Chapter 14

Dangerous Guy on the Loose

The guy's brown eyes narrowed. White flakes of snow clung to his short black hair, to his eyebrows, and to his shoulders. He raised one hand.

GuiGui hesitated.

What was in his hand? What was he showing her?

It was some sort of badge. A card above the badge said FBI.

The man took a step back and then another, as if demonstrating to her that he meant no harm.

Her heart still pounding, GuiGui hesitated, then pushed open the door. The air was cold and wet from the falling snow. The sky was low and gray.

"What do you want?" she called out.

"Sorry if I startled you," the guy said. "I'm Agent Calvin Chen of the FBI. Are your parents home?"

Through the snow, GuiGui could see a black Chevrolet parked on the street, probably his car. Agent Calvin continued to hold up his badge and ID card.

"No, they're not home," GuiGui said hesitantly, staring into his brown eyes. They were as clear as marbles. They stared back at her as if seeing right through her.

"Can I ask you a couple of questions?"

GuiGui nodded her head yes and pushed the door open wider. He lowered his badge, then shoved it into his trench-coat pocket. "I'll only keep you a second," he said. He followed GuiGui into the small hallway.

"What's your name?" he asked. GuiGui told him.

He wiped his well-polished shoes carefully on the mat. Then he raised a hand and brushed the wet snowflakes from his hair.

"Am I in trouble?" GuiGui asked, staring down.

He smiled, a tight-lipped smile, but his brown eyes lit up, warmed for a second. He shook his head. "Nothing like that. My partner and I are canvassing the neighborhood," he told her. Then he quickly added, "You know--- going house to house. We've been assigned to look for a young man."

"A young man?" GuiGui crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"We're hoping someone has seen him," Calvin said. His eyes went beyond GuiGui to the kitchen. "You go to Taipei High School?"

"Yes," GuiGui replied. "I just started last month. We're new in town."

"Nice town," Calvin said dryly. GuiGui couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or sincere. He turned his eyes to her. "Maybe you've seen the young man. He's medium height. Medium weight, only he looks like he works out. He's got brown, straight hair. And dark eyes, almost black. When last seen, he was wearing jeans and a leather jacket."

"I don't know," GuiGui replied. "A lot of guys look like that."

"Think about it," Calvin said. "Anyone at school fit the description? Do you work? Maybe someone at work?"

With these words, a face flashed into GuiGui's mind.

Aaron Yan! GuiGui thought.

Oh my goodness! YaLun fits the description perfectly!

"Is--- is this boy dangerous or something?" she asked, unable to keep her voice from trembling.

Agent Calvin nodded, his expression turning somber, his cold brown eyes narrowing to slits as he studied her reaction.

"Yeah, he's dangerous all right," he said. "And we have reason to believe he might be in the Taipei area."

GuiGui started to say something but stopped. She couldn't decide what to do. Should she tell Calvin about YaLun?

"If you've met anyone who fits this description, you should tell me about him," Calvin said, as if reading GuiGui's mind. He shifted his weight, shoving his hands into his trench-coat pockets,staring at her expectantly.

"You said brown straight hair?" GuiGui asked, stalling for time, thinking hard. "And looks like he works out?"

Agent Calvin nodded.

YaLun always seemed so dangerous, GuiGui thought. I guess he really is dangerous.

"A boy came into my dad's restaurant where I work a few times," she said slowly. "I guess he kind of fits that description." She uncrossed her arms but couldn't figure out what to do with them, so she crossed them again. She leaned against the banister, feeling very nervous.

Calvin pulled a small notepad and a ballpoint pen from his shirt pocket. He scribbled something on the pad.

Just like a TV detective, GuiGui thought.

"Did this boy give you a name?" Calvin asked, keeping his eyes on the notepad.

"Yes. YaLun. Aaron Yan," GuiGui said. "He told me to call him YaLun. He said everyone called him that."

"YaLun," Calvin repeated, writing it on the pad.

"He's been in trouble before?" GuiGui asked, picturing YaLun, thinking about how angry he could become.

Cavin didn't answer. "Did you go out with him?"

"No!" GuiGui replied more loudly than she'd intended. "No," she repeated. "I just talked with him a couple of times. In the restaurant. He only came in a couple of times."

"Did he tell you where he's living, GuiGui?"

She shook his head. "I don't remember. No. I don't think so. He said he was looking for a job."

Calvin wrote that information down, his eyes on GuiGui. "Does he go to your school?" he asked, lowering the notepad to his side.

"Huh?"

"Your school. Taipei High. Have you ever seen this boy YaLun in your school? Sometimes he enrolls himself in high school. He's twenty , but he looks about seventeen." Calvin waited patiently for GuiGui's reply.

"No," she told him. "Ive never seen him in school. Only in the coffee shop."

He asked her the name and address of the coffee shop. She told him.

"You've been very helpful," Calvin said, shoving the pen and notepad back into his shirt pocket. He handed GuiGui a business card. "If you think of anything else that might be helpful, please call my partner or me. The number's on the card."

He turned and started to the door. "If you see him again, call me--- okay?"

"Okay," GuiGui replied, holding the card tightly in her hand.

"And don't take any chances," Calvin warned. He glanced outside. The snow had stopped. There was not even a trace of it on the ground. His partner in a dark trench coat waited beside the Chevrolet.

"Chances?" GuiGui asked.

"Play it safe for a while, okay?"

"Okay," GuiGui said softly, not moving from the banister.

"And don't lose my card," Calvin said, pushing open the door. "If you see this YaLun guy, call me right away."

He slammed the door hard behind him.

GuiGui watched him cut across the yard, taking long, bouncy strides, the big trench coat flapping behind him. Then she closed the front door, locked it, and leaned her back against it.

She closed her eyes, still gripping the agent's card in her hand.

YaLun had always seemed angry, but she had no idea he was dangerous. No idea he was wanted by the FBI.

And YaLun had actually asked her out on a date.

"Let's do something wild," he had suggested to her.

Something wild.

What would have happened if she had gone out with him? What would he have done to her?

And then she had another frightening thought: What if YaLun comes back to the restaurant?

What would she do then?