June in London is indeed already summer, so although the sky is mostly overcast, there are occasional moments of bright sunshine. The intermittent light rain actually adds a lot of charm, contrary to what the little girl said about it being terrible.
"I just said it's like that most of the time, not all the time," Catherine said calmly, despite her dark circles, in response to Jessica's inquiry.
Although they woke up in the afternoon, there was still plenty of time for the weekend free activities, and many people were eagerly exploring London, including Jessica.
"Don't worry, Jessie. Before I play tour guide for you, I need to make a phone call." Catherine said as she asked Mr. Sparrow for some coins and then went into a red phone booth on the street.
After dialing the number, the call quickly connected, and a tired, hoarse female voice answered, "Who?"
Not recognizing the voice, Catherine intentionally put on a sharp, sinister laugh: "Oh, my dear little one, I'm going to..."
Before she could finish, the other end hung up with a click. Catherine stood there, slightly open-mouthed, staring at the receiver for a moment before the beeping tone confirmed the call had been disconnected.
"What's going on? Did I say something wrong?" the little girl muttered, scratching her head as she looked at the receiver, puzzled.
She inserted another coin and redialed the number. This time, she didn't put on a strange voice. As soon as the call connected, she eagerly asked, "Hey, Kate, what's wrong?"
There was a hesitation before the tired, hoarse voice responded, "Who...is this?"
Hell, she can't even recognize my voice. What's going on? Catherine frowned, "Kate, it's me, Catherine. What's happening?"
"Ca...Catherine? Oh, I'm fine...nothing's wrong...don't worry about me..." the voice stammered before hanging up again.
The little girl was once again left staring in bewilderment at the receiver. What on earth was going on?
"Jessie, I'm really sorry, but I can't go shopping with you," Catherine said apologetically as she emerged from the phone booth.
"What's wrong, Cathy?" Jessica asked.
The little girl sighed, "I have a friend who's in some sort of trouble. I need to go check on her alone. I'm worried."
Jessica stayed silent, and Catherine knew what she was thinking. In London, the twins had only a few scenes together, and those were the first ones shot. After filming, Jessica would have to return to Los Angeles, meaning they wouldn't be able to explore London together for quite some time.
"Jessie, I'm really sorry. Let Aunt Jennifer go with you. We'll have another chance." Catherine hugged Jessica sincerely.
"Alright, busy girl, you better keep your promise." Jessica sighed, understanding the situation, and hugged her back, "Be careful."
Catherine giggled, pinching Jessica's little nose. Remembering the incident from early that morning, her cheeks reddened again as she quickly turned to Jennifer. "Aunt Jennifer, please take care of Jessie. Be careful, or Mr. Alba will kill me when I get back to Los Angeles."
"Okay, little one, I understand." Jennifer responded with a smile, her eyes conveying another message: Where are you going?
Catherine shook her head slightly, then put her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, followed by a mock-serious look, drawing her hand across her throat. The agent shrugged and turned away as if she hadn't seen anything.
By this time, Mr. Sparrow had hailed a taxi. Catherine waved to them before getting into the car with the agent.
"Please take us to 47 La Villette Street," Catherine said.
"Sure, please sit tight." The driver, a middle-aged man with a slight bald patch, agreed but glanced at Mr. Sparrow sitting in the passenger seat.
"Please hurry," Mr. Sparrow nodded.
The taxi weaved through the streets, the driver clearly an expert who knew the area well. Despite seeming to zigzag through small alleys, they arrived at their destination quickly. If not for a slight delay at London Bridge, they might have gotten there even sooner.
"Thank you." Catherine got out of the car and looked up at the apartment building. She had been here when Kate moved out from home and had some faint memories of the place.
"Don't you remember?" Mr. Sparrow asked after paying the fare.
"Oh, it's not that," Catherine hesitated, finding it hard to explain. "I just want to go up alone, Uncle Sparrow. I'm afraid you'll have to wait here for a while, maybe even a long time."
"That's fine. I can go to a café and have a coffee. It's an honor to serve you," Mr. Sparrow replied with a smile, showing his dedication as her agent.
"Thank you, Uncle Sparrow." Catherine said happily, quickly jotting down a number on a piece of paper and handing it to him. "If anything comes up, call this number. You can reach me while I'm at her place."
"Alright," Mr. Sparrow looked at the number and then up again, only to find that the little girl had already disappeared. He shrugged, "Impatient young lady," and began searching for a nearby café.
Catherine hurried up to the third floor. She remembered it was here. After looking around, she confirmed it was on the right and quickly stepped up to the door, ringing the bell.
The doorbell rang for a while without any response, causing Catherine to frown. She pressed it again, but still, there was no answer. Frustrated, she kept her finger on the doorbell, letting it ring continuously.
Finally, amidst the incessant ding-dong sound, the door swung open, and a rough voice shouted, "Can't you damn people let me have some peace?!"
The little girl was startled, but before she could say anything, the sight of the woman in front of her shocked her even more. The woman, about 18 years old, was wearing only white shorts, exposing her long legs. Her upper body was covered by an oversized black T-shirt with some patterns on it. Despite its bagginess, her beautiful figure was still faintly discernible. Her features were delicate, a blend of Caucasian and Asian characteristics, but her pale face and short, messy hair ruined her beauty.
"Are you... Catherine?" The young woman, upon seeing a little girl at her door, finally calmed down. She held her forehead, staring at Catherine for a long time before hesitantly asking again.
Catherine sighed and, without saying a word, walked straight in. As soon as she entered, a pungent smell hit her, causing her to cover her mouth and nose instinctively. The room was dark; all the curtains were drawn, as if the owner disliked daylight.
"Why are you back in London?" The young woman asked with a tone of despair, collapsing onto the sofa.
Catherine took a step back, about to answer, when she heard a clank at her feet. Squinting, she saw the floor was littered with cans. She picked one up and inspected it; it was a beer can. There were at least dozens of them on the floor. God, how long has she been living like this?!
With a crisp pop, the woman opened another beer can and started guzzling it down. This made Catherine furious. She didn't know what had happened, but she couldn't tolerate the woman's self-destruction. Catherine snatched the beer can away, and the woman, initially bewildered, frowned and tried to grab it back. However, the little girl had already thrown the can aside and proceeded to the window, swiftly drawing back the curtains.
The woman, unable to bear the sudden burst of light, raised her hands to shield her eyes and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?!"
Catherine ignored her and continued opening all the curtains, letting the bright light flood the room. The place was a mess—filthy, cluttered with trash—clearly not cleaned for a long time. It was a pigsty! Catherine was furious; she couldn't believe the woman had let herself deteriorate to this extent. Even in her past life as a shut-in, her home had never been this dirty.
The young woman then began closing the curtains again. Furious, Catherine shoved her away, shouting, "What is wrong with you?! Look at yourself! You're worse than a street beggar. Do you want everyone to see you like this? Do you think everyone owes you something?!"
"Get out! I don't need a brat like you telling me what to do!" the woman screamed at her.
"Look at yourself! Even I, a kid, can take better care of myself. Aren't you ashamed?!" The little girl shouted back without backing down. If anyone who knew her saw her well-mannered self behaving like this, their jaws would drop.
"Damn it! This is my business, not yours! Why do you care?!" The woman was almost hysterical, looking like she wanted to slap the girl.
"Because I'm your sister! I see you as my big sister!" Catherine stared back at her, unafraid. They'd had plenty of arguments when Catherine had helped her quit smoking and treated her eating disorder before.
The woman froze, her raised hand dropping as she stared blankly at the little girl. Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and suddenly, she kicked a beer can hard, angrily knocking over everything around her before collapsing by the sofa, burying her head in her knees, and sobbing uncontrollably.
Catherine sighed, removed her backpack, and tossed it aside. She knelt beside the woman, cradling her head and gently comforting her. Strangely, it felt like she should be the one crying in the woman's arms instead.
"Alright, Kate, tell me what happened," the little girl said softly.
Between sobs, the woman replied, "Cathy, my dad... my dad passed away."