Arthur Shaw's affairs were settled. After the funeral, Helen Shaw stayed alone at the graveside for a long time. When Marcus Shaw went to check on her, he found her sitting on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
He didn't interrupt. He remembered his father saying that she'd always been strong—in any situation, as long as she stepped in, it would be handled.
But now, the years had finally ground her down into a child. A child who'd found a rare moment to cry.
When Helen Shaw emerged, her eyes swollen, she smiled at the young couple: "Your father was a good man. Lived his whole life honestly, never did anything shameful. He must be in heaven now. Let's not be too sad."
On the way home, Nora thought to herself—no wonder, whenever she'd mentioned wanting to adopt, her mother-in-law had always pushed back. She'd been afraid of history repeating itself.
---
Marcus Shaw convalesced at home.
Nora was snapping green beans at the dining table. Marcus Shaw came out of his brother Danny's room.
"Need something? Water?"
Marcus Shaw didn't answer. He sat down across from her, grabbed a handful of beans, and started snapping alongside her.
Once the beans were done, the two sat in silence for a while.
Marcus Shaw said, "Play the piano if you want to. It sounds nice. Don't worry about bothering the neighbors."
"Then I'll play one for you?"
Marcus Shaw nodded.
Nora lifted the keyboard cover with an eagerness like a schoolgirl. Her fingertips danced, her body swaying gently, as she played "Ballade pour Adeline."
She played with her eyes closed. He listened with his eyes closed. The room seemed to fill with the scent of flowers and the sound of water.
When the piece ended, Marcus Shaw remembered how their team leader had taken up dancing for his wife's sake. He turned his face away and asked quietly, "What can I do to make you happy?"
Nora thought about it. "Just... talk to me more."
Marcus Shaw was surprised—and then his heart ached.
The two talked through the night.
"It was my fault. I acted on my own. I figured your father was old—he couldn't handle that kind of shock. I thought they'd honor the deal, let me trade the money for him back."
"Negotiating in good faith with kidnappers—how could you be so naive?"
Nora lowered her head and said nothing.
Marcus Shaw asked softly, "Weren't you scared?"
"I was. But I knew you'd find a way to save me."
Marcus Shaw looked into her eyes. She continued: "From the moment I chose to marry you, I was prepared. I knew you might rarely come home. I knew the risks that come with this profession."
Marcus Shaw said nothing. He smoothed a strand of hair from her face. As a husband, he'd never realized she felt this way.
"Danny's death—I've always blamed myself. If only I hadn't—"
Marcus Shaw cut in: "No. It's not your fault. It's mine. I just wouldn't admit it, and I left you to carry it alone."
Nora shook her head vigorously.
Marcus Shaw turned away. "And I suspected you. That was awful of me."
Nora squeezed his hand. "It's okay. It's over. It's all over."
Their fingers intertwined. Neither spoke for a long while.
Marcus Shaw caught the scent of her floral shampoo and asked, his voice rough, "Why do you wash your hair so often?"
Nora flushed and stammered: "When I was twenty-two, my family set me up on a blind date. The guy worked at a state-owned enterprise, I think. Right after we sat down, he asked why my hair looked so greasy."
Marcus Shaw stared. "You never told me that."
Nora kept her head down and didn't speak.
Marcus Shaw realized he'd never asked either. He stroked her head and said, "Whose hair doesn't get oily? Even gods' hair gets greasy. Who cares what he thinks? He—he was full of hot air!"
Nora's eyes reddened, and then she laughed out loud.
Another quiet moment passed. Then it was Marcus Shaw's turn to blush: "My senior colleague—the one named Dr. Maren Frost... There was a time when I had feelings for her. But that passed long ago. I had no idea she'd be transferred here. And when I did run into her, I wasn't happy—just embarrassed."
Nora gave his hand a squeeze.
"That time you came to bring me medicine and she saw us—we talked it out after that. I thought about it, and she was right. She was just a crutch I used to push you away and resist my mother. Add bruised pride on top—I couldn't let go of her rejection from back then."
Nora remained still, listening without a word.
"Later, I tested that theory. Someone confessed to her, and she and Lucas Lutz got together. I didn't feel jealous at all. But when Captain Reed got flirty with you, I wanted to tear his head off. And later, every time you called, I'd feel this vague happiness. I wanted to talk longer, but never knew what to say, so I just let you hang up. I never sorted out my own feelings, and you bore the brunt of it."
Nora looked up at his face.
Marcus Shaw felt the hairs on his arms stand on end, as if on fire. He pulled her into an embrace—and then jarred his ribs, grimacing in pain. Nora sat up quickly, her brow knit, asking if he was alright.
They looked at each other and laughed.
This was the first time they'd opened their hearts to each other.
They didn't sleep until the early hours.
---
Marcus Shaw dreamed of Danny again. His brother was lugging a huge bag of firecrackers, tugging at his arm: "Brother, I still have these left. Come on, come on, let's light them all. After the fifteenth, they won't let us anymore."
Marcus Shaw let himself be pulled through a maze, twisting and turning, as if through one alley after another.
Finally, they reached an empty lot. The darkness fell suddenly. Danny lit a roman candle and handed it to Marcus Shaw—it popped and whooshed, each shot arcing skyward, the tube bucking in his hand, growing warmer and warmer.
Danny hopped with glee, still clutching the bag of firecrackers, rustling against his jacket.
After a while, Arthur Shaw appeared from nowhere, joining the boys. He lit a "Lotus Lantern"—a pink orb that unfurled into petals, each tipped with blue light, and from the center a golden column of sparks rose over half a meter high.
The light played across Danny's face and Arthur Shaw's face.
Marcus Shaw instinctively reached for their hands but couldn't reach them. Danny was bouncing and shouting: "Wow! A fountain! A fountain made of light!"
When he woke, his pillow was soaked. He balled it up and stuffed it beneath the mattress.
---
During the day, Marcus Shaw sat in the living room, basking in the sun. Nora had already started, with great excitement, sewing bibs for the baby.
"Why go to all that trouble? Just buy them."
Nora said, "Things that go next to the skin—handmade is more comfortable."
So he let her be, threading needles when she asked.
Helen Shaw had moved in, saying she wanted to take care of her son and her pregnant daughter-in-law, preparing to spoil her grandchild.
Nora blushed: "I'm barely showing. It's too early."
"You didn't even know you were pregnant, and you were running around everywhere."
Nora lowered her head: "My periods have always been irregular."
Her mother-in-law snatched the needlework from her hands.
Helen Shaw kept busy all day—couldn't be dissuaded. But she hadn't done housework in years and was terribly rusty. She used too much laundry detergent and couldn't rinse it out; she scorched the vegetables and ruined the wok.
Nora said, "Mom, I can still move around. You don't have to work so hard."
"What, you think I'm useless?"
The couple said in unison: "That's not what we mean. We just worry you'll tire yourself out."
Helen Shaw said, "Rest, rest. Practice makes perfect, practice makes perfect."
It seemed she'd already stepped into the role of grandmother—and she was loving every minute.
But Marcus Shaw knew why she'd moved in, why she kept herself constantly busy.
---
After recuperating at home for over two weeks, Marcus Shaw declared himself nearly recovered and said he wanted to go back to the precinct. The two women knew he was itching to return and didn't try to stop him. Helen Shaw only said, "Remember—starting now, you're the pillar of this family."
Marcus Shaw went in to cooperate with the investigation, went over all the leads and deductions, and was fully cleared of suspicion in the captain's murder.
The branch office also arranged for a psychological evaluation, which he passed. Only then did he realize that, without noticing, he hadn't taken his medication or chewed bubble gum in ages.
In the captain's office, the two men sat across from each other.
Deputy Captain Harris said, "The higher-ups have officially appointed me to take over as your captain."
Marcus Shaw smiled. "Then I should call you Captain Harris."
They looked at each other for a moment.
"These cases are heinous. The provincial propaganda department has issued media guidelines—no sensationalist coverage. Once the cases are solved, there'll be a unified press conference."
Marcus Shaw didn't respond.
"The provincial leadership takes the investigation very seriously. They also endorse your approach to linking the cases. We need to step it up."
Marcus Shaw nodded.