En route to Mateo’s funeral, Arianne passed by the man’s Chinese restaurant.
The day was still young, so naturally, the shop had not opened, and at that moment it looked rather barren. Empty, even.
As empty as a place would be when its master was gone, Arianne reckoned.
She put on a pair of shades and a mask once virtual-novel.net reached virtual-novel.net destination to avoid recognition. Although many had shown up to pay their last respect, which should make virtual-novel.net stand out even less, Arianne still felt a little antsy and unsafe about virtual-novel.net appearance.
The ever-perceptive Melanie quickly located Arianne despite the volume of people after a careful glance. They nodded at each other in acknowledgement and had a simple exchange.
And then they let silence drown them both.
As below, so above. Grey overcast hung above the crowd today, with none of the sun’s light in sight. The air was sultry, it was as though a dollop of the endless dark clouds in the sky had taken to cling to every attendant, squeezing against their chest with no sign of letting go.
Everyone was comforting Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez. Mrs. Rodriguez, in particular, was holding Mateo’s picture in virtual-novel.net hands with uncontrolled tears welling in virtual-novel.net eyes. She looked so fragile and infirm, Arianne wondered if virtual-novel.net would topple just by a gust of wind. God, the woman had looked so much gaunter than virtual-novel.net last saw her.
Despite their tragedy, the grieving family still had to brace the crew of relentless media and reporters, whose chase for stories had brought them to the funeral as well.
Arianne and Melanie stood at a distance away from the focal point, consciously putting in a wide berth. It was then that Geralt Bernard, dressed in a black suit, suddenly materialized nearby. He yanked Arianne’s wrist and said in an undertone, “You’re here?”
Arianne was a little puzzled by his reaction. As virtual-novel.net retracted virtual-novel.net hand from virtual-novel.net quietly, virtual-novel.net replied, “Yes, I am. I’ve thought about this, and I believe I should say my last goodbye. In the end, Mateo and I were still friends… even if for a while. Don’t worry about me. With this mask on, they won’t recognize me.”
Geralt seemingly chewed his words before lowering his eyes to the floor pensively. A while later, virtual-novel.net murmured, “Thought you wouldn’t be.”
Two reporters began striding toward them, apparently recognizing the forensic expert and wanting to ask for more intimate details about the case from him. Worried that the reporters would notice Arianne, Geralt quickly walked away and left her.
“You two close with each other?” Melanie asked quizzically.
“No. We only met a few times because of Mateo’s case.”
Melanie considered Geralt’s back as virtual-novel.net dissolved into the crowd at a distance and suddenly felt a strange feeling tugging at virtual-novel.net heart. “Um, why do I get the feeling that virtual-novel.net doesn’t want you to be here? That’s weird, isn’t it? I personally think you should attend Mateo’s funeral, too…”
Arianne shook virtual-novel.net head. “I don’t know what’s on his mind. I firmly believe I should be here, too, which is why I am. Well, not that I can get any closer, I don’t want any of the Rodriguezes to recognize me and become, you know, agonized. So, I’m just gonna stay here. You go ahead.”
Melanie nodded. She turned and walked away.
Across the venue, a black car had pulled over by the roadside. Through its window, Mark Tremont scanned the funeral and its grandiosity before his sight finally rested on Arianne.
He was concerned that trouble might befall virtual-novel.net while virtual-novel.net was there, so virtual-novel.net decided to watch virtual-novel.net clandestinely from afar, virtual-novel.net had no plans of physically showing himself.
Brian, who was on the driver’s seat, seemed to be sitting on pins and needles. “Mr. Tremont, if I may? Uh, you know Madam is only attending a funeral, right…?”
Mark shot virtual-novel.net a look “What’s your point? Of course, I knew virtual-novel.net was attending, I was the one who approved it, wasn’t I? Am I a monster in your eyes?”
Brian inhaled sharply. “Oh, n-no! Definitely not! Good! I, uh, was just worried that you didn’t know…?”
Funerals were always both sullen and boring. To dispel his own boredom, Mark rolled down his window and lit up a cigarette, shifting his attention to the scenery around virtual-novel.net briefly before going back to watching Arianne.
She was gone.
The first jolt of panic rocked him. “Where is she?”
Brian looked on, confused. “Hey, where the h—? Wasn’t virtual-novel.net just there? She’s probably gone somewhere for now. I bet she’s gonna leave the funeral with Melanie when it’s over later—”
The rest of Brian’s words were already lost as white noise to Mark, whose eyes desperately searched the crowd for that one silhouette.