A Ridiculous Cat Bill and a Missing Friend

After they finished speaking, Mr. and Mrs. Gibson knelt on the ground and begged, "Noah, please just tell us where Lenny is. He's our only son and our everything."

Their voices were so loud that all the neighbors came out to see what was going on.

Some of them spoke up in their defense.

"Don't be so selfish, Noah. They're just worried about their son."

"That's right. If you know where he is, just tell me. Don't let them worry like this."

"We've watched you grow up—how have you turned out like this?"

Looking at Mr. and Mrs. Gibson kneeling on the ground, I just found the whole thing absolutely absurd.

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't know where he is? I'm just as clueless as the two of you."

Tears streamed down Mrs. Gibson's face.

"Lenny was ready to spend 20 thousand dollars on a gift for you, so why'd you come back just to hurt him?"

They just kept rambling on, and I couldn't get a word in at all.

After clearing my throat, I explained, "First of all, I have nothing to do with that 20 thousand dollars, nor was it spent on me. Finally, let me say this one last time—I don't know where he is. If you really don't believe me, we can call the police."

As soon as I finished speaking, two police officers stepped out of the elevator.

They looked at me and said, "Mr. Freeman, we need you to cooperate with our investigation into Lenny Gibson's disappearance."

I frowned but still invited the two officers into my home.

Sitting on the couch, the older officer fixed me with a sharp gaze.

"Mr. Freeman, do you really not know the whereabouts of Lenny Gibson?"

I rolled my eyes, utterly speechless.

Since yesterday, I'd been asked countless times whether I knew where Lenny was.

I recounted the entire story and even showed them the chat log and plane ticket.

I just didn't get it. All my records were right there for them to check, so how did the police still end up coming after me?

The two officers exchanged a glance and then said, "Mr. Freeman, according to our investigation, that Maybach is a dead end. All of the owner's identification information was false. Aside from you, Lenny didn't mention any of this to anyone else."

Their expressions were serious, and they looked at me as if I were a suspect.

I met their gaze. "So what? Because I'm his friend, that makes me a suspect?" I snorted. "Police work must be really easy these days."

As soon as I finished speaking, the younger officer slammed his hand on the table.

"Are you still trying to lie? We've already looked into it. Yesterday, around 6:00 pm, Lenny called you, and you answered. You claim you don't know where he is, so why were you the only person he called after getting into that car? On top of that, you're the last person he contacted."

I honestly didn't know what to say.

"Officers, I've told you everything I know. I really don't know where he is."

I explained everything all over again, not leaving out a single detail.

It wasn't until I was utterly drained that the two of them finally let up on me.

As they were leaving, the older officer turned to me and said, "Mr. Freeman, there's one thing I can't figure out. Lenny called you at around 4:00 pm. What did you two talk about for only 58 seconds?"

I subconsciously balled up the hands hanging by my sides.

I forced down the panic and tried to stay calm.

"It was just small talk between friends, like complaining about traffic and talking about the cat."

I thought they would keep digging. But instead, they simply stood up.

"Mr. Freeman, if you remember any details at all, please contact us right away."

My thoughts drifted elsewhere, but I quickly nodded.

"Okay."

The door closed, and I collapsed onto the floor of the entryway. My hands were still trembling.

They couldn't possibly know about that, right?

No, definitely not.

Otherwise, they would have asked me about it.

I tried hard to calm myself down.