4th degree encounter?

"Yeah, sure. But If I remember correctly he has a password set."

Saying this Alexandra hit the start button in her brother's computer.

"We can check. Maybe he took it off and you didn't know."

Window screen showed up and the second letter computer asked for a password. But then Shadows' phone disguised as a recorder flashed with the blue light and the computer screen glitched. Just like that password was bypassed and access gained.

Is this some alien technology or does he have it with CIA technology?

"Look at that. He must have deleted his password before going missing."

Shadow sells this bullshit with an innocent smile and they eat it up like Hina Hina merch eat up my savings.

"Thank god! At last luck on this front is on our side."

Richard's mother practically started skipping from barely contained happiness.

'Lady you don't even know you have something better than Luck on your side. Infamous hero detective Shadow is working on your son's case! If anyone can uncover the truth it's him.'

"Yeah I know. Maybe it is a sign from above to search the computer."

"Yeah." mister David came and took his wife a little further from Shadow.

"My Love, we have to let officers work. We don't want to distract him now. Let him do his thing."

"Okey,okey. I'm sorry."

"This is normal in a situation like that. You shouldnt be apologetic."

David only nodded his head at that and led his wife out the basement.

"We leave you alone too. We didn't eat anything after the visit to the police station. I have to fix something for dinner."

Miss Alexandra twists her hand in her apron with a worrisome expression.

"It could take a while so go ahead." Shadow encourages them.

Families take it as the cue to collectively evacuate. We are now alone officially.

"That's an interesting family. Especially the little girl."

Shadow concentrated on looking through folders visible on the pulpit.

"Yeah. They are a little quirky but you can't judge with your anime obsession"

"Hey! How do you know!"

"Connor hacked your phone remember? Half of your internet searches are somehow related to this cutesy magical princess anime."

My face went tomato red.

"No comment on that."

"Heh." The smug smile Shadow flashed me makes my blood boil. He's an asshole even if he's good at being a hero.

Honestly, even if he is a pain in the ass it's nice to talk with someone. For the whole family interview I was treated like an invisible person.

That's remind me!

"They didn't recognise me and didn't even ask why I'm here with you."

This got his full attention.

"I know and it's rather surprising after seeing how much Richard was thinking about you."

'How could he know he's been thinking about me?'

"What do you mean? We met so long ago. He probably doesn't remember me already."

"Kid, you stop him from jumping from the bridge. You are probably your hero."

I cringe at this. I'm the last person to be a hero.

"Whatever. We can't know what he was thinking now."

Shado turned on the office chair to have a better look at me.

"Oh we know for sure! He has a whole secret encrypted folder devoted to you!"

"What!?" I scream so loud I'm scared for a second that the family will run down from the top of the house to check if someone isn't murdered.

They don't come and I eventually calm down.

"We meet in passing. Why would he need a folder about me?"

He turned back to the monitor and clicked something on the pulpit.

"Maybe for you but for him it was something more than meeting in passing. You changed his life apparently, Kid."

With one more click of the mouse and some writing on the keyboard, the contents of the folder showed itself.

There were countless spreadsheets with some text, photos from the place on the bridge where we met, but my attention caught a drawing of me?

It's a detailed portrait of my face. At least it's similar to me enough to tell for sure it depicts me. It has the same similarity rate as a police composite sketch.

"Why in fucking world he would have drawing of me?" This time I didn't shout but it's close call. But who would be calm in a situation like that?

Shadow scroll some more and after what feels like eternity he gets to the bottom of the files.

"There is a lot. Let's see what started it. From what I manage to read from other saved documents they are basically testimonies from paranormal happenings."

He says it is something normal. Like paranormal experience is some common occurrence.

"What paranormal testimonies have anything in common with me!?"

"Let's read and figure this out."

He opens this document. It was also individually protected by password and encrypted, but Shadows phone shone with blue light and any protection was no more. On the screen a wall of text pops up that looks awfully like a diary entry.

"He protected it so carefully. What did he want to hide?"

Even the shadow was slightly confused.

"Come her Kid, let's read it together."

Shadow patted his lap like I would sit on it like a child. I gave him a side eye and leaned over to read with him like a normal adult person.

"Tsk. I'm not your pet to sit on your lap." I try to put as much annoyance in my tone as possible.

"He he he." by the glint in his eye I can tell he thinks he is so funny. Douche.

I decided to be graceful and let this slide in order to concentrate on reading.

'That was Friday, the second day of July. Worst day of my life and yet also the best. This day was my first time meeting this otherworldly being.

After business college I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was ready to start my adult life hand in hand with my then fiance. After two months of job hunting one firm gave me a chance and hired me full time.

I was so happy and not a whole month later my happiness and anxiety doubled. My fiance told me she's pregnant. We weren't really prepared for that at all but I wanted this child now I know it exists.

We celebrated this and started setting up everything to greet our child's arrival on this world in the most prepared way. Sadly good times didn't last for too long.

Company suddenly laid me off. They made some cuts because the last projects didn't bring as much money as they were expecting and of course people mist junior in the company were let off. From then on I was struggling for months to find a job in my industry. In the meantime I started delivering food on the side.

I was angry and disgusted with myself for not being able to provide for my growing small family. But my fiance was even more unsatisfied with me and she wasn't afraid to show it. Calling me a lazy and poor excuse of a man.

This cut me deeply and one day I couldn't take anymore of her crap and ask her what she wants from me. After all, I'm doing what I can.

All breaks came loose for her at this moment and she told me the truth…

Child wasn't mine. She had a whole year of secret affair partners and even got pregnant with him. You would think in this situation she would just break up with me and be with baby daddy but no.

Financial stability was more important for her and the affair partner was just for fun. In her mind I was a safer bet because I got a good education and started with a good paying job and another man is working manually.

She told me how I disappointed her and how she went to baby daddy to have any future at all.

That day my life ended in my mind. I lost the same day my unborn child and love of my life.

I felt betrayed and pathetic. Life lost its meaning so I on this memorable day found myself standing on the bridge railing.

At this moment my head was empty but simultaneously this hum was getting louder and louder in the back of my mind. Someone yelled don't do it but it was too late. I took a step and suddenly felt a powerful wind on my face. Some of my life events started rewinding before my mind. My god, how unhappy I was my whole life.

I thought then: If I had another go I would do so much differently.

Then everything stopped.

But I didn't feel the force of the impact. Quite the contrary, I was floating a couple inches above the water…'