Memories of the gym (一)

Memories of the gym

1
Ellie stood in front of the floor-length mirror in the gym, adjusting the waistline of her yoga pants. The afterglow of the sunset poured in through the glass, stretching her shadow very long. She habitually touched the sports bag hanging on the treadmill to confirm that her wallet was still in place.

Suddenly, the sound of the glass door being pushed open broke the silence of the gym.

"Don't move." A deep male voice sounded behind her.

Ellie froze in place and saw a man wearing a black mask in the mirror. He was wearing a dark hoodie with the hood pulled down low, and holding a silver pistol in his right hand.

"Money." The man said briefly.

Ellie felt her heartbeat almost jump out of her chest, and she trembled and pointed to the bag on the treadmill: "There, there."

The man walked over quickly and grabbed her sports bag accurately. Ellie noticed that his movements were very skillful, as if he had known where her bag was. He unzipped it, took out his wallet, and pulled out the cash and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Mobile phone." The man said again.

Ellie hurriedly took out her mobile phone from her trouser pocket and handed it over. The man took the phone, but did not leave immediately. He stood there, his eyes lingering on Ellie for a few seconds. At that moment, Ellie felt that his eyes were somewhat familiar, but fear made her mind blank.

"You are always so careless." The man suddenly said, with a strange smile in his voice, "Be careful in public places."

After that, he turned and left. Ellie heard the sound of the glass door closing, her legs softened, and she knelt on the ground. Her back was soaked with cold sweat, and her fingers were still shaking uncontrollably.

It took about a minute for Ellie to regain her strength. She staggered to her feet, rushed to the front desk and called the police on the landline.

The police came quickly. The team was led by a middle-aged detective who introduced himself as Mark. Mark had an angular face, several deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and looked experienced.

"Can you describe the robber's appearance?" Mark asked while recording.

Ellie tried to recall: "He was wearing a mask and a hat, so I couldn't see his face clearly. He was about 1.8 meters tall and thin. His voice was very low, and he held a gun in his right hand, and his left hand..." She suddenly stopped, "There is a scar on his left little finger, a very obvious white scar."

Mark raised his head: "Are you sure?"

"Sure. I saw it when he took my wallet." Ellie said, and suddenly remembered something, "By the way, he seemed to know me. He said, 'You are always so careless', and asked me to pay attention to safety. This is so strange..."

Mark frowned even more. He walked to the door of the gym and checked the door lock: "There are no signs of being pried. Did the robber push the door in directly?"

"Yes." Ellie nodded, "The door was not locked at the time, and I was about to close the door and go home."

"Are you usually alone in the gym at this time?"

"Usually not. Today it's because..." Ellie's voice suddenly stopped. She remembered the strange text message she received three days ago: "I suggest you change to another gym, it's not safe there." She thought it was a prank at the time and deleted it directly.

Mark was keenly aware of her abnormality: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Ellie shook her head, she didn't want to appear suspicious.

Mark walked to the surveillance camera and retrieved the video. The video showed that the robber had been lingering outside the door for nearly ten minutes, as if waiting for something. When Ellie walked to the mirror, he pushed the door open.

"He was waiting for you to be alone." Mark said, "and he knew that there was usually no one in the gym at this time."

Ellie felt a chill creeping up her spine. She remembered that the robber picked up her bag skillfully, as if he had known she would put it there. And that sentence - "You are always so careless."

"Detective," she suddenly said, "I don't think this is an ordinary robbery."

Mark put away his notebook: "I feel the same way. This is more like..." He paused, "a carefully planned intimidation."

Ellie's phone suddenly vibrated. It was a text message from an unfamiliar number: "Did you remember the lesson today? It will be more exciting next time."

Her hand trembled and the phone almost fell to the ground. Mark took the phone and his face became solemn: "We need to apply for a protection order for you. This person obviously doesn't intend to give up."

Just then, a picture suddenly flashed through Ellie's mind. Three months ago, in a bar in the west of the city, a strange man tried to chat her up. She politely refused, but the man insisted on taking her home. She remembered the man's eyes at the time, which were so similar to the robber's eyes today.

2

Ellie found her friend Lucy and told her about her recent experience. Lucy was worried about her.

"I think you need professional help." Lucy put down her coffee cup and looked at Ellie seriously, "David is the most reliable person I know. He has been in Iraq for six years and has dealt with various dangerous situations."

Ellie stirred the latte in the cup, and the milk foam had dissipated. Her dark circles were obvious, and it was obvious that she had not slept well in the past few days.

"But the police are already investigating..."

"Come on," Lucy interrupted her, "The police have to deal with so many cases every day, how can they have the energy to focus on you? David is different, he can protect you around the clock."

Ellie wanted to say something, and the door of the cafe was pushed open. A tall man walked in. He was wearing a dark gray windbreaker and his steps were steady and powerful. Ellie noticed that his right leg was slightly lame when he walked, but this did not affect the powerful aura he exuded.

"David." Lucy stood up and waved.

The man came closer, and Ellie could see his face clearly. He had an angular face, a faint scar on his chin, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk. There was a thick layer of callus on his right index finger, which was obviously left by years of using guns.

"Miss Ellie." David's voice was low and powerful, "Lucy has told me about your situation. I want to see the crime scene first."

The gym has resumed business, but Ellie obviously felt that there were fewer members. David carefully checked every corner, especially the route where the robber appeared and left.

"He chose to enter from the main entrance, which means he is very familiar with the environment here." David stood in front of the mirror, "and he knew that you were the only one at this time."

Ellie nodded: "That's what the police said."

David walked to the monitoring room and retrieved the video footage of nearly a month. His eyes suddenly fixed on a certain picture: "Here, three days ago, at 4:20 in the afternoon."

In the picture, a man in a hoodie was wandering outside the gym. Although his face was not clearly visible, he was wearing a silver ring on his left pinky finger.

"This is..." Ellie leaned closer to the screen.

"It's the same person as the day of the robbery." David pressed the pause button, "He's scouting the place."

Just then, Ellie's phone vibrated. Another text message from an unfamiliar number: "Do you like the flowers I sent you?"

Ellie's face turned pale instantly: "What flowers? I didn't receive anything..."

David immediately dialed a number: "Jack, help me find a number, I need it now." He reported the number of the text message, "In addition, I need access to all surveillance around the gym in the past month."

After hanging up the phone, David turned to Ellie: "Have you received any strange gifts recently? Or found anything unusual at home?"

Ellie tried to recall: "When I went home last week, I found a wind chime hanging on the door handle. I thought it was a prank by the kids across the street..."

"Take me to your house." David's tone was unquestionable.

Ellie's apartment is in an old building in the east of the city. David frowned as soon as he entered the room: "The window is not locked?"

"I clearly remember locking it..." Ellie's voice began to tremble.

David carefully checked every room and found a dried rose on the bedside table in the bedroom. The petals had turned black, but it was bright red.

"This is..." Ellie covered her mouth.

"He came in." David picked up the rose, "and more than once."

Just then, David's cell phone rang. After he answered the call, his face became solemn: "That number is a prepaid card and cannot be traced. But..." He looked at Ellie, "The surveillance shows that this person has often appeared in the supermarkets, cafes, and even the gym where you work in the past month."

Ellie felt dizzy and held the wall. David quickly stepped forward to hold her: "Don't be afraid, I'm here. I've asked my colleagues to check the list of recently released criminals, especially those who have had contact with you."

"I... I remember." Ellie suddenly said, "The man I met in the bar three months ago. He was wearing a silver ring at the time, exactly the same as the one in the surveillance!"

David's eyes became sharp: "Describe his appearance."

"About thirty years old, black hair, light brown eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket at the time, and there was a scorpion tattoo on the base of his right hand..."

David immediately took out his mobile phone: "Jack, add one more condition: the scorpion tattoo on the base of his right hand may be related to the military."

After hanging up the phone, David turned to Ellie: "From now on, you can't act alone. I will protect you 24 hours a day until this person is caught."

Ellie nodded, and suddenly noticed that David's right hand unconsciously touched his waist. There was a slight bulge there, obviously a pistol.

"David," she asked softly, "Do you think this man... is coming for me?"

David was silent for a moment: "Not a feeling, but a certainty. This is not an ordinary robbery, but a carefully planned revenge. We must find him before he takes the next step."