Chapter 3 — Please Don't Take Three Steps Back

His fingertips lightly tapped the page: "There are remnants of sedatives in the victim's body. The killer is most likely an acquaintance." I didn't look at him, just stared at the report: "Thank you, Mr. Luc." He stood there and didn't move. I pretend to be busy. Half a minute later, he asked: "Why have you been avoiding me lately?" The office fell silent immediately. Even Tieu Trieu stopped typing. I raised my head and smiled very methodically: "No, Mr. Luc is thinking too much. We are just having a business relationship, keeping a little distance is best." In Luc Van Chu's eyes, something seemed to stab him. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Ha Nam pushed the door open and walked in.

"Tham Tri, let's go, La Cuong's wife has a new clue."

I immediately stood up: “Come here.” Ha Nam stood and watched the excitement without thinking about the big deal. He conveniently threw his jacket to me, his movements were as natural as if they had lived together for ten years. Luc Van Chu suddenly reached out and pressed tightly on that jacket. Ha Nam smiled: "Is Teacher Luc going too?" Luc Van Chu replied: "I am a member of the special case team." My scalp is tight. The air in the car is even more deadly. Ha Nam drove, I sat in the passenger seat, Luc Van Chu sat in the back seat. Ha Nam's mouth kept talking non-stop along the way.

"Tham Tri, when will you move out? My house is near the bureau, the room is always empty."

I was stunned: "When did I say I wanted to move to your house?" Ha Nam looked at Luc Van Chu through the rearview mirror: "You said that when you were drinking last night. You said sleeping on the folding bed in the office hurt your back and wanted to find a place to rest." I really said that. But I said to find a place, not his house. Behind me, the sound of a mask cover being crumpled was heard. I turned my head: "Luc Van Chu, are you okay?" He looked out the window: “It's okay.” The more he said it was okay, the more I felt it was okay. Arriving at La Cuong's house, the victim's wife cried until she was about to faint. She said no matter what she asked, she didn't know. Ha Nam and I were juggling and forcing her emotions down. Luc Van Chu from beginning to end just stood at the door, not approaching the incense burner placed in the living room. As he walked out, he suddenly said: "She lied." I asked: "Based on what?"

“On her body there is an incense scent that is identical to the smell in the dead person's mouth, the incense ashes may be mixed with medicine.”

I frowned: "Can't you smell it?" As soon as I blurted out, I also froze. Why did I say that? Luc Van Chu also stiffened. Ha Nam looked at me, then at him, without saying anything. After a long while, Luc Van Chu spoke up: "I never said I didn't smell it." The tone was cold and stiff. I suddenly got annoyed: "Of course you never said anything, you never said anything." He looked at me. I also looked at him. A few seconds later, he proactively looked away first: "Go back to the bureau to check the incense ashes first." That evening, the test results of the incense ash came back, and indeed it contained medicinal ingredients. The case has a way out. The whole office cheered in celebration. Only me and Luc Van Chu had a horizontal layer of ice in between. At three o'clock in the morning, I went into the tea room to pour coffee. As soon as he turned around, Luc Van Chu was standing at the door. He wasn't wearing a mask. That face under the cold white light looked extremely tired. I held the paper cup: "Is something wrong?" He said softly: “Tham Tri, words you said that day, it's not that I didn't react." My heartbeat skipped a beat. He took a step forward. I instinctively backed away. His steps stopped, his eyes darkened. I deliberately laughed: "Don't stand too close, doesn't Master Luc hate people being close?" The lines on his lips stretched.

“I don't hate you.”

I almost believed it.