Goodbye, Mr. Regret

"Why do you keep pressing about this?"

Vince's irritation was palpable. "Is it because you realize you couldn't keep it hidden and now you want to dig for answers? How do you even have the nerve?"

He still wasn't satisfied, and pressed on, "Did you really think you could keep this a secret? She knows what she looked like as a kid, doesn't she? Even if you manage to hide it for a while, she'll find out sooner or later. So tell me when did you find out?"

"You still haven't answered my question."

Timothy's expression remained unreadable, calm as ever.

"You're always like this. If I don't talk, you won't either, is that it?”

"That's right."

Vince was so angry it made his chest ache.

"Fine, I'll spell it out. It's just—she looks alike. There are plenty of shows about kids separated from their families, lost and found. Jessy does paper-cutting, my grandfather loves paper-cutting, and then she's taken Daisy as her goddaughter. She's got this strange connection to our family."

Timothy wasn't feeling well; his body was weak and his mind wasn't as sharp as usual.

A server brought over their coffees. Timothy took his cup and sipped.

Yates noticed a deep indentation on the first knuckle of Timothy's right index finger, a trace of blood seeping out.

Yates pressed his lips together. Just how tightly had Timothy been clenching his fist?

Timothy drank several mouthfuls of coffee in a row.

points, on the face of

was public. Sheila could see everything, and Yates had even commented on a

all three things together,

Daisy reminded her of

never have suspected anything.

were two

the thing you're looking for is right under your

special connection with the

been what planted the

phone call. At that point, even

in thought, Yates spoke up, "Vince, don't you think Sheila was hinting at something with what

called Sheila to go to the hospital and

exactly what had made him

his voice anxious, "Tell me, when did you find out? Did you let Sheila in on

pressed into a thin line. That day at the hospital, when he'd gotten the DNA results, he'd bumped into

Sheila had gone off to find her friends.

stood up. "I have something to take

found out. And when I went to Jessy's place to ask for her childhood photos, she said she couldn't find a single one. Did you hide

question and hurried

him outmaneuver you again. You told him exactly what you wanted to know, but he never gave you

just cutting him some slack because he's younger-I

took a sip of his coffee. "From what you were saying, I'd bet Sheila knew exactly what she was doing. She deliberately dropped hints for you that day-she's a

rushed off-do you

on the possibility that she might. Vince, you've