Jack glanced again at the borrowed books listed in the file. Besides two textbook reference books, there was also a very famous science fiction novel, Flowers for Algernon.
The author was the renowned American author Daniel Keyes, a high school teacher with a background in psychology. Flowers for Algernon was his most celebrated science fiction work.
Although Jack wasn't particularly fond of tragedy, and his preference for science fiction was more towards the "hard science fiction" of Jules Verne, which focused on scientific detail and technological feasibility,
he had to admit that the novel's protagonist, Charlie Gordon, had a tragic fate and a dramatic ending that left a lasting impression.
"The file says you were the last person to see Hana?" Jack closed the file in his hand and carefully stored it in the waterproof bag as before.
"Yes," Barbara lowered her eyes slightly. "Then she disappeared. No one saw her again. I knew nothing about it until Sheriff Landry called me awake in the middle of the night. That's when I learned about it."
"Do Hana's parents still live nearby?" Jiejie asked.
"Her mother passed away a few years ago. I still see her father in town occasionally; he still lives in the same house." Barbara explained, and then enthusiastically gave them directions.
Hana's home wasn't far from the city center, so Jack and Jiejie chose to walk again, reaching their destination in less than 15 minutes.
"The library closes at 8 p.m. If Hana was kidnapped while walking home, there shouldn't be any witnesses," Jiejie said as she rang the doorbell.
"So she either got into someone's car, like the anonymous caller did, or she ran away," Jack continued, following her train of thought.
A wrinkled old man opened the door. Upon hearing the two FBI agents' purpose, the man, nearly 70, eagerly invited them in.
"I thought my life was hopeless, that the man who killed my daughter would remain at large forever."
Jack keenly sensed the subtext in his words. "So you don't think your Hana might still be alive, Mr. Frey?"
"That thought haunted my wife like a curse. She remained convinced to her death that Hana hadn't left this world, that our daughter must still be alive somewhere."
Hana's father, Old Frey, was a tall man. Though slightly stooped, he could still hold Jack's eye level and spoke with that characteristically loud Texan voice.
"It sounds like you have other ideas. Do you know what happened that night?" Jack asked, feigning ignorance, even though he had already seen the relevant records in the files.
Twenty years had passed, and comparing the accounts of the parties involved with the records at the time was also a way to uncover new clues.
Old Frey's voice grew louder, his emotions growing intense. "Of course I know. Everyone in town knows what happened. The police questioned that son of a bitch for two whole days, but ultimately let him go."
"You mean Cody Grayson?" This time, it was Jiejie who opened the file, revealing a handsome young man with long black hair, styled like a rock singer of the era.
"That's him. That wasn't the first time he'd followed Hana home. I'd seen him before and warned him, but the police said they couldn't convict him without a body. So one day, my brother and I went to his house with guns."
As Old Frey spoke, the veins on his forehead bulged, still unable to contain themselves.
But since the three of them weren't having this conversation in prison, and Sheriff Landry hadn't mentioned it before, it seemed likely Cody Grayson was still alive.
"What happened next? Did you find the answer?" Jack wasn't surprised by the Texan's behavior.
"That hypocritical little pervert was talking about trying to muster up the courage to strike up a conversation, but he never touched Hana. He even said she might be running away from her jerk father."
Old Fred's eyes gleamed with tears, and he turned his head away.
"So you didn't do anything to Cody afterwards, and he's still alive?" Jiejie pressed uncertainly.
Old Fred's voice rose again. "Of course he's still alive. I heard he's drunk every night at the Wild Boar."
Jack noticed the pile of letters on the table, and a thought suddenly struck him, reminding him of the home invasion murder case that had so haunted Rossi (Chapter 259).
It was also a 20-year-old unsolved case, with no leads, yet it was finally solved thanks to a few stuffed toys.
"One last question, Mr. Frey, after Hana disappeared, have you received anything suspicious? Anything related to her, or any letter mentioning her name?"
Old Frey suppressed his sobs and tried to restore his voice to normal. He pulled out a letter from the bottom of the pile and threw it to Jack. "It's just this kind of credit card promotional mail. There are several letters sent every year. This one was just sent a few days ago.
When her mother was still alive, she would open each letter and read them, and then cry her heart out. After she died, I usually threw them directly into the trash."
Jack's eyes lit up. After opening the envelope, he found that it was a credit investigation email sent by Texas Commerce Bank. The recipient was signed as Hana Frey, and hurriedly asked, "Did Hana open an account in this bank?"
Old Frey shook his head blankly, "No, she was not yet an adult and didn't have any private accounts."
Then the result is obvious. Either someone has stolen Hana's identity, or she is still alive.
The degree of disorganization in the old American states is comparable to that of the "Soviet provinces" that are now busy playing football (in fact, even more disorganized). Cases of husbands running away secretly to other states and then marrying other women are everywhere.
It is not impossible that Hana is still alive. Compared with Jack's previous request to Sheriff Landry to find the police call recorded on the tape, this clue seems to be more reliable.
Seeing Jack take out his mobile phone to take a picture of the letter, old Frey seemed to have seen hope again. After hesitating for a while, he couldn't help but ask, "Is it really possible that my daughter is still alive?"
There is no way to answer this kind of question. Jiejie could only comfort him, "Mr. Frey, we are here for Hana's missing case and will follow the clues to the end."
After saying goodbye to this tearful father, Jack and Jiejie felt a blockage in their hearts when they left. This kind of case where no one is alive or dead is the most torturous for relatives.
(End of this chapter)