The Fate in your Eyes

Chapter 20 - The Funeral

Strong, bright rays of sunlight filled the hall as Luana, Lu and Officer Xiao Lee entered. They immediately saw countless other people gathered at the tables, the buffet or in front of the portrait of the deceased. All those present were dressed simply in black, colorful flowers decorated every corner, the sweet scent rose to Lu's nose.

"That's a lot of people... I didn't think Min Guan's family would hold a funeral so quickly..." Luana frowned, looking at those present in surprise. "It seems to me that nobody cares about the boy's death. These... damn flowers... so many flowers for a serial killer?" The officer shook his head vigorously, his brown middle parting bobbing back and forth, individual strands hanging in his face. But his dark circles and tired eyes underlined that he hadn't had any sleep for a long time. The same was true for Luana and Lu, who hadn't been able to think about sleeping for the last twenty-four hours. First came the incident with Shenja's kidnapping, then Min Guan's attack in the friends' headquarters, then...the person with red

eyes and now Cheng's fake death and Min Guan's real death. Only now did Lu understand that Cheng and Min Guan were taken to the hospital at the same time and that it looked as if Cheng had died too. But...for how long would this clever trick be able to stop the real murderer? Lu was sure that the person with red eyes was much more intelligent and several steps ahead of them.

"That's them, Min Guan's parents," Xiao Lee said suddenly with a grim face, tearing the dark-haired boy from his thoughts. Lu, Luana and Xiao Lee turned around and looked at three more people who entered the hall, and immediately noticed that Min Guan's mother was wearing a very splendid, colorful outfit. A magenta coat with feathers on the collar, high heels and sunglasses. Her expensive diamond earrings shone in the light, the thick necklace did the same as the earrings. "Oh dear...", murmured Luana when she saw the woman. This could be something. "She's dressed as if she were at a ball and not at her son's funeral," grumbled Lu skeptically. The deceased's father also looked hardly worn out, narrow sunglasses marked his angular, freshly shaved face, a classy, ​​dark brown suit clung to the man's untrained body. A gold watch shimmered on his wrist. "Mr. and Mrs. Guan," murmured Xiao Lee and braced herself for the meeting. The parents stopped in front of the officer and the two teenagers.

"What's going on, officer? What are you doing here? We've already told you and your colleagues everything," the mother immediately snapped at Xiao Lee. Her lips curled when she

saw Luana and Lu. "And why are you dragging these annoying vermin to our funeral?" she practically spat out the words. "Excuse me?" Lu wasn't sure if he had understood the woman correctly. "I'm here because there are still a few questions to be answered - and these two children are witnesses to the incident. They have the right to be present at the questioning, after all Min Guan attacked them-" but the officer was attacked by the father.

"Now be quiet! How dare you talk about my son like that in the hall of his funeral? Get out of here immediately! We won't tolerate another second of this disgusting behavior," Mr. Guan snapped at Xiao. "This is going too far! How can you say something? We saw with our own eyes how your son-" Lu wanted to say, but his mother intervened. "Like Min Guan what? Only dirty lies come out of your mouth. Get out!" she hissed. "Unbelievable, we were attacked by Min... but now you're acting like we're the monster! Like we're the murderer, the kidnapper who kidnapped our best friend!" Lu was beside himself with rage. His father grabbed him by the shoulders. "Listen, you kid, you'd better get out of the hole you came from, otherwise..." Mr. Guan threatened. "Otherwise what? What's this crap about? Do you want me to arrest you for insulting a police officer on duty?" Xiao Lee lost his patience and wanted to go towards the man when suddenly the third, new person stood up and stood between Xiao and Mr. Guan.

"I think that's enough. Leave my client's family alone, Officer Lee," the man said in a cool voice and straightened his shoulders. Xiao Lee froze and blinked several times.