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614words2026-01-26 09:03

“Captain Johnson,good morning.”
A colleague greeted me.

I nodded and,with a blank expression,carried my black overcoat back to the office.
I could feel the sighs coming from behind me,as well as the concerned and pitying glances.
As soon as I got back to the office.
I habitually hung my overcoat on the hanger,then watered the green plants by the window.The green plants were full of vitality,as if containing a strong life force,while I was already an empty and decaying shell.
After that,I saw a brown leather file lying quietly on my desk.
Oh,by the way,I'm a criminal policeman.

When I saw the file on the desk,I thought it was a case sent for me to handle,and I frowned.
But when I took out the things in the file and saw the familiar documents and photos,my eyes instantly turned red.The veins on my hands bulged,and I squeezed the edge of the document tightly.
There was uncontrollable anger on my face.
The document clearly stated:

On July 2,2017,there was a kidnapping and murder case.
Victim:Michael Johnson,male,6 years old.
Case process:Unknown.
Murderer:Unknown.
Michael Johnson was my son.
Three years ago...He was still in the first grade of primary school,well-behaved and sensible,and he studied very hard.After coming back,he would also help with the housework.I had always been proud of him.
But everything changed on that day.
My son was kidnapped.
The murderer didn't even mention the ransom.He just called to inform me and then quickly disappeared without a trace ever since.
I was willing to give everything to get my son back.
But it was useless.
As a detective in the police station who was good at solving cases,I had dealt with many vicious criminals before and solved many major criminal cases.However,when something happened to my son,I was so powerless.
Since then,my son,whose eyes used to shine and who said he would enter the best police academy in the future,the son I loved the most,disappeared.
I turned white-haired overnight.
My wife also fell ill over the years and divorced me.
My happy family,which everyone had envied,instantly fell apart.
During that time,I seemed to be living in a daze.The whole world lost its light.Perhaps the only thing that could support me to live was to track down the murderer.
Although my wife didn't say it,I'm afraid she resented me in her heart.
When she left,she said,
"You,as a criminal policeman,can protect everyone,but you can't protect your own son."
I had nothing to say in reply.
How great it would be if time could be turned back,but unfortunately,that's an impossible thing.
Over the past three years,I had been tracking down the murderer all the time without the slightest slack.My colleagues in the police station also knew my situation,and no one said much.This had even become the only spiritual sustenance for me to live in the world.
I didn't allow anyone to touch this file.
The murderer could only be arrested by me,and I would make him pay the price he deserved.
Looking at the photo of my son with a tender face,my mood was as turbulent as the waves.Remembering the bits and pieces of our daily life and his innocent compositions,I was filled with tears.
There had been no progress in the case in three years.
I didn't know how many streets and alleys I had visited,but the murderer didn't leave any evidence.I couldn't even find the crime scene,let alone find the murderer.
It was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But just when I was in a trance,I found that there was suddenly an extra sentence under the file document.
I thought I was seeing things.
However,that sentence was indeed there.
"Dad,run,someone is going to kill you."