Chapter 488

Just as Felicia was about to leave the shop, the owner shook a bronze bell at his side, its crisp sound ringing out. She turned back to see him clicking his tongue. "If none of these match the sound you're looking for," he said, "you'll need a craftsman to custom-make one. Even then, the sound varies depending on the material and size of the clapper. A perfect match is difficult."

He gave her a scrutinizing look. "Young lady, you're not here just to mess around, are you?"

"Do I look like it?" Felicia replied.

She felt sincere, but sound was subjective. Unless someone had heard the same bell, a shared understanding of its description was impossible. With a sigh, she realized she'd need another approach.

The shop owner chuckled, pointing to the display case. "If you buy something from my shop, I'll tell you where I've heard a similar bell."

"Really?"

Though skeptical, money wasn't an issue. She bought the most expensive violin. "Now, tell me. Where did you hear it?"

Delighted, the owner counted his money, then cleared his throat. "At a chapel atop Sunset Mountain, southwest of the city."

Leaving the shop, Stanley clutched the violin case. "Ma'am, you're not seriously going to Sunset Mountain? What if he was bluffing?"

"Then I'll come back and smash his shop," Felicia replied, getting into the car. Her thoughts, however, were elsewhere.

Southwest of the city, atop Sunset Mountain. She'd been there before. She and Carmen had climbed to the summit, seeing an old tower and a 700-year-old tree. Carmen had produced two small wooden plaques, and they'd written wishes and hung them on the tree.

Their visit ended abruptly when they ran into Myra and Kayla. The awkward encounter forced their early descent, and they hadn't visited the chapel. Afterward, Felicia was kidnapped by Maurice's men.

Returning felt surreal. She also wanted to see if their plaques remained.

"I miss you, my friend," she lamented inwardly.

Felicia gazed silently out the car window. Stanley carefully placed the violin in the back seat before getting in and driving southwest toward Sunset Mountain.

They arrived at the mountain's foot at noon. The blazing heat made her drowsy. It was Stanley's first time there. Seeing the bustling crowd and food stalls, he clicked his tongue. "This mountain doesn't look special. Why is it so crowded?"

Felicia smiled faintly. She'd said the same thing on her first visit. Carmen, eating an ice cream cone, had explained, "The sunset view is stunning, that's why it's called Sunset Mountain. Photographers and tourists come to capture it, making it popular."

Felicia repeated the story, word for word, prefacing it with, "My friend told me this." Stanley noticed a hint of nostalgia and sorrow in her eyes when she said "friend."

"Alright, wait for me at the foot of the mountain. I'll go up alone," Felicia said. She bought food and headed straight up the trail. Stanley rubbed his face, sighing, before following.