08:02 P.M.
Bella's Main Highway.
July 20th, the year 2018. Friday.
"We all know where he will head. We should follow him straight away," Abbey mumbled, running over to hers. Zoey and Marcus looked at each other as they both did the same thing. Mina and Carmela also climbed in their cars out of their haste.
Matthew stepped on the gas pedal, turned the car around in the corner. It sped up through Bella's Main Highway.
He gripped the steering wheel as he bit his lip out of his rising anger towards Xian. He saw his cell phone vibrating. It's Marcus.
He sensed Marcus would blabber nonsensical things to stop him from going to Xian's house. He declined it immediately.
Marcus slammed the wheel out of frustration.
"Matthew, you are so hot-headed," Marcus mumbled. He dialed the number of his teammates. Marcus trailed off, saying that he had some important matters to do before going to the station.
He gripped the steering wheel as he saw how Matthew sped up through the highway without a second thought. All of them were driving their own cars, chasing Matthew.
Carmela panted, thinking about the time she said those regretful words towards Katrina. Carmela blamed her for Margo's death. The tears trickled down her eyes. She dialed her aunt's number, murmuring that she can't go home early at night.
"Take care of Hannah first, auntie. I need to do something," Carmela hung up. She stepped on the gas pedal as she followed Abbey's and Mina's car right in front of hers. Matthew gripped the steering wheel tightly, panting. He took turns looking at his side mirror view. His friends followed him,
"I need to talk some sense with that asshole Xian. He doesn't know what he's doing," Matthew whispered. He saw Marcus call him once again. Matthew didn't even press the decline button. They were a few kilometers away from Xian's village.
Matthew swiveled the car on the corner. He entered the premises without even rolling his car window down for the inspection.
The guard got confused about the six cars speeding up towards the insides of the village. He called the guards that were on duty on the other side of the entrance. The guard ran up towards the six cars, acting as if they were in a car race.
Matthew peeked up from the houses and found what he was looking for. He stopped, unbuckling his seatbelt straight away. Marcus quickly stepped on the break. He lurched forward, recovered, and looked behind him.
Zoey ducked her head as Marcus's car halted abruptly at her front and so were Abbey and Mina. Carmela was the last one to stop right on the way. Their cars blocked the road as they saw Matthew climbing out of his car rashly. Matthew hastily ran up towards the front gate and rang the doorbell with raging eyes.
Marcus exhaled and mumbled, "Matthew, this isn't the time for us to confront somebody. We need to find Katrina."
Matthew scoffed and turned his heel around to Marcus.
"You go find her. Why can't you do it alone? I have something to say to Xian. No one can convince me of backing out of this," Matthew hissed back at him that made Marcus closed his eyes tightly.
He heard Zoey standing beside him, Abbey and Mina on the back, and Carmela running up the steps. She finally stopped beside Mina and breathed in exasperation.
"Xian! Xian, get out of your damn shell!" Matthew shouted over the outside as he rang the doorbell repeatedly, infuriated.
"Matthew," Abbey croaked. The front door of Xian's house opened. There came a housemaid running up the porch, onto the lawn, and fumbled for the railings of the gate.
"Good evening. What can we do for you?" The maid kindly asked, but they were all surprised at what Matthew did. He walked inside the mansion without permission and the maid was so confused by what he did.
"Matthew!" Zoey cried out to him as Matthew didn't listen.
"Sir, you are trespassing," the maid remarked. Matthew walked up the lawn while Zoey averted her eyes to Marcus.
Marcus retrieved his identification card from the insides of his jacket. He showed it to the housemaid. The woman widened her eyes, opening the gate wide. Matthew hastened up the porch and to the inside of the house without waiting for his best friends.
When he was about to step up to the living room, Marcus hitch up his arm and glared at Matthew.
"What the hell came to your mind? What do you think you are doing?" Marcus hissed at him as Matthew removed his grip on his arm abrasively. Matthew turned to Marcus.
"I am here to clear my mind with disturbing thoughts, Marcus. That letter... the letter on Margo's crime scene, the white lining on that bracelet. Why does it have the same initials as Xian?" Matthew burst out as he stared into Marcus's eyes. They all gasped as they realized it crossed their minds without a second thought. Marcus furrowed his eyebrows as he looked behind Matthew.
Xian was there, limping, with the wooden crutches on either side of his armpits. He was so astonished to see Marcus right there, talking with someone who was facing his back. Xian creased his forehead right away as Marcus murmured his name.
The four of them looked inside. Xian can't believe that all of them were outside of his house.
"W-what a-are you all doing here?" Xian asked. Before he could continue his words, Matthew turned his heel around rapidly. Matthew threw a punch at Xian without hesitating. Xian fell on the ground and the two wooden crutches tumbled on the floor.
"Matthew, stop it!" Carmela exclaimed. Xian held his face with his left hand and he felt the unbearable pain in his right leg. He panted, looking up from the floor. Marcus held Matthew's waist tightly. Zoey approached Xian and tried to lift him up, but he couldn't maintain his weight.
"You did this to her! You did this to her, Xian!" Matthew yelled over the confinements. The housemaid sprinted inside, stifling a gasp. She crouched down beside Xian.
"Sir Xian, are you okay?" The housemaid asked, staring at Matthew with her mouth wide open. Matthew removed Marcus's hands from his waist and pointed over at Xian with blazing eyes.
"Matthew, please stop it!" Marcus shrieked. Matthew stood still, his breath quickened. Mina and Abbey looked at each other. They both closed their eyes, as they knew it would be the worst scenario they would see that day.
Xian screeched in pain as Matthew hissed, "Katrina is missing right now because of what you said to her. You deserve all of this!"
Xian stared at him with confusion, and he couldn't help wondering what Matthew was saying. Fortunately, his mother was in her opera. She wouldn't witness this mess. Xian hunched his breath, closing his eyes.
"What did you say?" Xian fretted. Marcus held his forehead. Carmela, Abbey, Mina, and Zoey exhaled with him too. They were not expecting that Matthew would do it inside Xian's house.
"Katrina is now missing. Can you say that Katrina killed Margo to bug our minds when someone else was right there, trying to kill us?!" Matthew bellowed at Xian. He felt the tears on the verge of falling down his eyes. Everyone's cell phone vibrated at the same time except Xian's.
Marcus retrieved it out of his pockets. He laid it down on his hips as he saw the birthday reminder as he knuckled his fists.
"It will be Katrina's birthday tomorrow," Abbey mumbled, and she looked down at her feet.
Xian was quiet for a moment, but he chuckled right away that all of them stared at him with bafflement. Mina clenched his jaw and stood up beside Matthew as they observed how Xian cackled like crazy.
"What I heard actually made my day," Xian muttered. Mina crouched down before Matthew could ever grab his collar first.