Chapter Five: The Body Doesn't Lie

“Bring me something I can put in an evidence bag. A fingerprint from the other you. DNA. One hair.” I needed the same proof. If Xiao Mian was a trauma hallucination, I had to stop following her. If she possessed a body, I had to prove I was not losing mine. Wenchuan turned his studio into a temporary laboratory. We sorted evidence side by side as we once worked through his deadlines and my case notes. He made coffee, then replaced my cup with warm water. “You haven't eaten.” “You remember.” “Remembering doesn't give me the right to manage you.” That hurt more than an apology. Besides the recording, the memory card held forty-seven sets of initials, occupations, and transaction dates. Seven were marked red.