How Things Changed Forever.. PART - II

CH 44: A Little... Left Behind

Kai hadn't planned on leaving. He had warned Hillary he'd be watching her throughout the day, after all.

He hadn't wanted to stay either—and as insensitive as it sounded, he had his reasons.

Most evidence of a crime was lost in the first few hours since it took place, and from his estimates, he was nearing the twelve-hour mark. Every passing moment allowed more details to slip away, making his search for answers even harder.

Until now, Hillary's well-being had been his priority, especially since he was the only one who knew the extent of what had happened. But that changed an hour ago.

The moment he saw Tyson step up to her, taking her bag as he worriedly asked if she'd had a reaction to the snow, Kai knew his presence was no longer absolutely necessary. Tyson had assumed she was just unwell from the cold urticaria and immediately started looking after her.

Kai hadn't even known Tyson was aware of her rare allergy, but thinking back, it made sense. Tyson had spent a large part of his life around her, even if he didn't always act like it. Of course, he'd picked up on things like that.

And now, even without knowing all the details, Tyson had stepped up. Given his own recent experience recovering at the dojo from the bullet wound, Kai knew for a fact that Tyson could be extremely insistent when he set his mind to it. Downright annoying, if anyone asked him, but that's beside the point.

Only someone as annoying as Tyson could make Hillary take care of herself today, especially given that it would be on her mind to not let her vulnerability pull her down. She would act like nothing had happened, power through the day, and ignore her body's cries just to prove to herself that she was fine.

Kai himself was often a victim of this very theory. He knew better than anyone how dangerous a coping mechanism it was. The human body wasn't designed for strain, or even everyday activities, after a near-death experience.

Moreover, Tyson, being one of the hosts of today's fundraiser concert, had a perfectly acceptable reason to be around Hillary and hover over her, unlike him. Kai sticking around would draw a lot of raised eyebrows. A lot of unnecessary questions and rumours he'd rather avoid.

So Kai left.

*****

The alley where Hillary's tracker had last pinged, the place most likely where the crime took place, was buried thick under the snow. Frustration curled in his chest.

He trudged through the damp snow, scanning the ground. A few pages, ripped from a notebook in Hillary's handwriting, confirmed she had been here. But beyond that, there was nothing.

He ran a hand through his hair, scowling as he kicked a large rock.

He should have known better. Stupid move.

Pain shot through his foot as he moved on, but he ignored it. He was too prideful to bend down and rub his leg—even though there was no one around to make fun of him.

Scattered amongst the snow were a few trinkets, most likely from Hillary's bag: a pen missing its cap, a loose button, a pair of hairbands, a chocolate wrapper.

None of it useful.

No footprints. No signs of struggle. Nothing to tell him what had happened. The snow had erased it all.

He hated this. Answers buried under snow. Just his luck.

With one last glance around the alley, he turned and walked away.

*****

The Chinese stall was working way more than Max had expected. Not that he ever doubted Ray's cooking—if anything, he knew firsthand just how dangerously good it was—but the crowd? That had caught him off guard. People swarmed like bees to honey, turning their humble stall into one of the hottest stops at the food exhibition.