When the middle-aged woman questioned them, the staff outside quickly showed their IDs. Only then did she lower her guard.
"We have a few things we need to ask you," one of the officers said, glancing into the room. "Are you the only one home?"
The woman shook her head. "I live with my husband. Our son is still at school, he hasn't come back. But my husband went out last night and hasn't returned. So right now, I'm the only one here."
The officer nodded. "Do you have any protective gear? How did your husband go out? Didn't you try to find him when he didn't come back?"
"He left in the middle of the night. I was already asleep and didn't even know. But without a protective suit, he couldn't have left the building, right? I didn't dare open the door. I thought the hallway still had poisonous fog. I called him all night, but he never answered. Are you here because something happened to him?"
Her mind cleared as she spoke, and panic started to set in. "He's not in trouble, is he? Did something really happen?"
One of the officers pulled out a phone, opened a photo, and held it in front of her. "Take a look. Is this your husband?"
She glanced at the image and immediately recognized him. Her voice trembled. "That's… that's really him. But what happened to him? He was fine yesterday. Why does he look like that now? Is he...?"
"Are you sure that's your husband? You're not mistaken?" the officer asked.
"There's no way I'm wrong. He's got a big mole on his face. Even if his skin looks like that, the mole's still there. I recognized him right away. But what happened to his skin? Did he just go out like that? Is he still...?"
"Your husband is dead. This morning, while our team was investigating the loud noise from last night, they found his body in the grass near the building." The woman was already breaking down when the officer added, "There was another body next to his. A woman. They died together."
The woman's expression shifted instantly. Gone was the grief. She exploded in rage. "That woman! Was it that little vixen from the 14th floor? I knew it! I knew those two were messing around. He kept telling me it was nothing. Nothing? This is nothing? Liar. They're all liars!"
She broke into sobs again, shouting through her tears. "I have the worst luck in the world..."
But the officers didn't have time for her wailing. They quickly interrupted to begin taking her statement.
They started by asking about the relationship between her husband and the woman from the 14th floor, then asked about her own movements from last night until the morning.
The woman was eager to distance herself and cooperated fully. "We have security cameras in our home. The water's been limited lately, but we've had power the whole time. You can check the footage. It was my son who insisted on installing them."
Back then, she had complained about the cost. After all, they had no elderly or children at home, so why bother? She never expected it would come in handy.
As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and opened the surveillance app. She handed it over right away.
The officer accepted it gladly. Compared to verbal testimony, recorded footage was far more reliable. "Alright, I'll take a look first. Do you mind if we make a copy?"
The woman, knowing she had nothing to hide, immediately agreed. The officer quickly reviewed the video and confirmed she was telling the truth. After her husband left, she never once stepped out. Even after the loud bang, she only looked out the window for a long while and then chatted in the building's group chat.
The police saved a copy of the footage, returned her phone, and said, "Thank you for your cooperation. If we learn anything, we'll let you know right away. If you remember anything else that might help, please inform us as soon as possible."
Just as they were about to leave, the woman called out in a panic, "That woman! Was she from the 14th floor? That seductress?"
The officers exchanged a glance. Even if it was true, were they really going to tell her that?
The woman stood at her door, watching them take the elevator. She didn't leave until the doors stopped at the 14th floor. Then her cries started again. She had been right all along. It really was the 14th floor.
1404
Once it was confirmed that there was no poisonous fog in the hallway, the people inside opened the door after a brief moment of activity.
An elderly woman stood there, holding a little girl around four years old. Seeing a crowd outside, she asked in confusion, "You're from the community?"
The group quickly showed their IDs. "We're with the police. May I ask how many people live in this apartment?"
Just as they spoke, an elderly man holding a baby, about a year old, appeared at the door. The officers' hearts sank. Was this household made up entirely of the elderly and young children?
The old woman explained, "My son passed away in a car accident last year. My daughter-in-law went out last night and hasn't come back. So now it's just the four of us."
"Do you know where your daughter-in-law went? She's been gone a long time. Didn't you go out to look for her?"
"The group chat said there was poisonous fog in the hallway. We didn't dare leave. Her phone's still at home. We couldn't reach her. Did something happen to her? Did she get hurt from the fog? What do we do?"
Panic was rising in the old woman's voice. This family couldn't take any more loss. If her daughter-in-law was gone, what would happen to the two children?
But in truth, the woman was already dead.
"Did your daughter-in-law say anything to you? She left in the middle of the night and no one asked her why?"
"No. We're old. We go to bed early. She usually takes care of the kids at night. But last night, we heard the baby crying and realized she was gone. We were going to look for her, but then we heard a loud sound that startled us. The group chat said not to go out, so we didn't dare."
As soon as the old woman finished, the old man chimed in, "Did she do something wrong, or is she hurt? If something's happened to her, what'll we do with the kids?"