"We used to be colleagues, and we got along pretty well. Although she was younger than me, we had great conversations, and we would occasionally meet up together.
Ever since my husband... left.
She had been helping me to come out of my grief, inviting me for meals and keeping me company. She was a good person," Laura sighed.
"What was her full name?"
"Can you describe what happened that night?"
Laura fell into her memories, "That day, I was feeling a bit down and wanted to go out for a drink.
So I asked her to come to Dracula Bar with me.
It's a vampire-themed bar, quite interesting.
We started off having a good time, drinking a little, chatting, and dancing.
Later on, her phone rang, and it was a bit noisy in the bar, so she went outside.
I waited for a while, then received a message from her saying something came up and she had to leave first.
After that, I never saw her again."
Jaden asked, "Laura, may I see the message she sent? Of course you can refuse, it's not compulsory."
"OK, you're my friend, there's nothing I can't show you." Laura took out her phone, opened the messaging app, "This is the message Nicole sent."
Jaden took a look, and it was just a sentence, 'Laura, I have something urgent to deal with, let's hang out another day.'
Jaden handed the phone to Luke, who took a glance and then returned it to Laura, asking, "How did you go to Dracula Bar?"
"What time did you go to the bar?"
"Around eight in the evening."
"What time did Nicole leave? What time did you leave?"
"Nicole left around 9:20, and I left around 10:30."
"During that time, did you see anyone suspicious?"
"Uh... you know, it's a vampire-themed bar, with many people in strange costumes, but their nature isn't bad.
Some people did come up to talk, and someone bought me a drink, but I didn't notice anyone suspicious."
"Do you know who called Nicole?"
"What's her phone number?"
Luke noted it down in his notebook and continued asking, "To your knowledge, did Nicole have any health issues, like mental or heart diseases?"
"Not that I know of."
"What about her courage?"
"What do you mean? I don't quite understand your question."
"Was she a brave person?"
"Fairly brave. What does this have to do with her death?"
"It does relate somewhat," Luke vaguely replied, "Did she like vampire culture?"
"Ah... well, not particularly fond, but I think she didn't hate it."
Luke countered, "So, it was actually you who wanted to go to the vampire bar, and she was just accompanying you."
"Yes," Laura nodded and pointed to herself, "What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm responsible for Nicole's death?"
"nono." Jaden interrupted them, "He didn't mean that, it's just routine questioning."
But Laura seemed to have taken it to heart, clutching her hair, "Oh my gosh... if I hadn't asked her to the bar that day, she wouldn't have died.
I really didn't expect this, I just wanted to unwind a bit.
To share a good bar with her, it had a great vampire culture, I thought she would like it...
I had no idea something would happen."
Jaden comforted, "I know, it's not your fault, it was just an accident, you shouldn't blame yourself too much.
Also, when did you start being fascinated by vampire culture?"
Laura sighed lightly, "Since my husband died, I've been missing him a lot, thinking how nice it would be if he were still here, if people could never die or could come back to life.
When I go into that bar, a sense of hope would kindle inside me.
I so wish... he could come back to life.
Vampires can, they are ancient and powerful creatures, they possess eternal life.
They can grant mortals this ability through what's called the 'Initial Embrace'.
Such a miraculous power, such a desirable power..."
Laura's tears welled up in her eyes and she began sobbing softly.
Seeing her made Jaden feel very sad and worried, "Laura, you need to pull yourself together, your husband has died, he's not coming back.
But you still have Jaden, even for Jaden's sake you need to face reality and become strong.
"I know, but I really miss him. Jaden does too, I often hear Jaden sobbing quietly in his room, missing his father just like I do."
Jaden kept persuading, "Laura, you must pull yourself together, only then can Jaden become strong.
You need to set a good example for Jaden, let him understand his father is gone and not coming back.
Meanwhile, his father is watching over him from heaven.
Living well and striving is what his father would wish to see most.
If you can't move on yourself, Jaden will struggle even more.
He is still a child, and it would negatively impact him."
Laura nodded silently, it was uncertain whether she took it to heart.
Luke wasn't particularly concerned about Laura's personal matters, nor did he think he had the right to be someone else's spiritual guide, "Did Nicole have anything with her that night?"
"A black backpack, it had some of her commonly used items."