- 23 hours ago
My Husband Solve My Murder - Full Movie
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My husband was America's best criminal psychologist. He never said I love you, until after my death.
00:06Then my body was found on a mountain north of the city.
00:09Philander stood over my corpse, cold and detached.
00:12He said,
00:13This is the work of a serial killer.
00:15He didn't know he was looking at his own wife.
00:17Then his phone rang.
00:21Your wife didn't come to work today.
00:23Philander frowned.
00:25She's fine.
00:26He hung up and went back to the case.
00:29The case he was solving was my murder.
00:33My husband never said I love you, until after my death.
00:36He was a criminal psychologist.
00:38The moment he texted,
00:40I'm sorry babe.
00:41I've been really busy.
00:42I'll come home for our anniversary.
00:44I was already bleeding out on the street.
00:46He didn't even know I was dead.
00:48He just kept working cold, perfect, brilliant, until the case he was solving, turned out to be my murder.
00:54My husband, Philander Wagner, was the most renowned criminal psychologist in America.
00:59He barely ever came home.
01:00After three years of marriage, we had hardly spent any time together at all.
01:04Today, his supervisor had kindly given him some time off.
01:08Your wedding anniversary is coming up, isn't it?
01:11Once this case is wrapped up, go home and spend some quality time with her.
01:14Behind his glasses, Philander's gaze was cool as ever.
01:17Since she chose to marry me, she chose this life.
01:20There's no need to celebrate something as boring as an anniversary.
01:24My spirit hovered beside him, lost and hollow.
01:27Indeed, we wouldn't be celebrating our wedding anniversary.
01:30Unbeknownst to Philander, I had died on my way home just now.
01:36It hurt like hell to have your throat sliced open.
01:38My windpipe tore under the force, air rushing in and out through the ragged gash.
01:42I tried to scream for help, but my mouth could only produce wet, gurgling sounds.
01:47The pain was unbearable.
01:49The ingredients I had carefully selected for Philander were scattered across the ground,
01:53stained a deep, glaring crimson.
01:55Tonight, I had intended to bring him soup.
01:58He loved clam chowder but was terribly picky he could tell with a single taste if it wasn't made just
02:02right.
02:03I had gone to several different markets to find the exact kind he liked.
02:06All of it was wasted.
02:08The night was pitch black.
02:09My vision blurred, my gaze dull and unfocused as it fixed on the flickering screen of my phone lying nearby.
02:15Philander had just sent a message.
02:17Don't bother coming.
02:18I don't have time for you.
02:20The next instant, the killer wrapped my entire face in a filthy, stinking cloth.
02:24He snarled viciously.
02:26You died because of Philander, get it?
02:28Even if your ghost wants revenge, you should go after him.
02:31With that, the last of my strength drained away.
02:34I was gone.
02:37Perhaps the killer's curse truly took effect.
02:40Once my spirit left my body and I regained awareness.
02:43I found myself standing near Philander, in the vast office.
02:46Only the lamp on his desk was lit.
02:48Wearing his glasses, he was bent over case files, deep in analysis.
02:52The phone with which he had just sent the message lay dark and silent by his hand.
02:56Bathed in the warm yellow light, I observed him closely for the first time.
03:00He had a sharply defined face, eyes that held no warmth, and thin lips that never seemed
03:05to form a gentle sentence.
03:06The office was overly air-conditioned.
03:09Philander briefly curled his fingers against the chill.
03:12Instinctively, I reached for the jacket nearby to drape over his shoulders.
03:15My hands passed right through the fabric.
03:17I stood there frozen.
03:19It was then that the truth of my death truly hit me.
03:22When I turned to look at Philander again, I remembered our last meeting, back when I was
03:26still alive.
03:27It was near the end of June when he came home from the office without a word.
03:30When I opened my eyes, what I saw was his cool arm resting beneath my head.
03:35Years spent mostly indoors.
03:37Philander was unusually fair-skinned.
03:38The slightest movement from me woke him.
03:41Loretta.
03:42He said my name softly.
03:43Within the hour, pack what I need for the trip.
03:48His time was too valuable to waste on mundane tasks.
03:51He was always thinking, analyzing, and weighing pros and cons.
03:55He only ever viewed things from a criminal's perspective.
03:58I changed out of my pajamas, feeling heavy-hearted.
04:02Do it yourself.
04:03Philander studied my face, intrigued, and sat up in bed.
04:06Inner eyebrows raised, corners of the mouth downward,
04:09eyelided slightly swollen, faint redness in the eyes.
04:12He began his analysis, stating with certainty.
04:15You cried last night, more than once, for over 30 minutes.
04:18I turned away, avoiding his gaze, and started packing his luggage as he had asked.
04:23Philander, I don't like it when you do this.
04:25Ever since we married, I disliked how he used criminal psychology theories on me.
04:30It was as if I stood naked before him.
04:32Every emotion easily laid bare.
04:34But Philander never listened.
04:35This time was no different.
04:37He stepped out of bed barefoot and moved closer.
04:40I'm right.
04:41Philander took a few steps back, scanned the bedroom,
04:44walked to the living room to glance into the refrigerator,
04:46and finally leaned against the bedroom doorframe, looking down at me.
04:50Someone in your family died.
04:52A relative.
04:53Not immediate, but you were close to them.
04:56Probably over 40.
04:58Let me think.
05:00He was trying to recall a face from our wedding that matched his description.
05:05But I closed my eyes, cutting him off quietly as tears fell.
05:09You don't have to go to all that trouble.
05:11I had already texted him the news about my aunt's passing.
05:14My apologies.
05:15Philander paused, attempting to offer comfort,
05:18yet his professional instinct made his words come out detached.
05:21There's no need for excessive grief over someone who has passed.
05:24Psychology indicates that complicated grief severely impacts work and daily life.
05:29Besides, your behavior this morning affects my efficiency,
05:32interferes with my cognitive focus,
05:34and hinters my ability to save lives.
05:38Loretta, I don't want my partner to be overly emotional.
05:42What a cold, commanding tone.
05:43I let out a humorless laugh.
05:45Finally, I finished packing and looked up at him.
05:48He was already dressed.
05:49The well-fitted suit framed him,
05:51giving him the air of someone cool, precise, and utterly cerebral.
05:55My heart sank at that moment.
05:56I asked, almost bitterly,
05:58In your life, is there only room for work?
06:01Philander took the suitcase and replied without hesitation.
06:04A childish, pointless question.
06:06The front door opened and closed.
06:08He didn't look back.
06:09That was the last time we ever saw each other.
06:14An elementary school teacher and a criminal psychologist normally had nothing in common.
06:18If not for a mutual acquaintance, we would never have met.
06:21On our blind date, Philander was two hours late.
06:24I was about to leave when he finally arrived.
06:27His face and clothes were stained with blood,
06:29as if he'd just come from a crime scene.
06:31It frightened everyone who saw him.
06:33It frightened me too.
06:34Even after he sat down, it took me a while to process.
06:37We stared at each other in silence.
06:39I tried to break the ice, offering him a few napkins.
06:42But he was already getting up to leave.
06:44Skip the introductions.
06:46Two strangers reciting their identical life stories is a waste of time.
06:50I already know the basics.
06:52He held my gaze, took the napkins, and wiped the blood from his face,
06:56revealing cold, sharp features.
06:58He called the server over and took out his wallet to pay.
07:00As it happens, I'm willing to marry you.
07:04Philander handed me the receipt with his contact information written on it.
07:07Assuming nothing comes up, you may reach me after 10pm.
07:13Later, we actually got married.
07:15It all happened in a blur.
07:16My best friend said I was insane.
07:18What do you see in him?
07:20He has nothing going for him except his looks.
07:23At that time, I was at the mall picking out a coat for Philander.
07:26His previous one had gotten stained with brain matter at a crime scene.
07:29He'd wanted to just wash and keep wearing it.
07:32I insisted he throw it away and said I'd buy him a new one.
07:35Outside of work, Philander wasn't much different from the mischievous kids in my class.
07:39I can't tell you.
07:41I selected a coat and answered my friend softly.
07:43I couldn't tell her I'd once seen Philander on campus during college.
07:47Or tell her I'd obsessively searched for his profile online.
07:49And I definitely couldn't tell her how fast my heart raced the moment I saw him at that cafe.
07:54When he said we could get married, I felt completely weightless with joy.
07:58Perhaps only Philander knew how much I loved him.
08:03Every time I tried to sneak a kiss while he slept, he'd notice.
08:07Those cool eyes would lock on me, his hand resting over my heart.
08:11Loretta, he'd say,
08:12Your heart rate is unusually high.
08:15It matches the rhythm of an adolescent during their first homicide.
08:19Outside the window, heavy rain began to fall.
08:22My thoughts returned to the present.
08:24Philander had, at some point, put on the coat I bought him.
08:27Tired from work, he rubbed his temples.
08:30He reached for his phone, but his supervisor, Lorenzo Burnett,
08:33came in just then carrying a food container.
08:36Long night, proper Wagner.
08:37Lorenzo smiled warmly and opened it,
08:39revealing creamy clam chowder inside.
08:42Your wife mentioned you should take better care of yourself.
08:44Said you like this.
08:46Took the liberty of having my wife make something.
08:48Try it.
08:48You need to keep your strength up during a case.
08:50Philander took a spoonful, frowned slightly,
08:53set the spoon down, and looked up.
08:55Is there something you need?
08:58Lorenzo didn't beat around the bush.
09:00I'm here to talk about you taking some time off.
09:03Your anniversary is coming up, isn't it?
09:05Once this case is wrapped up,
09:07go home and spend some quality time with Laura.
09:09I'd almost forgotten I really had asked Lorenzo for this favor.
09:12For our fourth wedding anniversary,
09:14I needed Philander to come home.
09:16Not just for the occasion,
09:18but also to discuss divorce.
09:20Being with a cold and distant person
09:21would slowly cool the most passionate heart.
09:24Philander was unmoved.
09:26She chose me,
09:27knowing full well what that meant.
09:29She chose this life.
09:30We do not need meaningless anniversaries.
09:33The words clearly shocked Lorenzo.
09:35Out of his depth,
09:37he could only sigh.
09:38You'll regret this one day.
09:40Philander tapped his finger lightly on the desk,
09:42confident.
09:43In my professional judgment,
09:45regret is the least useful emotion.
09:48I won't have any.
09:49I watched him quietly,
09:51remembering how my mother had asked me
09:52the same thing before the wedding.
09:54For a man like Philander,
09:55you'll regret marrying him.
09:57My answer back then had been just as confident.
10:00By now,
10:00the weight of it all was slowly crushing me.
10:05A clap of thunder split the sky,
10:07lighting up the room.
10:08In that quiet,
10:10softly lit office,
10:11my vision blurred,
10:12and I whispered so faintly.
10:14Philander,
10:16I really do regret it.
10:18After Lorenzo left,
10:20Philander stood up to get a glass of water
10:21and rinse his mouth.
10:23Remembering what Lorenzo had just said,
10:25he let his gaze rest on his phone
10:26for a few seconds.
10:28Then he opened our chat history
10:29and scrolled through it.
10:30Not that there was much to Seedaw,
10:32our conversations were sparse
10:33because he was too busy to reply often.
10:36Right after we married,
10:37I used to share bits of my day
10:38with him every day.
10:39A student gave me flowers today.
10:42Said she really likes me.
10:43Had broccoli and steak for lunch.
10:46Remember to eat yours.
10:47The evening sky looked amazing
10:49on my way home.
10:50What was it like over there?
10:52Are you very busy lately?
10:54Text me when you have time.
10:56Philander, are you okay?
10:58When are you coming home?
11:00I sent to many.
11:01He found them annoying
11:02and blocked me a couple of times.
11:04Later, I contacted him
11:06less just checking and occasionally.
11:07Until finally,
11:08our chat sank to the bottom of my list.
11:10But I never expected Philander
11:12to pin my contact to the top.
11:14His finger paused on the time stomp
11:15of our last message tonight.
11:17He thought for a moment,
11:19typed something,
11:20then deleted it.
11:21I'll make time to come home
11:23for our anniversary.
11:23It was seven days away.
11:25After he sent the message,
11:27there was no response at all.
11:28A dead person couldn't reply.
11:32Philander thought for another moment,
11:34then called me.
11:35My ringtone played through the receiver.
11:39Philander sighed.
11:40He told me many times
11:41he disliked this ringtone
11:42and wanted me to change it,
11:44always adding a polite disclaimer.
11:46Just a suggestion, of course.
11:47It's your choice.
11:49I'd asked why he didn't like it.
11:50He never answered,
11:51and I never changed it.
11:52The song played to the end,
11:54and the call went to voicemail.
11:55Hi, this is Loretta.
11:57I can't take your call right now,
11:58but leave a message
11:59and I'll get back to you soon.
12:00So have a message.
12:01It's not touching you, Gabe, or Batley.
12:02Loretta.
12:03Philander started to speak,
12:04but the landline on his desk rang.
12:06He hung up without another word.
12:08A hiker had discovered a woman's body
12:10on the mountain north of the city.
12:12It had been buried deep,
12:13not easy to find.
12:14But last night's heavy rain
12:16washed away the loose topsoil,
12:17exposing the corpse's decomposing fingers.
12:20Philander took the call
12:21and went out with the police immediately.
12:26He put on shoe covers and a mask
12:28and soon arrived at the scene.
12:29The area was cordoned off with police tape.
12:31An officer nearby was calming the person
12:33who'd reported it.
12:35Philander shot a cold glance there double.
12:37Eye as he passed,
12:38then ducked under the tape
12:39to approach the body.
12:40Condition.
12:41He said flatly,
12:42then began rapidly observing the corpse.
12:45It was the first time I'd seen him at work focused,
12:47meticulous,
12:48no different from his demeanor in daily life.
12:50The medical examiner briefed him promptly.
12:52The body is in the bloated stage of decomposition.
12:55Time of death is approximately within the last 72 hours.
12:57Cause of death,
12:59slash throat,
13:00weapon likely a small blade,
13:02five to ten centimeters.
13:03The victim is an adult female,
13:05between 22 and 30.
13:06No signs of assault.
13:07I moved closer to look and was immediately
13:09startled by the state of the body.
13:11It was gruesome.
13:13Around me,
13:14detectives covered their noses
13:15and averted their eyes.
13:16A younger officer turned away,
13:18leaning against a tree and retching.
13:20Only Philander showed no reaction,
13:22circling the corpse without hesitation.
13:27He pulled on rubber gloves,
13:29examining and analyzing,
13:30his eyes cold and utterly detached.
13:33Finally,
13:33he delivered his conclusion in an icy tone.
13:36In criminal psychology,
13:37death by throat slashing is considered
13:39one of the most brutal.
13:40The victim experiences acute pain and suffocation first,
13:43followed by dissociative symptoms.
13:44As blood enters,
13:46the trachea,
13:47they suffer uncontrollable coughing reflexes
13:49until cardiac arrest leads to brain death.
13:51Perpetrators who use this method
13:52typically display high antisocial traits,
13:54a strong desire for control,
13:56and an intensely personal hatred
13:57toward the victim or someone connected to them.
14:00Philander grew more animated as he spoke.
14:02Finally,
14:03he removed his gloves and offered a cold, thin smile.
14:06This is the work of a serial killer.
14:07The reality of death lay so starkly before me.
14:10Even as a spirit,
14:11I couldn't bear the shock of it.
14:13I backed away,
14:14and a thought suddenly struck me.
14:16When they found my
14:17body,
14:18I would probably look like this, too.
14:20And Philander would probably be the same as he was now.
14:26The Bureau formed a task force to investigate the case.
14:29Philander, as expected,
14:31became a Corps member
14:32and began working around the clock.
14:33In just two days,
14:35they had thoroughly uncovered
14:36the girl's identity and personal connections.
14:38The victim's name is Lindsay Genstry.
14:41She lived in Dunwoodyear at a tutoring center.
14:43To see her at the men are full
14:44and worked as a teacher's a talk,
14:46her social circle was simple.
14:47Also,
14:48surveillance shows she went missing
14:50on her way home from work.
14:52The suspect has strong
14:53counter-surveillance awareness
14:54and knows the blind spots.
14:57Identifying him visually is difficult.
14:59We'll proceed by examining
15:00the victim's personal circumstances,
15:01hoping to find leads
15:03related to debt disputes
15:04or crimes of passions.
15:06After the officer finished his report,
15:09Lorenzo nodded and turned to Philander.
15:11Proffer Wagner,
15:12what led you to conclude
15:13this is the work of a...
15:14Philander crossed his legs
15:16and gave a faint smile.
15:17This is clearly a random homicide.
15:19He was cut off by his ringing phone.
15:25Philander frowned,
15:26declined the call
15:27and set his phone to silent.
15:28But moments later,
15:29it began vibrating insistently.
15:31He was about to power it off
15:32when Lorenzo gestured
15:33for him to take it.
15:34Might be urgent,
15:35Proffer Wagner.
15:36Handle it first.
15:37Philander left the conference room
15:38with his phone
15:39and finally answered.
15:40Ten seconds.
15:42He glanced at his watch,
15:43his voice icy.
15:44You have ten seconds
15:45to state your purpose.
15:46I'm busy.
15:46I'm and busy.
15:47I don't have time for sales calls.
15:49Every minute you waste
15:51is a minute.
15:53Someone remains in danger.
15:54Starting now.
15:55Is this Mrs. Palmer's husband?
15:57It was the school principal
15:58on the line
15:59of thorough and responsible lady.
16:00She didn't take
16:01Philander's opening words personally.
16:03Her tone remained steady.
16:05Didn't come to work today
16:05or submit any leave
16:06or resignation request.
16:08Her phone goes unanswered
16:09and she hasn't replied to messages.
16:11We're very concerned.
16:12I had died on Friday.
16:13It wasn't strange
16:14for the principal
16:15to call Philander now.
16:16A flicker of impatience
16:17crossed Philander's eyes.
16:22If an adult
16:23has been reachable
16:24for 24 hours,
16:25you should call the police,
16:26not the family.
16:27Involving relatives
16:28only increases
16:28the potential scale of.
16:29His unfinished words
16:31were a tragedy.
16:32After being married
16:33to Philander for so long,
16:34I could read his subtext.
16:35Yet now,
16:36he paused,
16:37almost as if he didn't want
16:39to analyze my absence
16:40in his usual way.
16:41He simply sighed.
16:42Never mind.
16:43I'll reach out to her later.
16:45Don't worry.
16:46She'll be fine.
16:47Before hanging up,
16:48he emphasized again.
16:50Don't call the police.
16:51I'll contact her.
16:52She'll be fine.
16:53Saying it again
16:54was not his style at all.
16:57Yet,
16:58he still didn't try to reach me.
17:00As soon as he hung up,
17:01he was called back in
17:02to conduct a criminal
17:03psychological profile.
17:04In the briefing room,
17:05the projector leg
17:07HD flickered brightly.
17:09Philander dismissed
17:10all the anxious eyes
17:11fixed on him.
17:12He immersed himself
17:13completely in his analysis
17:14of the victim's
17:15behavioral patterns,
17:16criminal intent,
17:17and childhood trauma.
17:18He kept using
17:19professional terms
17:20I couldn't understand.
17:21I stood below the podium,
17:23watching him intently.
17:24This version of Philander
17:26so fully in his element
17:27was why I had fallen
17:28in love with him.
17:32Later,
17:33based on Philander's assessment,
17:35two more female victims
17:36were discovered
17:37within three days.
17:38All killed
17:39with identical methods.
17:40The case was officially
17:41classified as a serial homicide.
17:43As public attention
17:44rapidly grew,
17:45the higher-ups
17:46started pushing,
17:47saying the case
17:48had to be solved
17:48without delay.
17:49Everyone at the bureau
17:50was swamped,
17:51barely finding time to eat.
17:53Philander was no exception.
17:55Right up until the day
17:56before our anniversary,
17:57his phone remained
17:58inaccessible to unknown callers.
18:00Day and night,
18:01he stood before
18:02the evidence-covered map
18:03muttering to himself,
18:04There's another body.
18:05Where would it be?
18:07My heart ached
18:08as I saw his red-rimmed eyes
18:09from exhaustion.
18:10I reached out
18:11and pointed toward
18:11the park closest to our home.
18:13Philander,
18:14I'm right there.
18:15That park was where
18:15we had our first date
18:16a sort of pet-friendly area.
18:18While we were strolling,
18:19Philander took a work call.
18:21Wanting him to relax,
18:22I pulled him over
18:23to play with a puppy nearby.
18:27The puppy got too excited,
18:29lunged,
18:30and knocked me off balance.
18:32Philander,
18:33phone still in one hand,
18:34caught me easily
18:35with the other.
18:36During that moment,
18:36my lips lightly brushed
18:37against his cheek.
18:39Our ears both turned
18:40bright red.
18:41Ahem.
18:42Philander hung up,
18:43clearing his throat awkwardly.
18:45If you like dogs,
18:46we could get one.
18:47I pressed my lips together,
18:49happiness nearly overflowing.
18:50I just nodded slowly.
18:53Got it.
18:53Tyric Wright,
18:54an officer,
18:55burst into the office
18:56with a still from a surveillance video,
18:58announcing the good news excitedly.
19:01Following Prof. Wagner's
19:02predicted activity zone
19:03for the disfest.
19:04We've identified his face on camera.
19:05We're requesting an arrest warrant now.
19:07Professor Wagner's prediction
19:08is awesome.
19:08I see your F-trotted experience,
19:10hearing atrocessary.
19:11He's so foul no mince the Sherlock home.
19:13Move, move!
19:14Don't let him get away!
19:15Coordinate with other units
19:16for the arrest!
19:17Philander rarely participated
19:18in field operations.
19:20The noisy crowd of officers
19:21streamed out,
19:22leaving him alone behind.
19:23He stood there alone,
19:25his back held rigidly straight.
19:29He picked up the suspect's photo
19:31from the desk.
19:32His eyes still locked
19:33on the evidence board.
19:34His phone rang.
19:36Hi, are you the resident
19:37in room 1502,
19:39Cloudcrest Estates?
19:40Your dog hasn't been out in days.
19:42It's barking non-stop.
19:43We've had several neighbor complaints.
19:45Are you out of town?
19:47We've tried calling.
19:48Please have someone handle this.
19:50Philander glanced
19:50at the suspect's photo,
19:52annoyed.
19:53You should contact Loretta.
19:54Philander,
19:55who always lost himself
19:56in his cases,
19:57suddenly remembered
19:58the one person
19:59he should never have forgotten.
20:00His voice grew quieter,
20:02the words fading into a murmur.
20:04The last trace of color
20:05drained from his face.
20:06Slowly,
20:07his gaze shifted
20:08to the surveillance photo
20:09in his hand.
20:10There,
20:10he saw a face
20:11that looked both indifferent
20:12and defiant.
20:14Outside,
20:15thunder cracked.
20:16Philander,
20:17forever composed and calm,
20:18raced home like mad.
20:22It had been five months
20:24since Philander last came home.
20:26Rain pounded the car's windscreen,
20:28blurring his vision.
20:29He didn't care.
20:30He floored the gas,
20:31running for red lights in a row.
20:33He didn't even close
20:34the car door
20:34before rushing upstairs.
20:36Like a drenched bird,
20:37he was soaked to the skin,
20:39desperately dialing
20:40my number again and again.
20:42Hi,
20:42this is Loretta.
20:43He hung up and redialed.
20:45Hi,
20:45this is Loretta.
20:46He hung up again.
20:48Hi.
20:48Philander finally snapped,
20:50hurling his phone
20:50against the wall.
20:51When he reached our door
20:52and fumbled the key
20:53into the lock,
20:54I saw his hand trembling.
20:56Philander,
20:56who faced the most
20:57gruesome corpses
20:58with calm,
20:59was shaking.
21:00He pushed the door open.
21:01Not a single light was on.
21:03In the entryway sat
21:04my silly dinosaur slippers,
21:06the ones I always changed into.
21:07My plaid coat hung,
21:09as usual,
21:09on the crooked coat rack.
21:11On the sofa were clothes
21:12I hadn't gotten around
21:13to washing.
21:14Unopened packages
21:15I'd brought home sat
21:16piled in the corner
21:16of the living room.
21:17The range hood in the kitchen
21:19still had the recipe notes
21:20I'd stuck up for Philander.
21:21I'd even labeled
21:22where every spice jar belonged.
21:27All our photos together
21:28were displayed on the shelves.
21:30I was always beaming.
21:31He always looked
21:32reluctantly amused.
21:33I used to joke
21:34that he looked as if
21:35I dragged him home
21:36against his will.
21:37Everything looked
21:37the same as usual,
21:39except that I wasn't there.
21:40Only the lily of the valley
21:41on the balcony
21:42had died from lack of water.
21:44Philander flipped the light switch
21:45and winced at the
21:46sudden brightness.
21:47For a second,
21:48he thought he saw
21:49Ambie curled up
21:49in the living room.
21:50The dog's food bowl
21:51was licked clean.
21:52He looked thinner.
21:54The moment he caught
21:54Philander's scent,
21:55he went on guard,
21:56baring his teeth
21:57with a low growl.
21:58I stepped between them,
22:00speaking softly.
22:01Shh.
22:01Good boy.
22:02Easy now.
22:04I'm here.
22:04Ambie was a border collie
22:05I'd found on my way home
22:07after Philander agreed
22:08we could get a dog.
22:09He was utterly blind.
22:10When Philander found out,
22:12he had a very serious
22:13talk with me.
22:14Time, money,
22:16and energy
22:16are finite resources.
22:18I believe you could
22:19have chosen a healthy
22:20docile pet
22:20that's easier to manage.
22:22The return on investment
22:23for this dog
22:23will be disproportionate
22:24to the effort required.
22:28I was picking out
22:29a leash for Ambie
22:30at the time.
22:31I just stroked his head
22:32and smiled.
22:33It's fine.
22:34I'm used to it.
22:35With Philander,
22:36I'd always given
22:36far more than
22:37I ever received.
22:40He just never knew.
22:41He'd said those words
22:42right in front of Ambie.
22:44Even though the puppy
22:45couldn't see,
22:45he could hear
22:46and hold a grudge.
22:47He never warmed up
22:48to Philander after that.
22:49Maybe Ambie really
22:50did sense my presence.
22:52His nose twitched.
22:53Then he slowly lowered
22:54his head and let out
22:55a soft whimper.
22:56Philander nearly stumbled,
22:58bracing himself on the couch
22:59as he took a few steps forward.
23:00Then his legs gave way
23:01and he half collapsed
23:02to his knees.
23:03The clock's hands
23:04slowly moved toward midnight.
23:06Our fourth wedding
23:07anniversary had arrived.
23:09Philander reached
23:09for the silver chain
23:10around his neck
23:11and pulled it out.
23:13Hanging from the end
23:14were our wedding rings.
23:15I'm sorry.
23:19Stunned,
23:20I lifted a hand
23:21toward the rings,
23:22then drew back sharply
23:23as if scorched.
23:25Before I knew it,
23:26I was kneeling there too,
23:28facing him.
23:28I sniffed,
23:29my voice shaky.
23:31Why didn't you
23:31tell me sooner?
23:32Why didn't he tell me
23:33when I was still alive?
23:36That he wore our rings
23:37close when we were apart?
23:39Why?
23:39Ambie shuffled over
23:40and pressed against my leg.
23:42I opened my mouth
23:43and sobbed like a child.
23:45Why couldn't he just tell me
23:46he loved me as much
23:47as I loved him?
23:47The downpour never let up.
23:49Philander walked Ambie
23:50to the park
23:51where I was buried.
23:52Stumbling through the rain
23:53the whole way.
23:54Ambie caught the familiar scent
23:56and began barking wildly.
23:58Straining against the leash,
24:00Philander stopped in his tracks.
24:02He realized the truth
24:03he never wanted to face.
24:04His predictions about crime
24:06were never wrong.
24:10Ripping the leash tightly,
24:11he called the bureau.
24:13The fourth victim.
24:14He had never imagined
24:16that announcing a death
24:17could feel this impossible.
24:18Every word felt like
24:19a cut to his chest,
24:20pain shuddering through him.
24:22Yet he forced the words out.
24:24The downpour felt like
24:25my own unshipped tears,
24:26a sorrow I could no longer offer him,
24:28now raining down upon his face.
24:30Soon, officers arrived
24:32with tools to excavate the site.
24:34They prepared to use
24:35a police dog
24:36to pinpoint the location.
24:37Philander shook his head
24:38and released Ambie
24:39from the hamburger-patterned leash
24:40I'd gotten him.
24:41In the next moment,
24:43Ambie shot forward,
24:44racing to a distant patch of grass,
24:46and frantically digging
24:47with his paws,
24:48desperate and whimpering.
24:50An officer moved to stop him,
24:52not wanting the scene disturbed.
24:53Proper Fagner,
24:55is this your dog?
24:56Philander didn't answer.
24:57He picked up a shovel
24:58something he never touched
24:59during fieldwork.
25:02I'll do it.
25:04Officers exchanged glances,
25:06thinking how strangely
25:07Philander was acting today.
25:09He didn't stop Ambie,
25:11instead he joined the dog
25:12slowly digging up the earth.
25:13The officers didn't understand
25:15but offered to help.
25:16Philander sent them away.
25:18Little by little,
25:19the floral dress I wore
25:20the day I died
25:21gradually came into view.
25:23Philander's breath caught.
25:24He dropped the shovel
25:25and began digging barehanded,
25:27trying to lift me out.
25:29Professor Wagner.
25:30Tyrik stepped in authoritatively,
25:32leading Philander and Ambie
25:33away from the scene.
25:35We've got this.
25:36Fifteen minutes later,
25:37my body was fully uncovered.
25:39I was much like the other girls
25:41who had been killed
25:41the same way.
25:42The only difference
25:43was the timing being discovered
25:45later meant my body
25:46was further decomposed
25:47and the odor more pungent.
25:48And my head had been
25:49brutally crushed,
25:50beyond recognition.
25:52The medical examiner
25:53was ready to take me back
25:54for identification.
25:56Philander stepped forward
25:57and gently removed
25:57the wedding ring
25:58from my finger.
25:59That won't be necessary.
26:03I know who she is.
26:05The ring was stained
26:06with a stench of putrefaction.
26:08But Philander carefully
26:09wiped it with his sleeve
26:10and placed it in his inner pocket.
26:12His fair palms were marked
26:13with red lines
26:14from gripping the shovel.
26:16This is my wife,
26:19Loretta Palmer.
26:20Then,
26:20he took Ambie's leash
26:22and stumbled away.
26:23His figure grew more distant.
26:25I stood where I was,
26:26taking one last look
26:27at myself.
26:28Apart from the wounds,
26:29my limbs and chest
26:30were covered in deep puncture marks.
26:32The killer hadn't been satisfied
26:34with just killing me
26:35he'd kept stabbing long after,
26:36in pure rage.
26:38He hated me intensely.
26:39Or rather,
26:40he hated Philander,
26:41and Philander knew I died
26:43because of him.
26:44The news that Philander's wife
26:45was a victim in the case
26:46spread through the precinct
26:47like wildfire.
26:48But when everyone wanted
26:49to offer their condolences,
26:51Philander acted like an outsider.
26:53He buried himself
26:54in files, expressionless.
26:56Everyone whispered
26:57that Philander was cold,
26:58heartless.
26:59I perched on his desk
27:00and whispered in his defense.
27:03He's not.
27:04As time passed since my death,
27:06my spirit had grown smaller enough
27:08to fit in Philander's pocket.
27:09So,
27:10only I could see Philander's grief.
27:12It came through in small signs,
27:14unusual mistakes,
27:15unsteady hands,
27:16a drifting mind.
27:17And the pair of wedding rings,
27:19side by side,
27:20dangling from the chain
27:21around his neck.
27:22This wasn't like the Philander I knew.
27:24I sighed,
27:25drifted up to his face,
27:26and gently kissed his cheek.
27:29It's okay.
27:30I don't hold it against you.
27:33Philander hesitated,
27:34then touched his face.
27:36A tear had fallen.
27:37He looked like he might cow up blood.
27:39There was a saying
27:40in the investigative world,
27:41no case handled by Philander
27:43lasted more than 10 days.
27:45This one was no exception.
27:46When Tyrik brought the first suspect in,
27:49Philander showed no reaction.
27:51It's a team.
27:52He didn't act alone.
27:55Ten days after the first attack,
27:57all three suspects were under arrest.
28:00Philander arranged to see the crime culprit first.
28:02He was the twin brother of a murderer Philander
28:04had helped convict years before.
28:06Tatum Sullivan sat cuffed in the detention center,
28:09grinning cockily.
28:10He even whistled.
28:12Well, Preffer Wagner,
28:15enjoy the present I left you.
28:18Philander sat back,
28:19glanced down at the pen in his hands.
28:21Pathetic.
28:22Tatum laughed out loud.
28:25Still playing the calm professor?
28:28Want me to walk you through
28:31exactly how she died?
28:33I just followed her through
28:34three or four grocery stores.
28:35She never even noticed
28:36too busy texting you.
28:39Then,
28:40when she turned into a blind spot,
28:42I slit her throat.
28:43Easy as that.
28:45She couldn't even scream?
28:46Couldn't even dial your number?
28:47Blood sprayed across my face.
28:49She grabbed her neck,
28:50trying to stop it,
28:51but the blood kept coming.
28:52Then she was just gone.
28:54Looked pathetic.
29:00A vein throbbed at Philander's temple
29:02as the last shred
29:03of his calm disintegrated.
29:05He lunged forward,
29:06grabbed Tatum by the collar,
29:07and landed a fist
29:08with all his strength.
29:10Why?
29:11Philander roared.
29:12Why her?
29:14You coward.
29:15You could have come for me directly.
29:18Used your methods against me.
29:20Why target her?
29:22I wanted Philander to stay calm,
29:24but the dead could do nothing.
29:25Tatum spat out blood,
29:27still smiling.
29:28Remember what you taught me?
29:30The worst way to hurt someone
29:32is to crush their will.
29:34Years ago,
29:35Philander had used Tatum
29:36to push his brother
29:37toward suicide effortlessly.
29:38This was just payback
29:40in kind directed at me.
29:41Officers quickly pulled them apart.
29:43Philander shut his eyes,
29:45forcing himself to be calm.
29:47Tatum grinned triumphant.
29:48Looks like I hit where it hurts,
29:50proffer Wagner.
29:52After the case was closed,
29:54Philander requested
29:55a long leave of absence from work.
29:57He returned home
29:58and began putting things in order,
29:59following the instructions
30:00I'd given him long ago.
30:02Summer and winter clothes
30:03went into separate sections,
30:05jewelry and accessories
30:06into their own drawer.
30:07Philander remembered
30:08not to keep fresh food
30:09for over three days.
30:11To always buy the same brand
30:12of dog food for Ambien advance.
30:14And to water the lily of the valley
30:16on the balcony regularly.
30:17He also observed
30:18that the television sound
30:19was unstable
30:20and needed servicing.
30:22Philander fumbled his way
30:23through these mundane tasks.
30:24But every time he finished one,
30:26he would just stare blankly
30:28for a while.
30:29That evening,
30:30when he tried to do laundry,
30:31the washing machine
30:32wouldn't start
30:33no matter how many times
30:34he pressed the power button.
30:35Philander frowned,
30:36pacing back and forth,
30:38until he finally lost patience.
30:40Loretta,
30:41come check this!
30:42His words echoed
30:43in the empty living room.
30:44I hovered nearby,
30:46anxious,
30:46wanting to help.
30:47But I couldn't respond.
30:52Philander shoved his hands
30:53in his pockets,
30:54looked down,
30:55and kicked the washing machine,
30:56simply forgotten
30:57to turn on the water supply valve.
30:59That night,
31:00Philander didn't sleep.
31:01In the bedroom,
31:02he found the divorce papers
31:04I'd asked a lowyer to draft.
31:05He read them for a long time
31:07so long that he almost
31:08memorized every word.
31:09His gaze settled
31:10on my signature,
31:12Loretta Palmer.
31:13It was rounded handwriting
31:14with soft edges
31:15the kind that showed real effort.
31:16As he looked,
31:17his tears began to fall.
31:19They flowed steadily,
31:20like blood seeping
31:21from a wound.
31:22When I used to see
31:23a man break down
31:24crying on TV,
31:25I'd get oddly excited.
31:27I'd even dare to ask
31:28Philander to try it
31:29just for me.
31:30I wouldn't tease you about it.
31:32I'd even dry your tears
31:33for you, okay?
31:35Philander was always
31:36holding a criminology book.
31:37He'd just snort
31:38and say he'd never cry
31:39in his life.
31:43I spoke,
31:44though he couldn't hear me.
31:46Was it that you couldn't
31:47cry, Philema?
31:49Or was it that you never
31:50thought I'd be the one
31:51to dry your tears?
31:55Now, no matter how much
31:56I want to,
31:57I can't.
31:58So please,
31:59don't cry anymore.
32:01After his leave ended,
32:02Philander returned to work.
32:04This time,
32:05something seemed
32:05to have shifted.
32:06The man,
32:07who once thought
32:08no one could ever
32:09match his level,
32:10took on two young trainees.
32:11He began gradually
32:13passing on everything
32:13he knew to newcomers,
32:15holding nothing back.
32:16The rest of his time
32:17was spent at home,
32:18cleaning our photo frames
32:20in the living room.
32:21Then he'd clean the portrait
32:22from my memorial.
32:23He'd make a plate
32:24of food for me too,
32:25setting it across
32:26from his own,
32:27just like before.
32:28The professor,
32:29who once never lifted
32:30a finger in the kitchen,
32:31now made a decent
32:32clam chowder.
32:33Ambie passed away
32:34suddenly from a severe illness.
32:36Now,
32:37Philander lived
32:37in the house alone.
32:42The lily of the valley
32:43died again and again,
32:44so he stopped
32:45trying to grow it.
32:46He held on
32:47to the trinkets
32:47I'd crafted,
32:48keeping them close
32:49at hand next to his bed.
32:50As time went on,
32:52he began suffering
32:53from insomnia.
32:54He'd lie awake
32:55staring at the ceiling
32:56until morning.
32:57I didn't know
32:57how to help.
32:58It seemed
32:59I'd be leaving soon.
33:00A week before
33:01the new year,
33:02Philander submitted
33:02his resignation
33:03and went alone
33:04to a church
33:04in the mountains.
33:05He used to dismiss
33:06anything related
33:07to faith or spirits.
33:08Now,
33:09he started to pray.
33:10On the path up,
33:11some pilgrims knelt
33:12with every step,
33:13murmuring prayers.
33:14Philander followed
33:15their example,
33:16kneeling without a trace
33:17of his old pride.
33:18A curious passerby asked,
33:21Struggling with something
33:22too heavy to bear?
33:23Philander nodded.
33:24Something I can't live with.
33:26He was trapped
33:26in it forever.
33:27I walked beside him,
33:29step by step,
33:30until he reached the summit
33:31and obtained
33:31a good luck charm.
33:32Finally,
33:33he placed the charm
33:34before my portrait.
33:35Then he swallowed
33:36an entire bottle
33:37of sleeping pills.
33:39Good night, Loretta.
33:40He held my portrait,
33:41pressing his cheek
33:42to the cold glass frame,
33:43and whispered,
33:44Wait for me.
33:53After my death,
33:54while sorting through
33:55my things,
33:56Philander came across
33:56a faded diary.
33:58I had always preferred
33:59things I could touch,
34:00things that felt real.
34:03Even in this digital age,
34:04I kept the habit
34:05of keeping a diary.
34:08I said words written
34:10with a pen carried
34:10more feeling than those
34:11typed on a keyboard.
34:14Philander used to dismiss that.
34:18Now, holding the diary
34:20in his hands,
34:21he finally understood
34:22the weight of my words.
34:25He turned to page one
34:26and couldn't bring himself
34:27to read further.
34:32Written across it was,
34:34Philander must not read this.
34:40After a moment of hesitation,
34:42he made up his mind
34:43and turned to the pages
34:44that followed.
34:47Deep down,
34:48he already knew
34:48what he would find.
34:50My heart had never
34:51been hard to read.
34:53And sure enough,
34:54every entry was about him.
34:57In June 2022,
34:59a roommate accused me
35:00of stealing.
35:01I went to the cafeteria
35:02to confront her,
35:03and I met Philander
35:04for the first time.
35:05He was amazing,
35:07figured out the real culprit
35:08in just a few sentences.
35:10Criminal psychology
35:11is so cool.
35:13I've watched his lecture videos
35:14over a dozen times tonight.
35:16I just can't help it.
35:19Even his name
35:20sounds lovely.
35:21Must be a righteous man.
35:22My long-time crush
35:23is my blind date.
35:24I'm so lucky.
35:26Gotta seize the chance.
35:27I don't regret
35:27marrying him, really.
35:29But I've seen enough
35:30of him walking away.
35:31I don't regret it.
35:32It's okay.
35:33I don't.
35:37As the diary went on,
35:39the entries grew farther apart.
35:40Until the final one read,
35:42I regret it.
35:44Philander froze
35:45like a statue
35:46unable to move.
35:47He remembered the question
35:48I had once asked him.
35:49In your life?
35:51Is there only room for work?
35:53He had assumed
35:54I already knew the answer.
35:59Work occupied 90% of his life,
36:01and the remaining 10% was mine.
36:03But I had always had my place.
36:05Why hadn't he told me?
36:06He tried to marshal
36:08his intelligence,
36:09to summon a reason,
36:10an excuse,
36:11a way to justify himself.
36:12But he couldn't,
36:13I was gone.
36:14Against death,
36:15he was powerless.
36:16All he felt was that
36:17this autumn without me
36:18was unbearably long.
36:20And every autumn from now on
36:21would feel the same.
36:22In a daze,
36:23he drifted back to that day
36:25October 14th.
36:26A date he'd never forget.
36:30I had texted that I'd bring clam chowder
36:33over that night.
36:35Philander gripped his phone
36:36and rushed out of his office.
36:40Wind whistled past his ears.
36:44His heart pounded like that of a teenager
36:46committing their first murder.
36:50Philander dialed the number
36:51he could never forget.
36:53This time,
36:54it wasn't my voicemail
36:55that answered.
36:59Hello?
37:00My voice rose,
37:01bright with surprise.
37:02You're calling me?
37:04That's a first.
37:05I sounded so bright.
37:07He could even hear
37:08the crisp rustle of leaves
37:09under my feet,
37:10the soft sound
37:11of my breathing.
37:12I love you.
37:13He said.
37:14Then he repeated it,
37:15earnest and unwavering.
37:17I love you, Laura.
37:18I love you, Laura.
37:18I love you, Laura.
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