Chapter Two: The Deleted Woman Looked Back at Me

She restored the smallest file. It showed the backstage control area at 9:49. Shen Wu stood with her back to the camera. Another Shen Wu entered and stopped behind her. She cast no shadow. The recorded Zhou walked by and handed the woman a set of keys. "The full-moon banquet has moved up," he said. "The mayor wants her exchanged tonight." The real Zhou slammed the laptop shut. "Don't watch it." Shen Wu seized his wrist. "Who is she?" "I don't know." "You gave her the keys." "I said I don't know!" His voice aged on the final word. A black crescent rose under the skin of his neck. When he looked up again, the expression belonged to a stranger.