Chapter 40

The old guy with the thermos shook his head and sighed, "Poor John,man. He got such a raw deal. He takes a walk every morning,and now he's caught up in this mess. Who knows which heartless jerk is behind this, causing trouble in our building."

His eyes were full of sympathy for John, showing they were indeed close.

The neighbors were all talking at once, their voices getting louder,turning the courtyard into a stage. Emily glanced towards her front door, which was taped off by the police. Several officers in white coats were crouched down, discussing something.

The sunlight bounced off the police car, glaringly bright. A wave of unease washed over her, filling her with questions. Why would someone pour oil in the stairwell?

Could it have anything to do with her?

Emily started walking towards the building, but a female officer stopped her, politely saying, "Ma'am, you can't go in there. It's sealed off while we collect evidence. Is there something you need?"

Emily pointed to the top floor. "I live up there, in 706. I was planning to move out and came back to get a few things."

The officer looked Emily up and down, noting her tall, delicate frame and flat shoes. She seemed gentle and harmless, so the officer's guard lowered a bit. "You can't go up right now. The stairwell is covered in cooking oil. The stairs are concrete and already slippery from wear.

With the oil. it's a guaranteed fall. We're wearing anti-slip shoe coners to go up there."

Melissa glanced at Emily's belly and kindly suggested. "Emily.maybe you should leave it for today. It's not urgent. and a fall could be serious"

Emily didn't respond. standing with her arms crossed. fingers tapping hner chin last in thought.

If someone wanted to rob and kill. why target this poor area?

The residents here didn't have much money; even a thief would be out of luck.

Could it be a personal vendetta among the residents?

But if it was revenge. wouldn't gasoline be more effective than cooking oil?

Or maybe they just wanted to teach someone a lesson with a fall?

Bur that seemed too childish.

Thinking about her new house and leaving the past behind. could this incident be related?

Her mind was full of questions and unease.

Emily stopped moving forward and nodded politely to the officer."

Thank you."

The officer reminded her. "Don't go up today. Wait until we've

finished. The stairs need professional cleaning. Be careful and avoid getting hurt again. We'll find out where the oil came from. so don't panic or spread rumors." Emily nodded repeatedly.

She knew most of her clothes and household items were already moved to the new house. She just wanted to check if Lisa had left any old keepsakes behind.

If Lisa got out of rehab and found out something precious was left behind,she'd definitely blame her.

Besides, this old apartment held memories of her stepfather.

Emily and Melissa turned to leave. Melissa noticed the crowd and pulled Emily along, saying, "I saw a video once where a shop owner poured oil on the stairs to the second floor. There was a bar on the second floor, and the noise kept the first floor awake. They tried to negotiate, but it didn't work, and the police couldn't help. Both floors were owned by the same landlord. So, the first floor poured cooking oil on the stairs. A bunch of young people singing and drinking upstairs, about seventeen or eighteen of them, all fell down the stairs.Three of them broke bones. It was serious!"

Melissa's story made the two incidents seem very similar.

Emily's unease grew. Could the oil incident be related to her?

A flash of her conflict with Patrick crossed her mind. Could someone close to him be behind this?

Her heart raced with anxiety.

Emily instinctively placed a hand on her belly. not noticing Shirley lurking around the corner, wearing a baseball cap and mask,glaring at her with hatred, wishing she could stab her.

Shirley cursed under her breath. 'Lucky you, still alive after all this!

Frustrated,her meticulous plan had failed. She thought Emily still lived in the building. Did she not come down this morning, or did she not come home last night?

She wondered if Patrick, who left the hospital alone, had gone to see Emily.

Shirley gripped the fruit knife in her bag, her fingers turning white from the pressure.

She didn't want to go down with Emily unless absolutely necessary,

but her hatred was overwhelming. All her careful planning had been for nothing!

Emily and Melissa left the courtyard as the sun set. Emily felt dread,convinced the oil incident was connected to her but unable to piece it together.

Suppressing her anxiety, she hurried Melissa along, feeling safer only when they reached Crystal Heights Residences.

At Crystal Heights Residences, the sunlight gently streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow on the new sofa. The room was peaceful and serene.

Emily and Melissa sat on the sofa, sipping milk, quietly enjoying the

tranquility. The scent of milk filled the air. warming their friendship.