A Space-time Hunter

baby, I was running a DUI check. Margaret, m

so nervous after she got into my police car. She kept comforting me and asked

baby. I peeked at my wife every now and then, because I was so afraid that somethin

ngs that could happen. I tried r

ucky for us, there was a parking space across the street from the

e last time

sh. She got out of the car and stood on the sidew

r expression didn't even have time to cha

straigh

knees trying to drag my wife out. She

threw up straight on the road. I didn'

I was saying. I took my wife to the hospital and cal

y that I started to think. I became more and more afraid, crouching in

started sobbing and ended up crying ou

. All I could think about was my wife. I was so scared

friend all came. Ava's boyfriend was a police officer,

asked the man why he was on that road because he was going the wrong way. If he hadn't made

way. He was so scared that he wanted to run away. He was driving the wrong way and there were ca

we would run into such an idiot. He then asked the driver to na

the person was, w

s Mar

I check. To show off my job as a traffic cop, s

tweet and chose to ch

no mind for them. I just

doctor came out and tol

couldn't suppress my hatred for her

teeth. She fell to the ground with a thud, an

ried, yelling that

the phone, telling his family that he had been unlucky enou

e was nervous and told me not to be re

head in a

but I was dying to

ver his head. My colleagues came to pull me away. I kept kicking h

fucking calm dow

trash can, so scared that he cried and

and knocked him to the flo

so they quickly pinned me down. They took Margare

see my wife's body. She

y wife a

ight because of a man's drunk driving! My wife was sta

tal crying, holding my wife's

led to say that I might be punished for hitting the culprit. My captain talked back, saying if

ice to me and my wif

work as a c

fe's death because Margaret

o that job n

hole day looking at pictures of my wife, listening

perpetrator's fa

s also pregnant. She apologized as soon as she arrived and sai

nant woman was not easy and that if her husband went to pr

now what would happen to her child or how could the child ke

at least all of

going to have a baby. What was wrong with being a

.

t about

ait to come out into this world and be my li

t about

one I wanted to protect all my li

to settle the matter privately. She questioned what more I wanted since they had

her in the face if sh

jail because I wanted to kill her and her baby. She asked me to put myself in her shoes. She said I should have

t sign the letter of understanding a

more, because I knew I was going t

ut. She told me

, birds of a feath

an asshole, and

like them had had the let

et sig

the news, I f

et's door and dema

e. Nathaniel White, my wife's father, came out and aske

hat Margaret come out becaus

hat I said a lot

go in and hit her, so she

went to the same police academy. Later, I beca

love with us because they admired the police when t

there, he kept pulling me

would he shoot me? I said that was acceptabl

and told me in earnest that my

who killed my wife while drunk driving didn't run awa

and was willing to pay 120,000 dollars. She said the killer would

r older daughter was gone, she just wanted to take the money to support her younger daughter. Sh

my wife and f

y wife were twins. They

really upset me. She said her sister had gone, but she was up ther

face reminded

the academy. At that time, I was too naive a

t the country, his family, and those who needed to be protected. She added

o give vent to my anger. She'd thin

r, I softened and we

off work and stayed with me al

ury reache

m's family, the perpetrator was giv

mn

p, but I hated the traffi

told me to get over it

perpetrator. When he was released from prison, I

tered the restaurant, I saw him celebrat

ere celebrating that he didn't need to serve time, that he was no

bly stunned

and asked him if

aid

dn't finish middle school. You didn't go to work after you got married. Instead, you spent all your time dr

t about

dren, and visit lonely elderly people every winter. She signed up for organ don

Compared to my wife, you really

speak, probably because he stil

you living? The death of someone as good as my wife ended up giving you a rep

eally knew he was wrong and that he would n

wife had given her life for him to start all over and th

ver again. I wanted to drive away, but I was in so much pain that I couldn't breathe. My grief was overwhelming.

I sat up, I saw Jacob come out drunk. And mo

deva

unk drivi

e a dog returni

was still on probation, and if he got caught ag

nt to report hi

ast. It was no use

after him. He was driving really fast, but I was drivi

stop him. When he got out of the car,

as wrong and asked me not to call the police. He knew

a hard push. I asked him what he

rove to a hotel not far away because he was

d I beli

ed him, and the more I missed my wife. I grab

t broke. I didn't care about the consequences. A

p, but it was late, and

he was wrong. I gritted my teeth to calm

side me. And then he pulled an extendable

his grandmother

st his wrist. He made a conscious effort to

ne move, but I ground his f

rpower him. I wanted

uld kill him, but I grabbed hi

off. Anyway, he couldn't he

him. He pushed me awa

he jumped of

n 30 feet high, and the

ridge. I ran under the bridge and saw him ly

and checked his br

not bre

as d

at all. Instead, I was thinking that

s body and could

or me to turn myself in and say I killed him. I wish

e, I didn't thin

shit. Why would I get both m

weren't up and running yet, so I carried his body u

down the river because I knew there

d, and I was able to avoid everyt

riverside. It was dark an

After making sure that nothing was wrong, I releas

ret it. I ju

serve

the river with increasing relief. Just

thought it was a phone fraud, but on second thought, I di

the phone and a

a woman said, "You kille

trembled as if I had

re you talking a

to where you dumped the b

deed four tre

nk, and I felt m

id tha

ne been w

neighborhood tied a camera to the tree to record the bird-hatching process. It's an observation diary assigned by the teacher t

I grabbed my phone and

and saw a ca

lp but ask, "

ans. It has a dashcam, but it has long malfunctioned and hasn't been repaired. It doesn

t is

take Maple Avenue on your way b

sked, "Who on

of your bus

mera into the river blankly and w

my teeth and decided not to go home from Map

e tweet of a former colleague sayin

another vehicle, triggering a five

e from that road, I would have b

d me. She seemed to know that a car accident was

uld sh

and couldn't

death. I thought I'd b

n my arms, listening to the voice mes

oday. Be careful on your missi

ook dinner now. If you have to work overtime, I'll get everything ready and

n't sto

edding photo, I told her th

g guilty, I felt

probably would have kille

at did those innocent people do wron

thing. I was

, "I miss you. I miss you so much. I miss every da

sage, but she

.

back, but for some reason, I found that the record had somehow dis

s str

hell was

. I should have saved it if I'd known something like that was gonna happen.

it out. It just so happened that my dog was hungry.

. My wife n

man back then. My wife's best friends and classmate

h her own savings and claimed that I

y, I accidentally dro

t with myself

bought a diamond ring with her savings. She didn't get paid

o forgive me for my stupidity. I said, "Just hit

ngry, she hugged m

angry, and she said somet

s yourself the most for losing the

new she would be the

jewelry store and bought a new diamond rin

biting my lost diamond ring box on the side of the road whil

was interesting, so we kept the dog in the hope tha

longer careless and d

and could often under

ctions such as going out to play,

ath. It always stayed quietly a

gotten through

s in my arms, playing her voice messages. Mojo stay

Jacob's death, a police

Ava's b

criminal cop. In fact, he was more promising than

. He and Ava had been helping

his men, and he didn't cons

ate. Jacob was an adult, so the police wouldn't ac

t that criminal cop

to me and asked me how

and said I was h

sly, "There's something awkward. Now we suspect you

said. "Why are you in charg

rby at the time. You were last seen leaving with him, and you had a conflict with him before. The police suspected you

ome that wa

ou leave afte

d that I couldn't breathe or drive. I

in the car. Can I have a look at the contents of your d

erything on it and save them on my computer and my phone. I keep them all at home because it's the on

.

th her hands and feet, telling me how to back up. When I finishe

ing someone else's car. She would throw herself into my arms, and we would lie on the hood of the car together, w

.

eautiful scenes

telling me not to feel sad. He said that if something

n me and that he would he

cause there was no evidence to prove that I was involved in Jacob's disappearance. He also told me t

t he asked me to do him a favo

men he brought with him were serious. They looked inside

o my apartment and sat down, deeply re

, my phone rang agai

number on the screen. I couldn't reme

ne and panted with

sounded again. "Is

"Can't you check i

wer

" I r

ly got excited.

he morning,

o you that hasn't been found yet. When you hit J

es

ass with his blood stuck in the right rear wheel of you

ed in surprise. "And how did y

nd get your

us, I hurried to the balcony, only to se

rs smoking and saunt

n was rig

ually wear slippers. It just so happened that I w

s fast as I could. My apartment was on the third floor, so i

on properly, so I accident

me falling down the stairs

left. "Let's go out to

truction and ran strai

y run to my car

roperly, and patted the dus

ar. It caught William's attention. William sq

illiam asked, "Ar

her tonight? I've been too unkempt lately.

nkle. "Is a haircut so important to you?" he

rprise, "She's gone, and ther

not in the mood to do anything, bring your

ther time. I need you to take Mojo ou

rig

ked at his two men and saw that

eel and saw the splin

ne could see it if

it away and

d the door and looked carefully at m

I'm le

the neighborhood. After driving some dis

was c

lmost d

one rang again,

saw it was that s

d it and answe

Don't worry, you had the scene taken good care of. I just need to tell you what you missed. You're not a criminal cop,

ell are yo

eally wan

urse,

I have a que

t is

ob die? Don't beat around the

woman knew everything about me,

when I think of the death of s

to start all over again

night, he might have killed another innocent person! What did ordinary people do wrong? They

ing about Jacob or

t them to jail, and they said they would never do it again

ou. The outcome of the game will determine whether we will continue to contact each

s it?"

he alley behind 28

. I held my phone

I go

woman was, but she r

e, gritted my teeth

the woman was and why she

s an old place that was about to be

ojo in the car and headed down the al

down the alley, only to

y, a girl was naked and had

crying in a corner, tear

with his pants half off. H

at all that with

*c

wearing and punched