Love Beyond the Grave

I once handled a case involving a beautiful woman who had an affair. However, the object of her affair was actually not a human being.

The case started simply. A tall and exquisite woman went to the local police station to report that she had been cheated.

We carried out the routine interrogation. She said she was a white - collar worker named Emily Johnson, 30 years old. Due to her relatively good conditions, she had been choosing a marriage partner but hadn't found the right one yet.

These circumstances didn't seem particularly surprising at first. But the deeper the interrogation went, the weirder I felt.

First of all, although Emily Johnson had been cheated, she remained very calm throughout, as if she didn't really care about being cheated. She talked about the process of getting to know the other person in a composed manner, and her tone was even filled with sweetness.

Secondly, she didn't have the shyness of an ordinary unmarried woman. It seemed that having a sexual relationship with someone was quite normal to her. But looking at her expression when she was narrating, she wasn't exactly open - minded. She just seemed very relaxed, with a faint tiredness between her brows.

The content of her report was quite ordinary. A man had a passionate and intense emotional relationship with her under the pretext of dating, and finally, on the grounds of starting a business, he took away more than a hundred thousand yuan from her and then disappeared.

It was such a cliché.

After the interrogation, I registered the complainant as usual and  Emily Johnson 。

The result shocked me. She was actually married. The household registration information clearly showed that she had a husband, but they were not locals.

That is to say, she had a sexual relationship with someone other than her spouse under the pretext of dating.

I couldn't help but look at the woman in front of me carefully. She had fair skin, was tall, and had a bright and beautiful face. She was indeed very attractive. But judging from her words and deeds, she didn't seem like a promiscuous person.

So I said straightforwardly that her behavior was an affair and was immoral. As for the matter of her being cheated, of course we would file a case as fraud, but we hoped she would provide the situation truthfully and not conceal or fabricate anything.

After hearing my words, Emily Johnson's face suddenly changed. She hesitated and asked to talk to me aside.

I was a bit surprised, but seeing her look like she had something difficult to say, I took her to a reception room nearby.

As soon as we entered the room, she closed the door, carefully looked outside, and seemed like a completely different person from before.

She seemed to be afraid of something.

"I'm indeed married," she said hesitantly. "But my husband's situation is a bit special."

Then she leaned closer to me and whispered, "My husband is a disabled person. He lies at home unable to move. He has been bedridden for a long time due to an injury. I've been out working hard for many years and haven't been back."

"Although this has nothing to do with your report, my advice is that you can get a divorce. It's your right to pursue a happy life, but this way is obviously immoral," I said.

"He doesn't agree," Emily Johnson said. "I've tried. But the man I'm with now, he knows about it, and he agrees that we can be together."

I widened my eyes. Although this kind of thing wasn't exactly rare in the process of handling cases, it was the first time I had encountered it myself. I had heard other veteran policemen talk about such incredible situations before, but I had never come across it.

I was speechless. After all, this was her family matter. She came to report the case today because she was cheated, which had nothing to do with the affair.

But I finally understood why she insisted on finding a separate room to talk. This kind of thing really wasn't suitable to be discussed in a crowded place.

But I was wrong. The reason she had to talk in this room turned out to be something else.

Emily Johnson said hesitantly that although the man she was with now had taken away her money, she didn't hate him.

"More than a hundred thousand yuan is a lot, but compared to what he has done for me, it's worth it. My husband and I are both very grateful to him. Not to mention he left without saying goodbye. Even if he asked us for it directly, we would give it to him." These were Emily Johnson's exact words.

I didn't understand. Then why did she report the case?

"The key is that now he's disappeared," Emily Johnson's expression became very anxious. "But I have no kinship with him, and I don't know his family either. The only way to find him is to report to the police."

Only then did I understand that she actually wanted us to find that man.

"How do you know he's missing?" I asked.

"I haven't seen him for almost a month," Emily Johnson said, looking anxious.

"Maybe he's out for some business or on a business trip without telling you?" I said.

"That's impossible," she said firmly. "I have his contact information, but I haven't been able to get in touch with him recently."

"And I went to the place where he lives to look for him," Emily Johnson stared with wide eyes, her voice trembling. "We always met outside before. This was the first time I went to his place."

"But his neighbor said that he's been dead for several years," Emily Johnson's eyes were full of horror.

This was the case of an affair that I took on. As I said, the person this beautiful woman had an affair with was actually not a living person.

Of course I didn't believe it. As a firm atheist, I scoffed at such things.

After she finished speaking, I asked what the man's name was.

She gave a name: James Wilson, and briefly told me some information about this person. I logged into the system and searched according to the ID number she provided.

He was indeed a deceased person. The system showed that this person's household registration had been cancelled, which meant he had been  due to death.

I was slightly surprised. Pointing at the screen, I asked Emily Johnson if this was the person.

"Yes, it's him," she nodded affirmatively, her eyes evasive. "I've seen this photo."

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking at the blurry ID photo.

"Of course," she said. "It was by looking at this ID photo that I found his address."

"How long have you been in a relationship with him?" I asked.

"About a year," Emily Johnson answered without hesitation. After hearing this, I immediately calculated. It was almost exactly one year, a few days short.

My heart skipped a beat. That is to say, Emily Johnson had been having an affair with a dead person for a whole year.

Don't forget, the neighbor said that this man had died several years ago.

This matter was getting more and more interesting. I stood up, picked up my clothes, went to the inner room to change into civilian clothes, and planned to go with Emily Johnson to the place where James Wilson lived for a visit.

Don't be deceived by movies and TV shows. Unless it's necessary for an official police dispatch, police officers rarely go out in uniform. There are strict regulations on this.

After going out, Emily Johnson hailed a taxi, and we took a taxi to the address on the ID.

On the way, I asked her about the process of getting to know the other person. She told me that they met at Café de Paris. They got along well in conversation, so they exchanged contact information and gradually started dating.

"Is this man older than you and single?" I remembered the age on the ID. Judging by appearance, he seemed a few years older than Emily Johnson.

"No," Emily Johnson showed a look of guilt this time. "He has a family."

Both of them were having affairs? I thought to myself, smiled, and didn't continue to ask.

"You said your husband knew about this person and agreed to your relationship. Why?" I said.

My words obviously caught the interest of the taxi driver. He let out a surprised small cry, then pretended to cough to cover it up.

Emily Johnson also seemed a bit uncomfortable. I told her that she had to tell it eventually, and it would be better to say it as soon as possible. Then she gradually relaxed and started to tell the story.

Emily Johnson and her husband were in the clothing business. Their life was going well originally. Later, due to an accident, her husband lost all his ability to work. She could have supported the business on her own, but with her husband bedridden and in need of care, she couldn't manage both. Fortunately, there was still some savings at home, so Emily Johnson gave up the business to take care of him wholeheartedly.

But her husband thought this wasn't a long - term solution and persuaded her to go out to work. They didn't have children yet, so the burden was relatively light. But if they continued like this, both of them would be dragged down. At first, she didn't agree, but her husband was very persistent. So Emily Johnson entrusted him to his parents - in - law and went to Chicago to make a living alone.

Emily Johnson was outstanding in appearance and figure. She was a well - known beauty in Springfield. There were even more people chasing her in the big city, but she was honest, decent, and kept herself clean, remaining unmoved. However, being alone in a strange city for a long time, she inevitably felt lonely, especially the emotional loneliness was hard to relieve.

At this time, James Wilson appeared. At first, Emily Johnson was very vigilant and always kept a distance from him. But they got along well in conversation. After several chats, Emily Johnson found that this person was gentle and refined. After several meetings, he didn't have any improper thoughts and always maintained a proper distance. This made her feel at ease, and she gradually let down her guard. However, she always felt guilty about this psychological affair. After thinking for a long time, she still told her husband in Springfield.

Of course, her husband was uncomfortable, but his words also showed helplessness. Given her husband's current situation, Emily Johnson couldn't bear to mention breaking up. She was about to say it several times, but was interrupted by her husband. It was obvious that her husband loved her very much and didn't want to break up with her.

Later, when the couple talked on the phone, Emily Johnson began to tell her husband the truth about her situation. Sometimes her husband would ask about James Wilson, and Emily Johnson would answer truthfully, like where they went for dinner, watched movies, or even went shopping together. She never hid anything.

Half a year passed like this. During a phone call, her husband suddenly sighed and said to Emily Johnson that if he was really good to her, she could decide for herself. But he still couldn't make up his mind to leave her. He hoped she could forgive him for this.

I was filled with sighs and didn't know what to say. Not only me, even the taxi driver was quite touched. He sighed for a long time. When we got off the taxi, I seemed to hear him still muttering.

I wonder how he would feel if he knew the woman talking to him had been in a relationship with a dead person.

The place where James Wilson lived was not exactly remote, but it still took nearly an hour to get there from the NYPD precinct. The place was not easy to find either, and it took quite a bit of effort. James Wilson's house was in a small Maple Lane. The house number in front of the door was shabby, and the wall was peeling. It looked like no one had lived there for a long time.

It was with great difficulty that we managed to make our way through the narrow Maple Lane and arrived in front of the house. We knocked on the door for a long time, but as expected, there was no answer. After thinking for a while, I decided to try our luck by knocking on the neighbor's door.

Soon, an old man with thick white hair came out. His eyes were dull, but he seemed sharp. I took out my police ID, and he nodded. Only then did his gaze soften a bit.

"Do you know this person? He lives next door to you, right?" I handed him the printed ID photo of James Wilson.

"Didn't she come and ask about this yesterday?" The old man didn't take the photo and stared straight at Emily Johnson behind me.

"This is a police officer," Emily Johnson said timidly. "Please tell us what you told me yesterday again."

"Dead," the old man said in a harsh tone. "This person is dead. He's been dead for several years."

"What about the other people in this house? We just knocked on the door, but no one was there," I asked.

"This family of three is all gone," the old man said in a low voice.

My expression changed, and I quickly asked, "What happened?"

"Car accident," the old man said. "It was a nice family. They were gone just like that."

I fell silent, and Emily Johnson's face also turned pale. The old man looked at her and suddenly raised his voice, "Who on earth is she? Why are you asking about this?"

The police are investigating a case. I said briefly. I can't tell you anything else. Sorry to bother you.

As we walked out, I felt those eyes behind us still looking at us suspiciously.

"You just found out that James Wilson had a family, right? Did this old man tell you?" I asked.

"Yes," Emily Johnson was so frightened that she stuttered. "He told me that James Wilson had a wife and a child."

When we reached the entrance of the alley, Emily Johnson suddenly grabbed my hand and said with a mournful face, "Did I encounter something supernatural?"

"You're overthinking it," I said as I pulled my hand out of her cold palm. "It's just a bit strange."

"There are no ghosts in this world," I looked at her and said. "Don't be afraid."

When we were about to part ways, I said to her, "Give me your address and phone number. Go back and wait for my news. Don't leave this place in the near future."

It was already very late when I got back to the station. I turned on the computer and immediately started looking for more detailed information about the deceased man, James Wilson.

The records showed that a few years ago, the family was driving in the city when they were hit from the side by a drunk - driving SUV. The family of three died on the spot.

I found the police officer from the Traffic Enforcement Division at that time to understand the situation. There was no problem with this accident, so it was certain that James Wilson had indeed passed away.

After confirming all this, I called Emily Johnson in again to understand the situation.

"Are you sure the man you were in a relationship with is the one in this photo?" I asked straightforwardly. "Think carefully."

"Yes. The photo on the computer is his ID. I took it out of his wallet and looked at it," Emily Johnson said. "Although the photo is very blurry, it does resemble him. Photos on IDs are not always easy to recognize. You're a police officer, you should know that."

She had a point. Not only her, but even I myself felt different when looking at an ID photo and the person in real life. A person who looks similar to the ID photo and holds the ID, indeed, others wouldn't question their identity.

"Did you have a sexual relationship with him?" I asked.

Emily Johnson blushed. After a while, she said hesitantly, "Yes, but he was a bit strange. When we were together, he never took the initiative to bring up this aspect. I have a good figure and I'm quite attractive to men. I'm confident about that. But several times when we went to hotels since we started dating, it was always me who took the initiative."

"Who booked the rooms when you two went out?" I asked.

"I did," Emily Johnson said in a low voice. "But I'm not... after that."

"I don't mean anything else. Were you both normal?" I continued to ask.

"Everything was quite normal," Emily Johnson said. "He was very experienced, and I was satisfied, but I always felt that he wasn't particularly interested."

I raised my eyebrows, indicating for her to continue.

"That's why I said before that giving him over a hundred thousand yuan wasn't much," Emily Johnson suddenly changed the topic. "He definitely wasn't after my body. I was sure of this because of his reaction when we were together. When he was with me, most of the time he was caring and considerate towards me. Without exaggeration, we talked a lot more in bed than we did... that. Besides, I don't really care much about this aspect. I don't have much desire in this regard.

To be honest, over the years, we earned some money from our business. Most of it was spent on my husband's treatment, but there's still some savings left. Losing over a hundred thousand yuan is something I can afford."

"Didn't you say he cheated you by saying he was going to start a business and took the money?" I asked.

"That's what he said, but it's not exactly like he took the money and ran away," Emily Johnson said. "I believe he really went to start a business. One day, he suddenly told me that he was going out to do some business and wouldn't be back for a while. I gave him over a hundred thousand yuan right then. He declined a bit and then accepted it, saying he would pay me back in the future."

"But I don't need him to pay me back," Emily Johnson said in a low voice. "I gave him the money voluntarily. But I was really surprised that he left without saying goodbye. I couldn't find him no matter how hard I tried, so I had no choice but to go to his house. Who knew it would be like this."

As she said this, Emily Johnson's face suddenly changed, apparently thinking of the situation when she went to his house again.

On the other hand, I had checked the mobile phone number that James Wilson used to contact her, but found nothing. At that time, mobile phone numbers were not fully real - named, so no identity information was found for this number.

"I actually liked him a lot, but it seemed he didn't love me. I'm a woman. I can tell very clearly whether a man likes me or not. Knowing that he had a wife, these days I've been thinking that it seems he still loves his wife more," Emily Johnson suddenly said.

This matter was not simple.

Emily Johnson nodded, walked a few steps, and then turned back to ask me, "He won't come back to find me, will he?"

I smiled and said, "You came to report the case because you couldn't find him. Now you're asking this. Are you scared?"

"I'm very conflicted now. I'm afraid he'll come to find me, but I also want him to," Emily Johnson said. "When I first found out he was dead, I was very scared, but now I feel it's not a big deal. He didn't harm me either."

I waved my hand. It's not that complicated. You can go back first.

I really meant it. The matter wasn't that complicated. This man must be alive. The claim that he had a relationship with a woman for a year, including sexual relations, and yet was a dead person was full of loopholes.

There must be something wrong with this seemingly supernatural incident!

Judging from what Emily Johnson said, James Wilson didn't seem to be after money. The time span was too long. A year of contact, care, and companionship, not aiming for sex but only for money, especially when the other party was a very beautiful woman, didn't seem reasonable.

Moreover, as Emily Johnson just said, she had more than just over a hundred thousand yuan in savings. If he was really a money - grubbing fraudster, why didn't he try to find out more about her financial situation and borrow more money at once? After all, fraud is likely a one - time deal, and fraudsters wouldn't be soft - hearted.

But the fact that he disappeared was very much in line with the behavior of a fraudster.

Who on earth was this man?

I was completely at a loss. A few days later, an old man came to the door.

My colleague said this person asked for me by name. I was a bit confused. When I saw him in person, I was even more perplexed. Who was this?

He was an old man I didn't know, with a white beard on his chin and a loud voice.

After a few seconds of being stunned, I suddenly remembered. Wasn't this James Wilson's neighbor!

The old man gave me a rather proud look and said haughtily, "Young man, remember me?"

"Yes, yes," I nodded quickly. "I came to you to get some information."

"How did you know who I was and find me here?" I asked after thinking for a while.

"You showed me your ID. Forgot?" The old man grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. "I remember it clearly. There were your name and unit on it."

"Good eyesight," I said sincerely. "You'd make a good police officer, sir."

"I don't dare to take the compliment," the old man was very pleased, raising his eyebrows. "I have something to report."

"Someone next door to me is burning paper," the old man's face suddenly turned serious.

My heart skipped a beat. "Tell me in detail?"

"Someone is burning paper," the old man's voice became softer. He leaned closer and said, "Every night, there's a woman crying at the door and burning paper."

"I'm okay with it," his voice went up again. "But my family is really scared, especially my wife. She keeps talking about this every night."

After a pause, he added, "It's... kind of creepy. For several days in a row, at around twelve o'clock every night, someone burns paper at the door, and there's a woman crying softly. It's faint, and it's scary to hear."

A tall figure immediately appeared in my mind. I quickly waved my hand at the old man. "I know. It won't happen tonight. Don't worry."

"Really?" The old man's eyes widened. "Can you guarantee it?"

"I guarantee it," I patted my chest. Then, I suddenly remembered something and asked, "Didn't you go out to take a look yourself?"

"I... had something to do," the old man was stuck for a moment. He stared at me for a few seconds and said, "I couldn't get away."

I secretly laughed. It seemed the old man wasn't very brave either.

As soon as he left, I called Emily Johnson.

Her voice was weak and she sounded very tired.

I didn't have time to think much. I just asked, "Have you been burning paper at James Wilson's door? Stop it. You've scared the neighbor next door. I've told you, the matter isn't that complicated. Why are you still being so suspicious? I'm looking into this. Don't do such things anymore."

There was no response from the other end of the phone for a long time. I thought the signal was bad and raised my voice. The other party seemed to be startled and let out a scream, "What did you say? Who's burning paper?"

I was shocked. "Wasn't it you burning paper?"

"What would I burn paper for?" Emily Johnson screamed again. "Isn't it scary enough? Do you think I'm crazy to go burn paper at his door?"

Now it was my turn to be silent. I didn't say anything for a long time. Then, I heard Emily Johnson's voice as she realized what was going on.

"You mean... someone is burning paper there? So you suspected it was me?"

"Yes," I admitted. "I thought it was you. If it wasn't you, I have to go and check the situation. This is getting weirder and weirder."

"Can I go with you? I won't be at ease until this is resolved," Emily Johnson asked.

So I made an appointment with Emily Johnson to meet at the entrance of the NYPD precinct at nine o'clock and go there together to take a look.

At nine o'clock in the evening, it was already pitch - black outside. The wind was howling. Emily Johnson, dressed in black, was standing outside waiting for me. When she saw me, she walked over quickly, mumbling something.

"Let's go," I said. "You have to be prepared. Don't be scared no matter what you see."

Emily Johnson's eyes widened. In the dark, they looked particularly scary. She asked me fearfully what we might see.

I told her that according to the old man who reported the situation, it was a woman burning paper. And I reminded her that no matter who the person was, she had to stay calm and not interfere with my investigation.

Emily Johnson nodded and didn't dare to say anything else. We took a taxi and remained silent all the way.

Surprisingly, there were no streetlights in the alley at night. I wanted to use my phone to light the way, but I was afraid of being discovered, so I had to grope forward in the moonlight.

Ahead was the big black door. The peeling wall looked even more eerie in the moonlight.

I looked at the row of vehicles parked on the side of the road, waved my hand at Emily Johnson, and then crouched behind one of the cars. Emily Johnson looked at me and squatted down beside me.

From this angle, we could just see the door. There did seem to be some dark things on the threshold. I guessed they were the ashes from burning paper. It seemed the old man wasn't lying. Someone had indeed been burning paper.

I looked at the lights in the old man's house next door. They were all on, but there was no sound inside. It was deathly quiet.

According to the old man, the paper - burning started at twelve o'clock every night. It was almost eleven when we got there, so we had to wait a while.

Although I had told Emily Johnson about this before we came, and she had deliberately worn thicker clothes, the surrounding atmosphere was too spooky. She was scared. Her hand tightly grasped my arm and didn't let go.

"Don't be nervous," I turned my head to look at her and said. "There are no ghosts in this world."

"Has no one come to see you these days, or called you?" I looked at my watch and asked.

Emily Johnson shook her head, didn't say anything, and kept her eyes fixed on the gate.

"Is that phone still turned off?" I asked, still not giving up.

"No," Emily Johnson suddenly said. "I tried calling several times. It was turned on, but no one answered. So I stopped after two calls."

"But..." she said hesitantly, "There was someone breathing on the other end of the phone. I could hear the sound of breathing, but I don't know if it was him."

"Or, if it was even a person?" Emily Johnson's voice started to tremble.

"If it wasn't a person, where would the breathing sound come from?" I still said the same thing. There are no ghosts in this world.

"What is it then?" Emily Johnson's eyes suddenly stared straight ahead and she said.

I followed her gaze and was stunned.

A dark shadow appeared at the gate somehow. It was a black mass, about half a meter tall.

It looked like a person.

Then a flame appeared. It grew slowly in the darkness, like a lamp being lit, giving off a faint light. Gradually, the flame grew bigger and turned into a fireball, jumping.

Now I could see clearly. It was indeed a person, and it was an old woman.

Her wrinkled face was like a peeling city wall, with a gray texture. Her withered hands were throwing pieces of yellow paper into the fire one by one, and she was mumbling something.

I couldn't see her eyes as they were blocked by the disheveled hair.

Emily Johnson arched her body like a cat, but I held her down.

"Don't rush. Let's wait and see," I whispered.

"What... what is she doing?"

She was burning paper. The question was, who was she and who was she burning paper for?

We watched in silence as the old woman burned the papers in her hand one by one until there was another pile of ashes on the ground. I noticed that the lights in the neighbor's house had gone out long ago. The alley was pitch - black, as if no one lived there.

The dark figure finally stood up. It could be seen that the person was short and unsteady.

It was time. I slowly stood up, ready to go forward and find out what was going on, but Emily Johnson pulled me back.

"Look, what is she doing?" Emily Johnson grabbed my hand and said. I shivered. Her hand was too cold.

The old woman who was burning paper knelt down.

I quickly crouched down. I watched as the old woman started to tremble, and soon heard a faint sobbing sound.

She was crying. I remembered what the old man had said. This scene was indeed terrifying. Especially at night, with darkness all around, a few sporadic flickers of fire on the ground, and intermittent sobs coming from the darkness, it was as if someone was whispering a spell, making it even more frightening.

I looked at my watch. It was almost one o'clock. So I stood up and quickly walked over to the old woman, gently patting her on the shoulder.

She turned around, looking surprised. She trembled and took a few steps back, then touched the warm ashes and quickly jumped to the side.

"Why are you burning paper here, granny?" I asked.

A pair of dim eyes appeared under the old woman's messy hair. She looked us up and down but didn't say anything.

I suddenly remembered something. I took out my ID and flashed it, not caring whether she saw it clearly or not, and told her that I was a police officer.

Hearing the words "police officer", she trembled and then said in a low voice that she was just coming to pay respects.

Pay respects? Was it to that man?

Emily Johnson said a name. Sure enough, it was him.

"Why pay respects to him?" I asked.

"I'm not only paying respects to him, but to his whole family," the old woman murmured. "It's a sin."

"Was the car accident in his family related to you?" Emily Johnson suddenly blurted out.

"No!" The old woman shouted, which startled me. "We didn't know him at all!" She looked nervous.

"Then why do you pay respects?" I asked in surprise. I also thought the old woman was a relative of the person who caused the car accident. The old woman didn't seem like she could drive.

"I'm paying respects for my son," the old woman said. "He's committed a sin."

I sensed something and quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

"My son came home and told me that he was haunted by this person," the old woman looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "So I came to pay respects and beg them to spare my son."

I told her to go to the side and rest, and speak slowly.

Actually, I kind of understood in my heart, but I still needed to confirm it.

The old woman was helped to a wooden stake behind a nearby car. She sat down and took a breath. Emily Johnson thought for a while, then took out a cup from her bag and gave her some water to drink.

After taking a breath, she told us that her son had gone astray, done something wrong, and was now suffering retribution.

"What does your son look like?" Emily Johnson suddenly asked. I glanced at her. It seemed she had thought of something too.

"Square - faced, fair - skinned, of medium height." Before the old woman could finish, Emily Johnson interrupted her, "Does he walk with his left shoulder higher than his right? And is there a mole in the middle of his back?"

The old woman was surprised and asked how she knew.

"It's him," Emily Johnson looked at me and said. "This is his mother."

I had already guessed it. I turned to the old woman and asked her what her son's name was.

She said a name. Emily Johnson looked confused, but I understood clearly.

"Do you know that your son pretended to be the man in this family?" I asked her.

"If I knew, would I let him do such a thing?" The old woman started to cry. "It's a sin."

"Where is your son now?" I continued to ask.

The old woman told us that her son was ill and had been at home these days. But he had been hiding his illness. She only found out the truth after asking him several times because she noticed something was wrong with him. For this kind of thing, one has to burn paper for three days and ask for directions to know the other side's attitude.

"Who is the other side?" Emily Johnson asked, her voice trembling.

The old woman didn't speak. She looked up and gave Emily Johnson a deep look, her eyes sharp.

We both understood, so we didn't ask any more.

The most urgent thing was to find the man who had pretended to be someone else.

This was very simple. The next day, he came to the police station, followed by the trembling old woman.

Emily Johnson was in the back room. I let her take a look through the glass. She covered her mouth in surprise and nodded.

When I stood in front of him, I was indeed a bit surprised. This man named David Miller looked really haggard. There was a sickly frailty on his face.

But he was a rather burly man. That was the strange thing. Judging from his complexion, he looked extremely bad.

"How did you get James Wilson's ID?" I poured him a glass of water and asked.

He looked back at the old woman sitting in the distance and said that someone gave it to him.

"Who gave it to you? And why did they give you someone else's ID?" I asked.

Unexpectedly, David Miller told me that it was a fake ID.

A fake ID? Why would someone give him a fake ID?

David Miller fell silent. After a few seconds, he looked at the old woman behind him and said, "Can you let my mother go out for a while?"

This reminded me. The old woman stubbornly refused to leave and kept staring at her son. I found a female police officer who coaxed her to wait outside.

Speak. What's the hidden story?

"I really didn't know this person was dead," David Miller looked like he was about to cry. "Otherwise, I would never have done this."

"A year ago, I took on a job," David Miller continued hesitantly. "Although I don't have a job, I'm good at talking. I usually like to make friends and have had a few failed relationships."

This guy really could talk. I directly replied, "You're a habitual offender, aren't you? You often cheat people out of food, drinks, sex, and money under the guise of dating, right?"

David Miller lowered his head and said, "Sort of. But I just cheated for food and drinks and had some affairs. It was all consensual, so it's not really cheating..."

I reminded him to get to the point.

"A year ago, someone came to me. He was very straightforward and said he wanted me to pretend to be someone. I thought it was strange at the time, but the other person gave me a hundred thousand yuan at once. I was so excited. I'm already in my forties and I only worked properly for three years. After that, I've been living off my mother." David Miller actually showed a hint of shame. "I feel really sorry for my mother."

"I thought it was strange at that time. I didn't know what he wanted me to pretend to be this person for. Then when he mentioned the request, I was shocked again."

"He asked me to seduce a woman. At that moment, I was thinking, how could there be such a good thing? And I saw a photo of that woman. She was very beautiful and sexy," David Miller said.

"Who asked you to do this?" I asked calmly.

"An old man in his sixties," David Miller said. "I asked him how he found me, but he told me not to worry about it and just asked if I would do it."

"I originally wanted to ask why. I was worried that her husband might be a police officer. I've encountered such a situation before. I didn't succeed and almost got into trouble. But the old man said it was okay, that the woman's husband was paralyzed. I also asked her about it when I first met her and confirmed it, so then I felt relieved."

"You just agreed to this thing like that? Didn't you ask why someone would pay you to do it?" I asked him.

"What's there to ask? Besides, this kind of thing is consensual. I could just find an excuse to break up later."

"I was overjoyed when I got the money. I'm experienced in this regard. You have to play hard - to - get in this kind of thing, so at the beginning, I didn't show that I was very eager. The more eager you are, the less likely they are to fall for it. This kind of thing..."

Seeing that he was getting carried away, I interrupted him, "Get to the point. Are you giving a lecture?"

David Miller immediately became obedient, nodding and bowing, "Yes, yes. Anyway, I finally succeeded later, but it took a lot of effort."

"But as far as I know, you didn't seem interested in having a good relationship with this woman. Why is that?"

"I'm not uninterested," David Miller said emphatically. "I was too scared to be interested."

"When the old man gave me this ID, he said that one of the reasons he came to me was that I resembled the man on the ID. He somehow knew that I was good with women, so he approached me."

"But he didn't say that this man was already dead. By the time I found out, it was too late."

"By then, she had completely believed me and thought that I had fallen in love with her. But every time I thought that I was pretending to be a dead person, I felt a chill all over my body. How could I have the mood to sleep with her?"

"How did you find out that this man was dead?" I continued to ask.

"I went to the address on the ID. I was afraid of being exposed, so I secretly went to that address to take a look. It turned out to be a deserted house. There was no one living there. Later, I met an auntie. When I asked her, she looked at me like I was crazy. It took her a long time to say that the family was no longer around. The auntie kept looking back at me when she left." David Miller smiled bitterly. "I realized later that I resembled that man, and she was scared."

"Since you already knew that you were pretending to be a dead person, why didn't you get away as soon as possible?"

"Greedy for money, I guess," David Miller sighed. "I found out that this beautiful woman was rich, and I was tempted. I kept hesitating and didn't leave."

"Then one day, she had a long talk with me and told me a lot about her family. I listened patiently and thought she was really pitiful. I softened my heart and planned to leave directly. I found an excuse and was about to leave, but unexpectedly, she offered me money on her own initiative. I'm still greedy, so I took it. But I didn't dare to take too much."

"You didn't take too much?" I sneered. "She gave you 150,000 yuan, and you didn't decline at all. I don't know what words you used, but this 150,000 yuan was definitely obtained by deception. Judging from the situation at that time, she probably only had 150,000 yuan on hand, and you were in a hurry to leave, so you could only swindle this amount, right?"

"What did that woman say to you?" David Miller suddenly wilted and said.

I've seen many people like you. I looked at him and said.

David Miller gave a few obsequious smiles and didn't deny it. "Actually, I didn't say much. I just pretended to be pitiful, and she gave me so much money. She said the rest was in the bank and couldn't be transferred."

"But I returned the 100,000 yuan to the old man," David Miller's voice suddenly rose. "I don't earn money by pretending to be a dead person."

"Yeah, quite a man," I said. "But what about the remaining 150,000 yuan?"

"You're right. I also want to return it to her," David Miller mumbled. "But I'm too ashamed to face her, so I don't dare to go to her."

"I seem to be suffering retribution. Ever since I took the money and left, I've been feeling weak, dizzy, my legs are wobbly when I walk, there are some black dots floating in front of my eyes, and I have no appetite for food. But when I go to the hospital, they can't find anything wrong with me."

"That's how my mom found out about this. One day, I was walking on the road and almost got hit by a car in a daze. Considering my condition during this period, my mom thought something was wrong and kept asking. That's when I connected it with this matter."

"She got really angry at that time and slapped me across the face. She knows about this kind of thing. She immediately asked me for the ID and took a look. After that, she never mentioned this matter to me again. If you hadn't come to me, I wouldn't have known that she went to burn paper."

"I don't know how she found out about that family's situation," David Miller said. "I don't know about this at all."

"You said Emily Johnson had a long talk with you. What did she say to you?" I thought for a while and asked.

"She talked about her family. Isn't it a coincidence? Her husband was also paralyzed in a car accident. I'm really unlucky. Why do I always get involved in this kind of thing?"

My mind lit up, and a bold idea came to me.

I told David Miller to give us the contact information of the old man who hired him. We needed to have a talk with him.

"Okay," David Miller readily agreed. "What about me?"

"Go home and wait," I said. "This matter isn't over, but it has little to do with you. However, you can't get away with the money - swindling thing."

"Also," I patted him on the shoulder, "It's right to return the money to her. Hurry up and return the 150,000 yuan as well."

"Otherwise, something might happen," I winked at him, and David Miller looked terrified.

After David Miller left, I went to the Traffic Enforcement Division to check the records, and everything became clear.

When I saw the old man, I was still a bit surprised.

It's really similar. I thought to myself. They're indeed father and son.

The old man looked at my police ID, and a flash of fear crossed his face, but he quickly calmed down.

I came straight to the point. Your son's family died in a car accident, right?

"Yes," he didn't hesitate at all. "A family of three."

The old man suddenly choked up. "A family of three... all gone."

"The woman's husband was the perpetrator?" I asked, putting a photo of Emily Johnson in front of him.

"That's him," the old man said through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with anger. "My son's family was driving normally, and he crashed into them from the side! My children were just driving properly, and he just pushed them to the side of the road!"

"A family of three!" The old man shouted. "And my grandson, all gone..."

The old man lowered his head and sobbed, his grief heavy and desolate.

"So you found someone to seduce his wife?" I sighed and said. "And you even made this person pretend to be your son. Why?"

"I wanted to kill him," the old man said. "But I didn't dare. That would be against the law. But I wasn't willing to let it go, so I could only do this."

"I originally thought of making him know that his wife was seduced by my son," the old man said. "Let him know that my son was coming for revenge. It would be best if it could scare him to death. However, I didn't expect that the guy later found out about my son's situation."

"That woman is innocent," I said. "What you did will also hurt her."

"I can't care about that," the old man said. "My wife has already passed away. I'm all alone now. If I had the strength, I would have killed him long ago. To be honest, this was just the first step. I had more plans."

"Of course, it's all useless now," the old man sighed. "He's too far away from me. I happened to find out that his wife came to the city to work, so I came up with this idea."

"You're right. She's innocent," the old man said in a low voice. "But aren't we innocent? Their family paid out all their money, and he was sentenced, but there was no way to enforce it. Later, when they ran out of money, they moved out of the hospital. I went to hang around in front of their house. I made up my mind several times to rush in and stab him to death."

"I really wanted to kill him," the old man said bitterly. "But I couldn't bring myself to do it."

I looked at the old man's blood - red eyes, not knowing what to say.

After a long time, I said, "You've experienced far more than I have. I don't really have much to say. However, you have to take responsibility for forging identity documents."

"I'll take it," the old man said calmly. "I admit what I've done. I know I was wrong."

"I still keep that house because I miss them," the old man murmured. "Others are afraid of it, but I'm not. How nice it would be if I could see them again."

When the old man left, his back was extremely desolate.

I truthfully told Emily Johnson what had happened. She didn't say anything for a long time.

After waiting for a long time, Emily Johnson finally looked up, her face streaked with tears. She sniffled, got up, and thanked me.

"David Miller returned the money to me," Emily Johnson said. "At least I know he's alive. I don't plan to hold him accountable. I hope he can learn from this lesson, change his ways in the future, and be an honest person."

"I've cried all my tears over my husband's matter. It's such a huge sin. I can't blame the old man for his actions," Emily Johnson said softly. "If possible, I want to see a photo of that family of three."

A colleague from the Traffic Enforcement Division had given it to me. I pulled it up on the computer, and Emily Johnson leaned over to take a look. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

"What a nice family," she said softly. "If I had been in the car that night, maybe things would have been different."

This is a sad story of an affair that I've seen. What many people don't realize is that everyone has to be responsible for what they've done. This is the law of how the world works. Sometimes, many consequences don't show up so quickly, but they still lurk in every detail of life like a trail of grass and a snake's slithering. A tiny stir at some unexpected moment could brew into an unforeseen storm.

I hope every kind - hearted person won't find themselves at the center of such a storm.