馨儀已一星期沒上學。駐校社工多次上門家訪,苦無人應門。班主任張Sir建議學校報警,校方則堅持與家長商討後才決定是否由家長報警。畢竟,此校有很多學生經常逃學、曠課。一個十七歲高年級學生與學校失去聯絡短短一星期,實在不足為奇。447Please respect copyright.PENANASbhhwxCyfq
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馨儀的同學們認為她絕不是會隨意曠課的人。有人提議不經學校,直接由一眾學生到警署報案,把事情鬧大,逼使學校正面回應;有人建議先到鄰校找爆籃皇查問;有人好奇馨儀的家人為何不報警,抑或他們與馨儀一併失蹤……447Please respect copyright.PENANAh0AsodwcRN
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學校是社會的縮影。人皆有之的熱情,只局限在嘴巴上。落實行動的擔子被推來推去,到頭來還是落在馨儀最親密的好友——阿藍和祈祈——身上。447Please respect copyright.PENANAwAvSfGynh8
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數人來到醫院,尋求志恆的意見。最了解馨儀的人,志恆實屬首位。447Please respect copyright.PENANAP5FvQuf9Vm
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「馨儀就是擔心警方的介入,才決定要出走。」志恆早知馨儀出走一事:「她答應過,只要事情不被公開,她就會撐下去。」他掏出手提電話和耳筒,播放影片給阿藍、楠少、祈祈和光仔看。447Please respect copyright.PENANAwmx0EVS8EY
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楠少眉頭緊皺,光仔心跳加速,祈祈眼泛淚光,阿藍憤怒喝斥:「你怎麼不早一點告訴我們?」447Please respect copyright.PENANADV4J8azBER
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「她不希望任何人知道。」光仔淡然代志恆回答,心底重播當日馨儀歇斯底里奔逃的身影。「志恆想保護馨儀的感受而已。」447Please respect copyright.PENANAKoFnux1IJE
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「爆籃皇的痛腳還在志恆手上,不敢過於猖狂。換言之,馨儀的失蹤未必與爆籃皇有關。礙於時間上的巧合,又不能完全抹殺爆籃皇的嫌疑……」事態比想像中嚴重,楠少馬上動腦筋,推敲前因後果。447Please respect copyright.PENANAkHGxA17Hpb
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「根據爆籃皇的描述,馨儀身上有『長年累月被人虐待』的傷口……」阿藍竭力拋開激動情緒,加入推論。447Please respect copyright.PENANACmdyhhKDJR
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「如果傷得那麼嚴重,家人定會發現端倪。」無論經歷多少不快,「家庭」依然在祈祈心中佔一重要席位,不相信馨儀的家人會是施虐者:「不如到馨儀家看看。」447Please respect copyright.PENANAkbxhtXj6BU
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買了少許西餅,一行四人按下門鈴。447Please respect copyright.PENANAyId6rZ6XGc
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靜。再按門鈴。靜。沒人?上班了?待晚上再來?447Please respect copyright.PENANA2UBK0Ec6gl
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商討之際,大門開了。閘後是一個衣衫襤褸的瘦削中年婦——馨儀媽。她瞟了四人一眼,沒多話,開閘,逕自轉身入屋,癱坐塌陷的梳化上。四人站在屋外,不敢貿然內進。
裝潢殘破,彷如鬼屋。天花油漆受潮起泡、脫落。被顏色筆塗得色彩繽紛的牆紙佈滿割痕,像被施以凌遲極刑。屋內彌漫著一陣餿臭味,大部份窗戶被發黃的報紙封著,只餘兩扇骯髒氣窗能透氣透光。顯然久未打掃,紙巾團、煙蒂、空酒瓶和花生殼散佈滿地。廳燈沒有亮著,原本細小的客廳更見侷促。活像電影中的悍匪臨時藏身地點,不帶半點尋常百姓家的生活氣息。447Please respect copyright.PENANAe7E81TLb1c
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神情萎靡的馨儀媽看見楠少手上的西餅盒,喜上眉梢,向他招手:「不是來找馨儀嗎?」邪笑,露出泛黃的牙齒。447Please respect copyright.PENANAr7Ova2ucYd
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楠少戰戰兢兢遞上西餅盒,覺得馨儀媽不只是不修邊幅那樣簡單。447Please respect copyright.PENANAkOw2yAcnO6
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「是呀,伯友!我們是馨儀的同學,見她一星期沒來上課……」阿藍謙遜有禮地解釋此行目的。447Please respect copyright.PENANA3UmRJISoz2
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「有話直說,不要轉彎抹角!」馨儀媽雙眼發亮,瞬間狼吞虎嚥地解決了大半盒西餅,懶理長衣袖沾了果醬。447Please respect copyright.PENANA55U8Mgy1ZC
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「請問伯友知道馨儀的下落嗎?」阿藍從馨儀媽的言行舉止感受到無盡的惡意。447Please respect copyright.PENANAHqajDkpTZ9
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「我的答案很值錢。每題一百元。」馨儀媽清光所有西餅,微黏的雙手在長褲管上抹了抹。滿足極了,心情大好:「明買明賣,不會撒謊。」447Please respect copyright.PENANAHCjs5bmtLf
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「但馨儀她……」祈祈不敢相信天下間會有這樣的母親。447Please respect copyright.PENANA99EigRcL3P
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「我剛才回答了很多問題,已吃大虧。」馨儀媽將西餅盒扔去不遠處的飯枱,有意無意地打斷祈祈的話。447Please respect copyright.PENANAnRbBIyt000
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馨儀媽設下的遊戲規則淺白易明。問題在於眾人是否接受。447Please respect copyright.PENANAxrFN2EmGJG
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眾人猶豫之際,祈祈掏出百元大鈔:「請問,馨儀身在何方?」447Please respect copyright.PENANAkCr6uwbXVV
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馨儀媽狡黠一笑,接下鈔票:「不知道。」447Please respect copyright.PENANAJ90CMWa4tz
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光仔按耐不住怒火,厲聲大喝馨儀媽耍花樣。阿藍將祈祈拉到後方,勸她別再衝動。447Please respect copyright.PENANAe1KVyE8xWs
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祈祈不忿,反問:「難道有其他方法嗎?」447Please respect copyright.PENANAoeZdRVt7zy
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光仔知祈祈不會退讓,自薦代為發問。447Please respect copyright.PENANA0dvjHlRfsq
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祈祈掏出五張鈔票予光仔。447Please respect copyright.PENANAWGZkQLMrIt
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光仔揚了揚手上的三張鈔票,提出更實在的問題:「馨儀失蹤前,她有甚麼異常表現?詳細回答。答得好,會有額外獎勵。」447Please respect copyright.PENANAK35VccmEKN
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「不就是偷走屋裡所有值錢的東西!」馨儀媽越講越氣:「她趁我外出,打爛全屋燈具,打碎廚房和浴室的牆磚地磚,剪斷全屋電器的電線……」447Please respect copyright.PENANAdFm29mv32h
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阿藍不自覺咬咬牙根,慨歎自己是個光說不做的傢伙,佩服馨儀離家出走的決心。447Please respect copyright.PENANAZ4zrpcJAh9
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「用不著你講,我們看得一清二楚。用下一個問題當補償!」光仔叉手揚眉,極不滿意馨儀媽的答案。為保主導權,他繼續繃著臉,沉著聲,氣勢逼人:「她平日會到甚麼地方流連?」447Please respect copyright.PENANAlv6xm5H6AP
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「街口轉角有幢唐樓,五樓零一室是她的第二個『家』。她經常在那邊過夜,翌日從那邊直接返校上學。」馨儀媽比手劃腳,狀甚認真:「單位有個小子,名叫『高仔』。樣子挺俊俏,染啡髮,打扮新潮,個子頗高大。大約二十歲,手臂很粗壯……我不敢招惹他。」447Please respect copyright.PENANAtskxq5m6en
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「那個『高仔』……是馨儀的男友?」光仔動搖了,不自覺提出一個不大重要的問題。447Please respect copyright.PENANAw2ApM538ui
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馨儀媽得戚帶笑重奪主導權:「上一個題問的答案夠好嗎?有額外獎勵給我嗎?」447Please respect copyright.PENANAhrlVpNVUI8
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她的狡猾笑容令光仔猶豫不決。他想起為馨儀拼命的志恆:難道馨儀真的在玩弄志恆?他很想知道答案,為痴心的好友作籌謀。但要用祈祈的三百元大鈔作代價……447Please respect copyright.PENANAlH2Y1VREzJ
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「不夠好。謝謝伯友的答案。我們是時候要離開。打擾了!」楠少搶答,一個箭步截住光仔正要遞出紙幣的手。他搭住光仔雙肩,半推半拉將光仔帶離單位。阿藍和祈祈亦匆匆向馨儀媽道別,跟著二人離開。447Please respect copyright.PENANAFLQ0bUW7LB
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光仔不滿楠少的打岔,祈祈也好奇楠少為何急著要大家離開。447Please respect copyright.PENANAUMVb5rEtuV
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「馨儀媽似乎有毒癮:她的說話不可靠。」剛才趁馨儀媽注意力集中在光仔身上時,楠少默不作聲,細心打量屋裡環境,發現梳化腳旁有不少飲管;室內環境那麼悶焗,馨儀媽沒理由穿著長褲、長袖衫;馨儀媽不是立即應門,可能是為了花時間換上長褲、長袖衫,遮蓋手腳上的毒瘡……447Please respect copyright.PENANAH30h1VTLZO
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「馨儀身上的新傷舊患,難道是馨儀媽吸毒失常時做成的?」祈祈心痛萬分。447Please respect copyright.PENANA4OkjAj0Jhd
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「若馨儀因此要走,老早就走了,不需捱至今時今日。」光仔認同楠少的猜測。考慮到時間上的「巧合」,「球場混戰」更有可能是馨儀失蹤的原因。447Please respect copyright.PENANAufnG9P7tZa
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「先去馨儀媽所講的地址看看,再作判斷。」一日未見到馨儀,阿藍絕不會放過任何線索。447Please respect copyright.PENANA0SVmBEHF7e
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來到馨儀媽所講的唐樓時,已是傍晚六時。數個單位外,窗下吊有一支粉紅色霓虹燈燈管,在夜色下尤其奪目。包括五樓。楠少、光仔和阿藍不約而同心中一寒,祈求那不是「零一室」。447Please respect copyright.PENANAIFyqsUzUGB
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四人一起上樓。447Please respect copyright.PENANA4hZ6bAcMIc
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光仔走在最前頭,細心留意周遭環境,提示夥伴們小心崩爛的梯級;祈祈很緊張,猛在心裡設想如何勸服馨儀;阿藍很擔心,怕會出甚麼亂子,畢竟這種地方該有勢力人士在暗暗罩著;楠少則杞人憂天,擔心調查馨儀的事會驚動警方,順藤摸瓜,連帶自己做過的壞事被翻出來……447Please respect copyright.PENANAgt9fpDytqc
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不幸地,五樓零一室真是那個掛粉紅色燈管的單位。深呼吸,按門鈴。門後,曳地的拖鞋聲傳來,屬於一個懶洋洋的艷女。沒有馨儀,沒有高仔,只有馨儀媽留下的謊言。447Please respect copyright.PENANArVxbYgZidN
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空手而回,失望,氣餒。離開。