16 Two incidents (2/2)

An Ning's mouth began to water when she thought of the same chocolate cake waiting for her in the kitchen. Feeling the familiar hollowness in her stomach, she decided to go to the kitchen and cut herself a slice. The covers were thrown away, she got off the bed and reached for the light.

The wind that blew on her back alerted her to the presence. She was slow to turn her head so she only saw the glint of something about to reach her back. An Ning instinctively grabbed the blanket and threw it in that direction, entangling the intruder in the thick bedsheets as she hastily scampered away.

An Ning turned on the lights and came face to face with a masked intruder who again came at her with the knife and a loud grunt. An Ning lunged forward and met the lunging knife by bludgeoning the hand holding it with a baseball bat.

The intruder staggered backwards with a yelp, dropping the knife and cradling the now useless hand. An Ning again hammered at the intruder with a vicious blow on the stomach and head. The intruder dropped to the ground with a whimper and was still.

An Ning reached for the whistle around her neck and blew hard. The sound penetrated the night like a banshee's wail. Footsteps sounded outside. The door opened and a young man barged in.

”What the hell happened?”

”This happened,” An Ning said, indicating the intruder. ”Where were you?”

”Outside. Must have climbed up the back window, huh?”

”My god, An Ning! What happened? Are you alright? What was that noise?” An Ma entered the room like an angry whirlwind. He stopped when he saw the young man and was about to speak when he caught sight of the body on the floor.

”What's going on here?” he asked. ”Who is this young man and why is there a dead body on the floor?”

”I don't know if it's a dead body or not. Matt, check it will you?”

The young man named Matt crouched down on the still body, lifted a hand and felt its pulse.

”Just out for the night,” he said, turning to An Ning. He smiled mockingly. ”You didn't need me at all.”

”You were the back up,” An Ning said. ”And the hound dog if you want to call yourself that.”

”Who are you? What the hell is this about?” An Ma was getting angry.

”You remember him surely, dad. He witnessed your will and testament. His name is Mattand he's a private detective I hired.”

An Ma was shocked speechless, staring at his daughter then the young man who mischievously saluted him.

”I don't understand what this is about,” An Ma complained. ”Why hire a private detective? And who is this idiot sleeping on the floor?”

Matt laughed and with a flourish reached down and tore off the black ski mask hiding the intruder's face from view.

An Ma gasped loudly and staggered backwards. An Ning cooly looked down at the woman splayed on the ground.

”Call the police,” she said, turning to Matt. ”Tell them a murder was about to be committed but it was foiled.”

An Ning again looked at the woman on the floor.

”Tell them a mother was about to kill her daughter but that the daughter fought back and knocked her own mother out cold.”

There was a loud gasp of surprise. An Ma slumped on the ground completely and utterly stunned.