residential area. The right glove was left on the ground. There are no amputated fingers inside the gloves. That empty little finger position is a fake created intentionally. After hearing this, Khuong Hoa's face turned pale.

“He knows An An talked about this trait.”

Team leader Dien did not speak. This is the worst. The words they said in the testimony room were known to everyone outside. Not guessing. But knowing clearly. Officer Ha lowered his voice.

“Is there a problem in the department?”

Captain Dien's face was very heavy.

“Don't draw conclusions for now.”

An An suddenly asked.

“Where is the envelope?”

Khuong Hoa immediately took out the evidence bag. The bag is still there. The key is still there. The envelope is also still there. After the technical staff checked, Team Leader Dien opened it in front of them. In the envelope there are three things. An old photo. A small tape recorder. And a hand-drawn road map. On the map, there is a drawing of Nam Kieu Bridge. Next to the third pier below the bridge is a red circle. Next write a sentence. Don't leave really important things in the box. Khuong Hoa's eyes immediately became wet. She finally understood that her mother did not hide the secret in the iron box that year. The box is just a cover to lure people into the bait. The truly deadly thing lies under the Nam Kieu Bridge. Captain Dien looked at the time. Three forty minutes in the afternoon. There are more than two hours left until the six-hour deadline that the other side has agreed to.

“Let's go to Nam Kieu Bridge.”

Khuong Hoa immediately said.

“I'll go too.”

Captain Dien frowned.

"Impossible."

Khuong Hoa held the key tightly in her palm.

“They want me.”

“If I don't show up, they won't show up.”

An An also stood up.

“I'll go too.”

Khuong Hoa turned his head.

"Impossible."

An An looked at her, with no intention of giving in in her eyes.

“Last time mom hid me.”

“In the end, they still found me.”

“This time I want to know where they appeared from.”

Captain Dien was silent for a few seconds, and finally arranged the strictest protection plan. Nam Kieu Bridge is not big. Below is an old river that has turned black, the banks are filled with waste stones. At 5:17 p.m., under the protection of plainclothes police, Khuong Hoa went to the third pier of the bridge. An An sat in a car on the bridge, looking at her through the railing in the distance. Captain's people Dien had cleaned up the scene in advance. But it's still unusually cold underneath the bridge. Khuong Hoa squatted, followed the map, and pried open the third loose brick next to the bridge pier. Behind the brick there is an iron pipe covered with oilcloth. Captain Dien put on gloves and took it out. There are no books in the iron pipe. Also no money. Inside is a list. Nineteen names. After each name there is a date and amount. Luong Thua Vien is in the first row. The banker is in the seventh row. The apartment complex manager is in the twelfth row. When Khuong Hoa saw the last line, his breathing suddenly stopped. The last line is not a name. Which is a saying. In the next purge, police officer Dien Minh Vien will be dealt with first. Almost at the same time, Captain Dien's phone rang. He looked at the incoming number, his expression changed slightly. After the call was connected, a woman's voice was heard inside, crying until she was trembling.

“Mr. Dien, someone is coming to school to pick up our son.”

“He said you sent him.”

“He even knows the boy's home name.”

Captain Dien's expression only changed in an instant. The next second, he took the phone away from his ear and turned on the speakerphone. On the phone, the woman's crying voice was still shaking.

“Brother Dien, say something.”

"That person is at the school gate. He said if he can't pick me up, he will look for me."

Team leader Dien did not immediately ask what the other person looked like. He only asked one question.

“What color shoes are boys wearing today?”

The other end of the line stopped. The woman choked up.