Chapter 9

"那弹竖琴的女人死了！" Sarah looked at Zhen Fan with a complicated expression, "The forensic doctor has already given the results, it was suicide! You were right, she had thought about it for a long time. When we first met her, her suicide note was already written!"

"Hmm, do you know the price of this café? I think it's the cheapest in all of Los Angeles, right? The last waiter, the one over there, even wanted a tip from me!"

Zhen Fan looked at a waiter far away and couldn't help but laugh!

"Are you listening to me?"

Sarah became somewhat angry.

"Of course I am, but did you hear that piano music?"

"I heard it, what's the problem? Damn, you tricked me again. I was talking about that woman, not some piano music!"

Zhen Fan quickly put his finger to his lips and shook his head at Sarah.

"Your mind is in chaos, you can't hear the music. Don't you feel a sense of familiarity?"

Sarah stopped, listened, and then looked at the man playing the piano, a young man with golden hair, who was fully focused on his performance.

"This... this isn't..."

Sarah looked at Zhen Fan in surprise.

"It's the same piece that the poor woman played when we were sitting here. You heard it right, it's the same one. Do you think it's just a coincidence?"

Zhen Fan looked at her with a half-smile and then waved to the distant waiter.

We met an old acquaintance, the waiter reluctantly walked over, still with a smile on his face.

"Ten dollars, buy a bouquet of lilies for the pianist, and the rest is your tip!" Zhen Fan stuffed ten dollars into the waiter's shirt pocket.

"Alright, as you wish!"

He turned reluctantly, and the waiter went off with a long face!

"Do you think this is just a coincidence? Maybe it's a signature piece of this café. Do you think this man will also commit suicide? That's really far-fetched!"

Sarah criticized Zhen Fan mercilessly.

"If you're interested, why don't you follow him when he leaves and see what he does. I think it's not a coincidence, it's inevitable!"

"Alright, let's make a bet. If you win, I'll pay for this coffee. If you lose, you pay for this and also take me out for a Chinese meal!"

"That's not fair. Why should I only get a coffee if I win, and you get a Chinese meal?"

Zhen Fan protested.

The protest was无效. Before the waiter could deliver the lilies, the young man finished his performance, bowed politely to the audience, and then gathered his things and left.

"I'll go check!"

Sarah took out four dollars and put it on the table.

"Don't forget your tip!"

Even as he left, she couldn't resist teasing Zhen Fan.

"Sir, here are your flowers!"

The waiter appeared in front of Zhen Fan at the right moment.

"Here, for you!" Zhen Fan took out another four dollars, "Tip..."

"You've already paid me!" The waiter was smart this time.

Zhen Fan nodded: "You have a future, young man!" He patted the waiter's shoulder and followed Sarah out. This time, Sarah waited for Zhen Fan.

The young man drove a small Chevrolet and headed out of town.

"Is there water ahead?"

Zhen Fan closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them and looked at Sarah.

"There's a lake!"

"Let's get ahead of him. We might be able to stop him. Remember, the southwest direction of the lake, just follow this road!"

Sarah didn't waste any words, she stepped on the gas, and the SUV roared past the young man's car, heading for the lake. They quickly left the young man behind, and Zhen Fan had her stop by the lake, keeping the engine running and the clutch down, waiting for the small car to catch up.

Sure enough, the small car came this way, and as it approached the lake, it suddenly sped up and rushed toward the water.

"Speed up, hit him!"

Zhen Fan shouted, and Sarah's car shot forward, tires screeching.

"Hold on!"

With a loud "Bang!" Sarah's car hit the front of the small car, which immediately changed direction and crashed into a tree, smoke rising from the front.

Zhen Fan was jolted and couldn't catch his breath. Before he could react, Sarah jumped out of the car and ran toward the small car.

"Come quickly, he's injured, bleeding! Call 911!"

Sarah shouted at Zhen Fan.

The young man was not seriously injured, but his arm was cut and bleeding profusely. He was already unconscious.

"I'll stop the bleeding first!" Zhen Fan took out his backpack.

"What are you doing?"

Sarah tried to stop him.

"Don't forget, I just passed my medical license exam. Trust me!"

Sarah finally let go, as the man was bleeding too much. Even after bandaging him, the blood still seeped through the gauze and dripped continuously.

A few silver needles were inserted, and the bleeding stopped quickly. Then the two of them waited for the ambulance to arrive.

"Very strange!"

Sarah slumped against a tree and sat down.

"What?"

"I mean, you guessed right again, he really wanted to commit suicide!" Sarah looked at Zhen Fan's smug smile with some anger.

"Just like last time, depressed, pessimistic, and disillusioned with the world. There are many such people, but don't you find it strange? Why does everyone play the same piece before committing suicide, in the same café, at the same performance spot?"

"What are you saying? Murder?"

Sarah suddenly perked up, turned around, and stood up, looking down at Zhen Fan, who was leaning against the tree, her eyes shining with intensity.

"Why not investigate the woman who committed suicide before and this man? Check if they had any suicidal tendencies, their work and living environment, personality, etc., to see if there are any necessary reasons for suicide?"

Sarah nodded; she had the same thought.

"We can also investigate the previous pianists hired by this café and see if there are any other suicide cases. If there are, then you should know what to do, right?"

Zhen Fan was lazy, and then he heard the ambulance siren.

"Who treated him?" An ambulance worker looked at Sarah and Zhen Fan, his eyes moving between them.

"It was me!"

Zhen Fan quickly raised his hand.

"Thank you very much. Otherwise, this guy would have bled to death. Are you a doctor?"

This person looked at Zhen Fan with appreciation.

"Um... currently... yes!"

"Thanks!" The man said, jumped into the ambulance, and gestured to Zhen Fan.

"Are you driving yourselves or coming with us?"

"We'll drive ourselves!" Sarah took out her badge and showed it to the ambulance worker.

"I'll go with you!" Zhen Fan quickly jumped into the car. Sarah's car was totaled, and he clearly needed to find a working one. He didn't want to walk with this woman.

"Damn bastard!"

Sarah muttered under her breath, and as the car started, she quickly jumped into the ambulance and sat down next to Zhen Fan.

"Don't think you can leave me behind!"

"Do we know each other well?"

Zhen Fan looked at Sarah seriously.

"No, we don't, but you are our special investigation bureau's consultant, so I have to keep an eye on you!"

Sarah gritted her teeth.

"I haven't agreed yet!"

The ambulance sped toward Los Angeles.

"Are you two... a couple?" The ambulance worker, perhaps finding the atmosphere in the car too dull and seeing Zhen Fan and Sarah leaning against each other, tried to start a conversation.

"Yes!"

"No, absolutely not!"

The two almost spoke at the same time, and Sarah glared at Zhen Fan in anger.

"I'm not your girlfriend!"

Zhen Fan didn't look at her but smiled awkwardly at the ambulance worker. "I'm really sorry, but there are some things... hard to talk about. I'm a man, I can't always be alone, right? I know she's a police officer, but even police officers have off-duty hours and a regular life, don't they?"

"Because of sex?" The ambulance worker smiled slightly. "I understand, I've been through that tough period. Just bear with it, buddy!"

"Don't listen to him, I just met him, he's a bastard!"

Sarah was flustered, never having seen such a shameless man, and quickly defended herself to the ambulance worker.

"Alright, dear, let's solve this at home, okay?"

"If you keep saying that, I'll sue you for defamation and arrest you!" Sarah said, even taking out her handcuffs.

"Sex? Dear, there's someone else here!"

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