Chapter 2 — Scary Neighbors

“One hundred thousand, consider you repaying my kindness for the past year.” “The food I brought you, the clothes I helped you collect, the gas money to take you to the hospital, combined is not less than this, right?” "Why didn't you say anything? Are you guilty?" I walked to the cat's eye and looked out. Truong Tu Lan stood in front of my house, her arms folded across her chest. About five minutes later, two figures in uniforms finally appeared in the cat's eyes. I opened the door. Truong Tu Lan saw me and pouted: "Oh, you finally came out?" I didn't pay attention to her. I looked straight at the two policemen: "Comrade police, I suspect that in room 601 there is an old lady who has passed away." 4 Truong Tu Lan's smile stiffened. “What did you say?” Her voice suddenly rose high. "My mother is still healthy! What are you talking about?" The young male police officer looked at me and then at her: "Is room 601 your house?" “Yes… it is my house.” “Is there anyone inside?” "My mother is in there. My mother is in the house." Truong Tu Lan's voice began to tremble. "She's still healthy, it's just that it's not convenient to walk." “We need to go inside and check.” “Based on what?” Truong Tu Lan suddenly blocked the door of apartment 601. "This is my house! You can't just come in!" “Sir, we received information that the people inside may be in danger of their lives, so we have the right to check.” "No need! My mother is fine!" She used her whole body to block the door frame. The female police officer took a step forward: "Please cooperate." "I don't cooperate! Do you have a search warrant? Without a search warrant, you cannot enter!" Her voice was so shrill that it almost broke. I stood next to her, looking at her desperate appearance blocking the door, the last bit of hope in my heart disappeared. If her mother is really okay, why does she have to stop her? In the hallway, there were several neighbors surrounding. Aunt Vuong and Uncle Trieu were also present, silently watching the scene before their eyes. The male police officer held the walkie-talkie and said a few words, then turned to Truong Tu Lan: "Sir, we have notified the police station to request an inspection order. In the meantime, please do not leave." “I…” Her phone suddenly rang. She lowered her head to look, her face turned even whiter. She didn't answer the phone. The phone rang for more than ten seconds then stopped. Then it continued ringing again. She still doesn't listen. “Miss Truong.” I spoke up. “Who is your sister Truong?” “Your mother is at home, why don't you let others in to see?” “What does it have to do with you?” "You asked me to come and take care of you every day, but now the police are here, but you don't dare let them see." “What are you afraid of anyway?” She opened her mouth but couldn't say a word. The walkie-talkie rang. The male police officer exchanged a few words and then walked towards the door of apartment 601. "We have been granted permission. Now we need to go inside to check." Truong Tu Lan's whole body trembled. “You… you can't…” The male police officer walked around her and pressed the door handle. The door is not locked. A "click" sounded and the door opened. A stream of smell rushed out. Instinctively, I covered my nose and took a step back. Aunt Vuong also covered her nose: "What's that smell?" The two policemen looked at each other. The male police officer pushed the door open. “Auntie?” The male police officer called out. No one answered. "Auntie? We are from the police station, coming to visit you." Still no one responded. The female police officer walked towards the bedroom. The door was only slightly closed. She reached out and pushed the door. Then stop. She didn't step in but turned her head to look at her teammates. Those eyes were extremely complicated. The male police officer walked over and looked inside. Then he took out his walkie-talkie. "Command center, this is Thanh Quan police station. At apartment 601, building 6, Cam Hoa apartment, it has been confirmed that an elderly woman has died. Please notify the criminal police team." Truong Tu Lan's legs were soft. Her back was against the wall, she slowly slid down and sat on the ground. “No… that's not…” “My mother is just sleeping…” “My mother is just sleeping…” Her voice was like a deflated balloon, light and weak. No one paid attention to her. Female police officer pulls the guard rope. The neighbors in the hallway began to back away. Have

Some people covered their mouths, some people talked in low voices. Aunt Vuong's face turned white: "Oh my god..." Uncle Trieu couldn't say a word. The male police officer walked over: "Are you the one who called the police?" "Yes." “How do you know what might have happened inside?” 5 I thought for a moment and then rearranged my words: "She said she had to go on a business trip for a week and asked me to come every day to take care of her mother." "But I felt like something wasn't right. She was so impatient, she even gave me ten thousand yuan to get me to agree. After I refused, she forced me to spend one hundred thousand to hire a nanny." "She went on a business trip but didn't arrange any caregivers, nor prepare food or medicine. Furthermore..." I looked at Truong Tu Lan. “Just now she risked her life to stop you guys from entering the house.” The male police officer nodded and took notes in the notebook. “Have you ever been in apartment 601?” "No. From yesterday until now, I have not entered."