The Urban Abyss

Moonlight

Vivienne journeyed to a city hundreds of miles away, tirelessly investigating based on the address Zachary had left behind. After interviewing several of his neighbors and colleagues, she returned three days later, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Captain Benjamin listened intently to her report: Zachary had been employed for over a decade at a chemical processing plant, serving as its technical leader. With a respectable salary and some savings, he had a solid economic foundation. Despite this, he bought a nice house seven to eight years ago but remained single, never remarrying. 

Two years prior, Zachary retired due to illness and since then had lived a quiet life at home, taking on occasional part-time work. Apart from work-related interactions, he rarely mingled with others, appearing to most as a reticent, ordinary old man. His only noteworthy behavior was his mysterious disappearances every few months for about half a month—a detail his neighbors remembered clearly because Zachary would return home extremely drunk, throwing bottles around in a drunken rage.

Captain Benjamin's interest was piqued as several key characteristics about Zachary emerged:

 1. A youth marred by romantic setbacks, leading to a resentment of women, especially those in marginal occupations; 

2. His occupation provided easy access to chemicals, making him familiar with cyanide, a substance unknown to most; 

3. He made regular trips to this city, covering hundreds of kilometers, with the timing coincidentally matching the intervals between the crimes;

 4. As part of the floating population, his ability to remain under the radar was remarkable.

Patting Vivienne on the shoulder, Captain Benjamin exclaimed, "Vivi, if he's the culprit, you've made a monumental contribution to our detective team!" He immediately contacted the police station, summoning Zachary and conducting a legal search of his home. They discovered two large bottles of cyanide in his bedroom closet, a finding that spurred further action. Zachary was swiftly transferred to Vivienne's detective team for questioning.

Far from appearing panicked or distressed, Zachary remained defiant, consistently claiming, "I've never killed anyone; my only purpose here is to find my daughter." The detectives were working hard to break down his psychological defenses.

Vivienne felt a profound sense of accomplishment, motivated not just by Captain Benjamin's praise. She now suspected that her aunt's death was no accident but a deliberate act of murder by Zachary. Though years had passed, erasing any physical traces of the crime, Zachary's arrest might offer a breakthrough in uncovering the truth behind her aunt's demise.

Vivienne shared the news of Zachary's summons on Instagram with Sophia, who remained silent for a while before responding with a terse "I know." Vivienne pondered the cruelty of the situation—if Sophia's mother was indeed murdered, and the murderer was her own biological father, how devastating that must be for her.

Sophia confided to her, "Cousin, I plan to go through the adoption process for Cathy this month." Vivienne was astonished; her 22-year-old cousin intended to become the mother of a six-year-old child? She immediately expressed her concern: "Sophie, have you thought this through? Motherhood is not an easy role, especially since you're still single."

Sophia responded with a smiling emoji: "Cousin, I know. I don't necessarily need to be married, but I am determined to be a good mother!"

Vivienne felt a wave of warmth and support: "Sophie, I'm behind you all the way!"

That weekend, with Sophia away, Vivienne took on the responsibility of caring for Cathy. The weather was pleasant, and the moon shone brightly at night, prompting Vivienne to take Cathy outside for a walk.

At the community playground, after swinging Cathy for a bit, they sat on a bench where Vivienne began telling the story of Snow White. Unexpectedly, Cathy interrupted, "Auntie, I don't want to hear about Snow White; I want to hear about the Night Wanderer!"

Vivienne, puzzled, asked, "What's the Night Wanderer? I don't know that story." Cathy giggled, "I know, I know, let me tell it."

Vivienne watched her curiously, encouraging her to continue.

Cathy began in her crisp, childlike voice, "There's a fairy in the sky with seven daughters..." Oh, Vivienne thought, she's going to tell a fairy tale.

Cathy continued, "His seventh daughter, the most beautiful, loved to wear her prettiest clothes and fly to the human world on the brightest moonlit nights. She'd wander the streets, and if she encountered someone she liked, especially cute children..."

Vivienne smiled at her, but Cathy's expression suddenly turned sinister: "She would carve out their hearts and slowly eat them!" Vivienne was taken aback, startled by the turn in the story.

Cathy went on, "People called this fairy the 'Night Wanderer,'" pointing at the full moon, she whispered, "Auntie, the moon is very bright tonight; the Night Wanderer might come out, right?"

Vivienne, hearing such a horrifying tale in a soft, childlike voice, felt chills run down her spine.

Cathy leaned closer, whispering mysteriously, "Did you know? My mom was a Night Wanderer..."