Chapter 41 Suitcase
◎If he's alive, I want to see him in person. If he's dead, I want to see his body.◎
Gu Zhiguang acted on his own accord, but Zhao Xiangwan remained very calm.
Is Zhan Ping an old witch? Zhao Xiangwan is not sure. Judging from the information currently available, the case is indeed confusing.
If Zhan Ping killed or hid Zhan Xiaolan, why did she go to the shoe store to look for her? Why did she call the police when Jia Junnan came looking for her? If she was acting, and she acted so realistically and devotedly, then she must be a born cold-blooded person.
If Zhan Ping is not the murderer and is telling the truth, then why did Zhan Xiaolan steal the money? Why did she disappear during the sweet period of love? Is there some hidden story?
Zhao Xiangwan looked at Jia Junnan and asked, "Is there any sign of the door lock being pried open?"
Jia Junnan shook his head: "No."
"Are there any unusual noises at home?"
"no."
"Besides the money, is there anything else missing?"
After a series of questions, Jia Junnan shook his head hesitantly: "I, I don't know these. I was too anxious at the time, and I didn't believe her aunt's words at all. The comrades from the police station said they would go to Xiaolan's hometown to investigate and see if she has returned home."
Zhao Xiangwan knew the police station's case handling procedures.
The first step in investigating a missing adult is to collect information.
The police ask the family to provide basic information about the missing person, including name, age, recent photo, accent, and any personal features and their number and location, such as scars, moles, birthmarks, etc. They also need to find out what the person was wearing when he or she went missing, collect the missing person's daily necessities such as toothbrushes, shoes and socks, etc., and collect blood samples from immediate family members such as parents, brothers and sisters.
The second step is for the family to post missing person notices in newspapers, radio stations, and television stations.
The third step is for the public security organs to visit the missing place and the surrounding people to inquire whether there were any unusual circumstances on that day. If there is a destination, they will send someone or send a letter of cooperation to the public security organs at the destination to ask for assistance in the investigation. Currently, DNA technology has just started, and the missing population information system has not yet been established. All they can do is register all the information and send a missing person cooperation notice within the public security system.
Zhao Xiangwan frowned and said, "When an adult goes missing, the investigation will be slow. You should be prepared." The police have limited resources and there are so many people. If an adult goes missing and there are no key clues, it will take a long time to investigate.
Jia Junnan's face suddenly turned pale.
At first, he thought Zhan Xiaolan was avoiding him because he was being too good at sex and made her unhappy;
After waiting for three days and still no contact, he felt anxious, but still felt that Zhan Xiaolan was angry and didn't want to pay attention to him.
He looked for her in the shoe store and went to Zhan Ping's home. It was not until the police station opened a case that he realized that Zhan Xiaolan was not missing because she was angry or ashamed, but was truly missing.
There are countless possibilities for missing.
They may be killed, kidnapped, abducted, or...
Jia Junnan didn't dare to think further, so he cowardly avoided the facts and stubbornly believed that Zhan Ping was lying. She made up the lie in order to break up his relationship with Xiaolan and force them to break up.
At least, is Zhan Xiaolan safe, right?
Now Zhao Xiangwan forced him to face the facts. Jia Junnan's hands began to tremble like sieve chaff. Gu Zhiguang, who was standing beside him, couldn't bear to watch any more. He patted his chest and assured him: "Don't panic, let's investigate together, and we will definitely find Zhan Xiaolan."
Jia Junnan stood up slowly, trying to control his trembling muscles, and said through gritted teeth: "There is no time to waste, then, let's go investigate!"
He was born into a poor family. His parents had done their best to raise seven children and send them to school. They simply could not give him more care and love. He was lucky to meet the gentle and kind Zhan Xiaolan, who respected him, cared about him, and treated him sincerely. He really wanted to grow old with Zhan Xiaolan.
Five people came out of the restaurant.
The night wind was as soft as water, blowing the strands of hair in front of Zhao Xiangwan's forehead. There was a hint of fatigue in her beautiful phoenix eyes.
Because of the Zhou Jingrong case, Zhao Xiangwan had been running around for two days and had only slept for more than four hours. He finally finished work early and got off work on time, but he didn't expect Mei Qingxi to come with the Gu brothers. First, Zhao Chenyang came to make a fuss, and then Jia Junnan joined in. If he said he wasn't tired, that would be a lie.
Mei Qingxi's gaze stayed on Zhao Xiangwan's face. Under the dim street lights, her bright and colorful amber eyes seemed slightly dim, which made him feel nervous.
Mei Qingxi turned her head and smiled softly at Zhao Xiangwan: "Xiangwan, it's almost nine o'clock. You should go back to the dormitory and rest. I will leave the investigation to Gu Zhiguang. I will call your dormitory tomorrow at noon to report the situation."
Zhao Xiangwan nodded and waved goodbye to them.
The night breeze in April brings the warmth of spring.
For the next two days, Zhao Xiangwan had finished his classes and could not go out, so he could only keep in touch with Gu Zhiguang and Mei Qingxi by phone.
Mei Qingxi told her that he had proposed to cancel the engagement, but since Zhou Jing and Xu Juncai were formally arrested and Zhao Qingyun was transferred out of Xing City, both parents had no energy to pay attention to this matter. They could only wait until Mei Qingxi returned from Shenzhen City, Zhao Qingyun and Xu Juncai met, and returned the token they exchanged when they were engaged, which was considered a formal cancellation of the engagement.
As for Zhao Chenyang crying and refusing to let go, and implicitly accusing Zhao Xiangwan of interfering in the matter, Mei Qingxi did not tell Zhao Xiangwan. In his opinion, he did not handle the matter perfectly, and it was a very shameful thing that Zhao Xiangwan was misunderstood by others.
Zhao Xiang, listen quietly and send a few simple blessings.
The cold sound coming from the microphone was like the sound of jade hitting each other. It was the most common and simple "Good luck on your journey and a bright future", but it sounded extremely sweet to Mei Qingxi's ears.
Zhao Xiangwan was Mei Qingxi's most innocent childhood friend during the warm time when his mother was always by his side. He was also the brightest guiding light during his youth when he was surrounded by enemies and lost in ignorance.
In Zhao Xiangwan's view, a man with great ambitions will have a brighter future if he can get rid of the control of Xu Juncai and Zhou Jingrong. As for Mei Qingxi's deep feelings, Zhao Xiangwan does not want to respond.
The most uncontrollable thing in this world is the human heart.
After hearing too many secret voices from people and seeing too many breakups and reunions in the world, Zhao Xiangwan feels that staying calm and staying away from love is the wisest approach.
Gu Zhiguang is also a senior this year, but the architecture major is a five-year program, so he has not yet graduated. In the past few days, he has taken on Jia Junnan's commission and actively carried out research, and has made some progress.
"I entered Zhan Ping's yard and checked every inch of the land. There were no signs of new excavation, so the possibility of burying a body was ruled out."
"Zhan Ping insisted that her home was robbed. The bedside cabinet was where she kept her valuables and was usually not locked. The seven hundred yuan consisted of six one-hundred-yuan notes and ten ten-yuan notes, neatly placed in a manila envelope. She also took out her passbook, with a withdrawal date of May 12. She was going to use the money to buy a washing machine."
"There were no signs of the door being pried open. I walked around the house and found that the windows all had iron bars. There was no way to climb in through the window. It was probably not a thief who broke into the house to steal."
"The comrades at the police station are very responsible in their work. They have sent a letter of cooperation to Zhan Xiaolan's hometown, but there is no news yet. But don't worry, as long as there is news, I will tell you as soon as possible."
Excluding the possibility that Zhan Ping killed someone and buried the body in the yard, there are only three possibilities left.
First, after stealing the money, Zhan Xiaolan fled from Zhan Ping's home and then disappeared.
Second, Zhan Xiaolan did not steal the money. She left home in anger after a dispute with Zhan Ping and then disappeared. In order to avoid responsibility, Zhan Ping deliberately said that she lost the money.
Third, the acquaintance came to Zhan Ping's house, had an argument with Zhan Xiaolan who entered the house to prepare dinner, hurt her, stole money, and took her away.
No matter which possibility it is, Zhan Xiaolan is in danger.
When Zhao Xiangwan was sorting out the case files at the city police station, he saw too many bizarre missing cases. Maybe the person got into a car accident and was dumped in the mountains by the driver; maybe the person was targeted by a trafficker and abducted to the mountains; maybe the person was careless when walking and fell into the sewer...
In a nutshell, if Zhan Xiaolan doesn't show up one day, we have to find a way to find her.
If he's alive, I want to see him in person; if he's dead, I want to see his body.
Thursday morning was full of classes. After the fourth class ended, Zhao Xiangwan and his classmates walked out of the teaching building holding their books.
Gu Zhiguang and Jia Junnan were standing guard at the door of the teaching building. When he saw Zhao Xiangwan, Jia Junnan rushed over and said in a hoarse voice: "Zhao Xiangwan, Xiaolan didn't go back home!"
Zhao Xiangwan stopped and repeated his words: "Didn't you go back to your hometown?"
Gu Zhiguang ran over with a serious expression, "Yes, we went to the police station this morning, and the police told us that the police station in Zhan Xiaolan's hometown sent us news that Xiaolan did not return home, and her parents, brothers, sisters, and relatives have not seen her."
Jia Junnan's voice was filled with tears: "Xiaolan has no other relatives in Xing City. If she was driven away by her aunt, she could only go back to her hometown. Now there is no one in her hometown, where can she go? Nothing unexpected will happen to her, right?"
Looking at Jia Junnan in front of him, he had a dark face and was short, but his hands were like a palm leaf fan, with thick joints, and it was obvious that he had been doing farm work for many years. But now his hands were shaking, and his eyes were full of fear, worrying about Zhan Xiaolan's life and death.
Entering the criminal investigation field and dealing with the victims' families, Zhao Xiangwan felt a pang of sadness. She was just a student who could recognize lies by reading minds, but she was not good at missing persons.
However, Gu Zhiguang had an inexplicable confidence in Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhan Xiaolan is missing, and the public security police are conducting an investigation in an orderly manner according to the procedures, but for some reason, Gu Zhiguang trusts Zhao Xiangwan more, and his intuition tells him: with Zhao Xiangwan's participation, there is hope of solving the case.
Gu Zhiguang said, "Zhao Xiangwan, you don't have classes this afternoon, why don't you come with us to visit the area near the Telecommunications Bureau dormitory? A week has passed, and if we delay any further, I'm afraid we will run out of clues."
Zhao Xiangwan did not hesitate and nodded, "Okay."
After a quick lunch, the three of them went to Zhan Ping's house together.
Zhan Ping is taking a nap at home.
The telecom office gets off work at 12:00 am and starts work at 2:00 pm. During the two hours in between, Zhan Ping always goes home to eat and take a nap for a few minutes. Usually, Zhan Xiaolan prepares the meal, but now Xiaolan is not here, so Zhan Ping just eats something and then goes to sleep.
When Zhan Ping heard the knock on the door, she was furious before she even fell asleep.
After opening the door and seeing Jia Junnan's debt-collecting face, Zhan Ping was furious and said unhappily, "What are you doing here again?"
Jia Junnan made a bitter face and pleaded, "Please think about it again. Is there any clue you haven't told me yet? Let's work together to find Xiaolan."
Zhan Ping had to take a lunch break every day without fail. She was in a bad mood when she was woken up by someone: "I have already told the police everything I need to say. There is nothing more to say. Who knows where Xiaolan stole the money and ran away? Go find her yourself. I need to rest."
Jia Junnan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "Xiaolan disappeared in your house for no reason. The police sent a letter of inquiry to her hometown. The feedback was that Xiaolan didn't go back at all. Her parents have already rushed over. Are you still in the mood to rest?"
Zhan Ping was furious when she heard Jia Junnan's accusation: "What do you mean she disappeared in my house for no reason? It's obvious that she is old and has become distracted, so she stole something and eloped with someone! I didn't ask you to settle the score, but you have the nerve to ask me for her? I brought her out of the ravine, provided her with food, water, and shelter, and now you are confessing my crime?"
Zhao Xiangwan stood behind Jia Junnan, listening quietly to Zhan Ping's thoughts.
【Men are not good. I told her not to talk about it, but she just wouldn't listen! She had a second-rate guy who was hanging around outside, and they almost had a baby. That's it, and she doesn't know how to learn from her mistakes. Marriage? What the hell, men are not good!】
Zhan Xiaolan once had a boyfriend? Jia Junnan did not mention this important news. I don't know if he didn't know or forgot to mention it.
Zhao Xiangwan narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the angry Zhan Ping in front of him. She was in her forties, of medium height, plump, and still had a charming demeanor. There was a deep "chuan"-shaped wrinkle between her eyebrows from her frequent wrinkles, which made her look harsh and oppressive.
Jia Junnan continued to accuse Zhan Ping: "First, Xiaolan is not a thief, don't slander her. Second, Xiaolan has lived in your house for a few years, but she prepares three meals a day, cleans the house, weaves scarves in winter, and cooks mung bean soup in summer. Isn't this a reward? Third, I am Xiaolan's boyfriend. She disappeared in your house. Don't I even have the right to ask questions? Xiaolan's parents will come to Xing City immediately after receiving the news. I'll see how you explain it to them then!"
After all, he was a science student with clear ideas. Every word he spoke made Zhan Ping speechless. She angrily raised her hand to push the door and was about to close it.
Gu Zhiguang was quick to move. He waved his right hand to hold the door open, preventing Zhan Ping from closing it. "Ms. Zhan, we have something to ask you. If you don't cooperate, we'll send the police to your door!"
This week, because Zhan Xiaolan was missing, uniformed police officers came to the Telecommunications Bureau dormitory several times, which had already caused a lot of discussion among the people around. Zhan Ping couldn't stand it anymore. After hearing what Gu Zhiguang said, she could only stand at the door patiently and said unhappily, "If you have anything to ask, tell me quickly. I have to go to work this afternoon."
[Asking all day long, it's so annoying. If I knew where Xiaolan had gone, wouldn't I have gone to find her long ago? Jia is a fool, he doesn't know Xiaolan at all, but he keeps saying that she is pure and flawless. If I hadn't taken her to have an abortion, she would have kept me in the dark. Who knows if she didn't want to marry him and ran away with another man? And she has the nerve to come to me all day long to ask for her, what the hell! Now the matter has become a big deal, and a case has been filed at the police station. My brother and sister-in-law are going to come over, but how will it end...]
Abortion? Whose child is it? This is another new clue.
Gu Zhiguang glanced at Zhao Xiangwan and saw that she had no intention of speaking, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and repeat the same old questions.
"What was Zhan Xiaolan wearing on the day she disappeared?"
"A white floral pointed collar shirt, black polyester trousers, and black canvas shoes."
"Besides the money, were there any other stolen items in the house? Did Zhan Xiaolan take away any clothes, shoes, or toiletries?"
Zhan Ping has answered this question countless times: "She lives in the west room, and she takes care of her own clothes, shoes, and socks. How would I know if she's missing anything?"
【Since Xiaolan started working at the shoe store, she has been making about 100 yuan a month in salary and commission. She would buy some cheap clothes and cosmetics whenever she had nothing to do. I told her countless times that with the same amount of money, she should buy less and buy something more upscale, but she just wouldn't listen. She has a lot of useless things in her house. God knows what she took away!】
Rural children are dazzled when they first come to the city. It is normal for them to be unable to control their desire to buy things once they have money. However, the thrifty concept in her bones cannot be shaken off, so it is possible that Zhan Xiaolan bought a lot of cheap clothes and cosmetics.
Gu Zhiguang continued to ask: "You don't know if clothes and boots are missing, but you know if toiletries are missing, right?"
Zhan Ping replied: "The toothbrush, toothpaste, towel and other things were all in the toilet. She didn't take them with her. Well, these things are not worth much money. It doesn't matter whether she takes them or not."
Gu Zhiguang asked: "How can you be sure that she ran away from home if she didn't take her toiletries with her?"
Zhan Ping rolled her eyes: "She stole my money, is she still staying at home waiting for me to scold her? She must have run away!"
At this point, Gu Zhiguang turned to look at Zhao Xiangwan again. It was always like this, Zhan Ping would keep harping on the fact that Zhan Xiaolan stole money and avoid talking about other issues. She was probably worried that she would be held responsible if her niece went missing, so she first stood on the moral high ground and pushed the responsibility onto Xiaolan.
Zhao Xiangwan stepped forward and asked softly, "If Xiaolan ran away from home, she would have to take some personal belongings with her. What would she use to carry them? Does she have a bag she always uses? Is she at home?" It didn't matter if Zhan Ping didn't know what clothes or shoes were missing. Since she was so sure that Zhan Xiaolan ran away from home, she could at least ask what kind of bag Xiaolan was carrying and what its characteristics were.
Zhan Ping suddenly got stuck.
The police had asked similar questions before, but at that time she was obsessed with the idea that Zhan Xiaolan had stolen the money and eloped with her boyfriend, so she answered them casually.
Gu Zhiguang was reminded by Zhao Xiangwan and asked quickly, "Yes, you are Zhan Xiaolan's aunt. You live with her day and night. You can't be unaware of the missing handbags and suitcases in the house, right?"
Zhan Ping's head has been groggy these days, and her thoughts are a little confused. Suddenly she heard Zhao Xiangwan's question, and then heard Gu Zhiguang mention the "suitcase", and suddenly she cried out "Ah" and rushed into the house.
Two minutes later, Zhan Ping ran back to the door and shouted, "The suitcase, the blue suitcase on top of the wardrobe is gone!"
Gu Zhiguang and Jia Junnan asked in unison: "What kind of suitcase?"
Zhan Ping: "She bought it herself last year. It's a blue suitcase that's about 50 centimeters tall, made of artificial leather, with wheels. When Xiaolan went back to her hometown during the Chinese New Year, she took this suitcase on the train. The suitcase is big, and I don't use it much. I just put it on top of the wardrobe. I didn't pay any attention to it."
Jia Junnan also understood: "Yes, this suitcase was bought by me and her at the Overseas Chinese Mall in October last year. It cost 320 yuan. I was a little reluctant at the time, but Xiaolan said that she had seen several flight attendants dragging suitcases like this in the store, and she was very jealous. She saved money for several months and had to buy one."
Wheeled suitcases are still a new thing in the mainland, and it was the first time that Zhao Xiangwan had heard of them. Three hundred and twenty yuan for a suitcase was a sky-high price for a poor student like her!
"What kind of suitcase is it? Can you describe it more clearly? Has anyone seen it?" If it is something new, it will definitely arouse people's curiosity. If Zhan Xiaolan drags the suitcase out of the community, someone will probably notice her and remember her.
Zhan Ping was a little impatient: "Didn't I tell you? It's made of artificial leather, blue, and 50 centimeters high. It's the kind of suitcase that rich people drag when they get on a plane in foreign movies. She's so young, and not practical at all. It's over 300 yuan! With that much money, why don't you take it back to help her parents build a new house?"
[The suitcase is big and bulky, and takes up a lot of space. I usually put it on top of the wardrobe and it gathers dust. I didn't care about it at all. I didn't expect that this suitcase is so expensive. It's really a waste of time. She thinks that she has become a rich person by dragging a high-end suitcase? How ridiculous! ]
Gu Zhiguang was also a little surprised. His family owned a construction company and was considered wealthy, but his parents had not bought him this kind of suitcase. The first time he heard Jia Junnan mention the price of this suitcase, he began to wonder.
[I always thought Zhan Xiaolan was a hardworking and simple girl, but I didn't expect her to spend three months' salary on a suitcase. She doesn't travel often, so why bother? I've heard of this kind of suitcase. It seems that it became popular in Country M in 1987. It was invented by a captain. Those pilots and flight attendants who fly around with luggage all day long think this thing is good. In our Xing City, it is estimated that it can only be sold in overseas Chinese malls that specialize in selling imported goods. ]
Jia Junnan suddenly became excited when he heard Zhan Ping's words. "Don't children from poor families deserve to have what they really want? Xiaolan likes it. She saved her salary to buy a suitcase. She didn't steal or rob. What's the problem? You brought her with you, but you only knew to make her obedient, grateful, filial to her parents, and make money to send back home. Have you really understood her? Have you asked her what she likes and what her dream is?"
Zhan Ping was startled by Jia Junnan's sudden questioning and took a step back subconsciously: "Isn't it enough for me to take care of her food and shelter? For a girl, it's good enough to be able to support herself. What's the point of dreaming!"
Jia Junnan's chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing became heavy, his eyes widened, and his pupils began to dilate, venting his inner dissatisfaction with Zhan Ping and the world.
"Did Xiaolan not go to college because of her poor grades? No! She was obviously very good at studying, but because her family was poor and her mother was sick and needed money, she had to drop out of high school and come to Xing City to work and earn money. Do you know which university she wanted to apply to? Kyoto University of Aeronautics and Astronautics!
Her dream since she was little is to become a pilot and fly in the blue sky. Even if she cannot become a pilot, she hopes to become an aircraft designer and pilot, and watch the aircraft she designs, manufactures and maintains fly in the sky.
It was because of this dream that she was so eager when she saw the suitcase dragged by the stewardess. She had been frugal for a few months and finally saved enough money. She asked someone with connections to exchange foreign exchange bonds and bought the suitcase. Why can't she do that? Is she only worthy of living in your shabby house, rushing home from the store every day, and cooking three meals a day for you? You don't love her at all, you just want to control her!"
Jia Junnan was short, thin, and looked unmanly. But he was furious at the moment, his eyes full of accusations, which moved Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhan Ping had never thought that Jia Junnan would be so angry because of a suitcase. She lost her temper and muttered, "I, I didn't say anything. She bought it, so what? Can I lose the suitcase? Aren't you asking about the suitcase? I just answered truthfully."
Gu Zhiguang apparently realized that he had overlooked this detail before.
He, Zhan Ping, and the police officers from the police station all focused on Zhan Xiaolan's clothes and appearance on the day she disappeared, but overlooked one thing: did she bring a suitcase when she ran away from home?
Now that Zhan Ping has discovered that the blue suitcase is missing, when asking people around her, she should focus on the blue leather suitcase.
Thinking of this, Gu Zhiguang suddenly became excited and wanted to go out and ask people near the dormitory area: On Friday, May 15th, between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m., did you see anyone dragging a blue suitcase out?
Zhao Xiangwan seemed to have heard what he was thinking, and said to him and Jia Junnan: "Go ask around the dormitory area and see if you can find any new clues."
Gu Zhiguang hesitated for a moment: "What about you?"
Zhao Xiangwan said: "I want to talk to Ms. Zhan."
Gu Zhiguang glanced at Zhan Ping, then at Zhao Xiangwan, thinking that there should be no danger, and then he pulled Jia Junnan out of the old dormitory building.
Zhan Ping looked at Zhao Xiangwan: "What do you want to say?"
The girl in front of her was a stranger, only in her teens, with a pair of sparkling eyes, just as innocent and green as she was when she first married to the city from the countryside, which made Zhan Ping feel a little more favorable towards her.
Sensing that Zhan Ping had relaxed her guard, Zhao Xiangwan smiled and said, "Can I come in and sit down?"
Although Zhao Xiangwan's smile was faint, it was like a breeze blowing across the lake, soft and peaceful.
Zhan Ping nodded: "Come in."
Zhan Ping put away her sharp edge and her expression softened. She looked more amiable than when she was on guard just now. It was obvious that she was a beauty when she was young.
Zhao Xiangwan was washing her hair in the living room, drinking the hot tea that Zhan Ping handed over and taking a sip. She sat properly and held the tea in a respectful and polite manner, which made Zhan Ping like her even more.
[This kid is polite, much better than Jia Junnan, the country bumpkin. It was obviously him who annoyed Xiaolan, which caused her to run away from home. Now he is blaming me, as if he has a grudge against me, questioning me with a red face and thick neck. How could I harm my own niece? How ridiculous! He even secretly ran into my yard to dig the soil, but I am not sure if I can kill someone and bury the body? How ridiculous! ]
With two "ridiculous" thoughts in his mind, Zhao Xiangwan lowered his head and took a sip of tea. The hot steam from the tea formed a thin mist in front of his eyes.
The case of Zhan Xiaolan's disappearance is even more confusing.
Zhan Ping had no motive to commit the crime, nor did she lie. So why did Zhan Xiaolan die in less than half a month?
Disappeared within an hour?
Thinking of what he had heard before, Zhao Xiangwan raised his head and examined Zhan Ping's facial expression: "Before Zhan Xiaolan started dating Jia Junnan, did she have other boyfriends?"
Zhan Ping's eyes were somewhat evasive, and she was obviously unwilling to answer this question: "No, no. Xiaolan came to Xing City when she was seventeen years old, and now she is only twenty-one years old, and she has only talked about Jia Junnan."
Zhao Xiangwan raised his voice: "Every clue is very important now. It is related to whether Xiaolan can be found. So, please don't hide it."
Zhan Ping squinted her eyes at Zhao Xiangwan and said, "Don't try to fool me. What does Xiaolan's running away have to do with her ex-boyfriend?"
Zhao Xiangwan responded quickly: "So, she has an ex-boyfriend."
Zhan Ping's nostrils are slightly open, which indicates hesitation.
Zhao Xiangwan didn't let her avoid the question: "There was a burglary at home, but there was no sign of the door being pried open. It could be that Zhan Xiaolan stole it, or it could be someone else who did it. Xiaolan went missing and didn't take any toiletries with her. There was a large suitcase over 50 centimeters long missing from the house... This suitcase could hold a slender adult, have you ever thought about it?"
"What? Don't scare me!" Zhan Ping was shocked by Zhao Xiangwan's words and suddenly raised her voice, "She, she is so old, she must have had a quarrel with Jia Junnan, so she left home to relax. She will be back in a few days. There will be no danger."
Zhao Xiangwan's voice was terrifyingly cold: "If he's alive, I want to see him. If he's dead, I want to see his body. Where is he? Where is his body?"
Zhan Ping's hands and feet began to tremble uncontrollably. It was clearly mid-May, the warm spring season, but she felt a chill running from the soles of her feet all the way to the top of her head.
A suitcase that can hold a person... I want to see the body...
"No, that wouldn't happen. Xiaolan just stole money and ran away from home. That must be the case." Zhan Ping murmured to herself.
Zhao Xiangwan asked: "There were no signs of a fight in the room, which means the person who came in was an acquaintance. Who is Zhan Xiaolan's ex-boyfriend?"
Zhan Ping's defenses were broken, and she sat down suddenly, raising her hands to cover her face. Her voice was muffled by her hands, and she sounded muffled.
"When Xiaolan first came to Xing City, she worked as a waitress in a restaurant and soon started dating a guy. Xiaolan didn't know the true situation and lost her virginity not long after they started dating. Later, when she became pregnant, she panicked and came to me for help. That's when I found out about it. I was really angry and resentful. I told her a long time ago not to trust men, because all men are bad, but she just wouldn't listen!"
Zhao Xiangwan did not criticize Zhan Ping's remarks. Zhan Ping was nearly fifty years old and had already formed her own values. Since she thought that all men were bad, why bother to refute them?
"What happened next?"
"Later, Xiaolan got pregnant. The man didn't want to take responsibility, so he broke up with her and gave her two hundred yuan to have an abortion. I was afraid of being embarrassed, so I accompanied her to a clinic for an abortion. Fortunately, she was young and in good health, and she almost recovered after resting for half a month. But, but..."
Zhan Ping kept saying "just" for a long time, and finally told the truth: "Xiaolan has had a psychological shadow since then, and she dares not get close to men. Someone introduced her to two people, but they broke up after dating for less than a month. Xiaolan told me that as long as a man hugs her, she will feel sick and want to vomit."
Zhao Xiangwan finally understood why Zhan Xiaolan had a fear of physical contact. No wonder Zhan Xiaolan argued with Jia Junnan last Thursday and did not call him as agreed. It was probably because Jia Junnan wanted to be intimate with her, which scared her. She did not dare to tell the truth, so she could only avoid him for a few days.
Zhao Xiangwan had seen photos of Zhan Xiaolan, who had a slender figure and delicate features. Standing next to the skinny, dark, and short Jia Junnan, they did not look like a good match. Perhaps because he had suffered losses before, the unmanly Jia Junnan could give her a sense of security.
"What was her ex-boyfriend's name?"
"I don't know. Xiaolan only told me that he was a taxi driver."
“Are there any pictures of him?”
"no."
"Have you seen him?"
"no."
“What are the characteristics?”
"I have no idea."
Zhao Xiangwan nodded and wanted to ask more questions, but suddenly he heard Gu Zhiguang's voice coming from the door: "Zhao Xiangwan, Zhao Xiangwan——"
Zhao Xiangwan stood up from his chair and walked to the door.
Gu Zhiguang's forehead was covered with sweat, and he was running breathlessly, shouting as he ran: "There is news, there is news."
Zhao Xiangwan signaled him to calm down and take a breath before speaking.
"Someone saw the box!"
After saying this, Gu Zhiguang bent down, supported his thigh with his right hand, and breathed deeply. When he finally recovered, he straightened up and quickly told the information he had just obtained.
"Walking out of the telecom dormitory area, facing a main road, there is a shoe repair stall at the intersection. The boss saw someone pulling a blue suitcase passing in front of his stall last Friday evening. The boss said that the reason he remembered it so clearly was because he was nailing the heels of a pair of red high heels at the time. They were really a pair of beautiful leather shoes, bright red, and the copper heels made a clicking sound when they stepped on the ground, which was particularly fashionable."
Zhan Ping was so anxious that she interrupted him and said, "Don't talk about these nonsense. Just keep talking."
Gu Zhiguang said: "The owner of the shoe stall said that the rollers of the box were of very good quality. The sound made by the box rolling on the ground was not harsh, but a rhythmic clicking sound. This sound caught the owner's attention, so he raised his head to take a look.
Perhaps it was a professional habit, he noticed that the box was made of artificial leather, not real leather, and it was a bit old, with some rough edges and a graying color. The wheels made a small sound when dragged on the concrete floor, but it was obvious that there must be a lot of things in the box, and the sound was very heavy and muffled.
Zhan Ping rushed over and asked anxiously, "Is it Xiaolan?"
Gu Zhiguang's face turned pale. "No! The boss said the man who was dragging the suitcase was a young man, quite tall and strong, with long hair, and looked a bit scoundrel."
A strange man dragged Zhan Xiaolan's suitcase out of the telecommunications bureau dormitory building. What does this mean?
What's in that suitcase?
The more Zhan Ping thought about it, the more frightened she became. She felt as if the world was spinning around her. She reached out her hand to hold onto the door frame to steady herself.
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