Chapter 9. A Secret

Fifteen years ago, when the Haunt family gathered to celebrate Lily's birthday, a stranger came to party with them. He was a gaunt-faced man in a black detective coat and hat who always laughed, even though nothing was funny.

He sat on a long bench, his legs crossed with the others, and grinned at the two cute kids who were playing with a cat.

Everything was fine until something strange happened. James, Lily's older brother, walked over to the artificial lake next to the house. He intended to pick up one of his sister's toys that had fallen there. Lily, who was still small at the time, could only see her brother from a distance. She screamed when James accidentally fell into the artificial lake.

"James, James!" cried Lily with a scared face. The gaunt man who had been sitting stood up immediately. He ran to the small lake and saved James, while Lily ran into the house for help.

"Dad, James fell." Lily shouted around the house. Henry and Laurent, who were in f