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, Zhan Xiaolan is 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.
顧之光說：“趙向晚，你今天下午沒有課，和我們一起去電信局宿舍區附近走訪一下吧？時間過去一周，如果再拖下去，恐怕什麽線索都沒了。”
趙向晚沒有猶豫，點頭道：“好。”
匆忙吃過午飯，三個人一起來到湛萍家。
湛萍正在家午休。
電信局上午12：00下班，下午2：00上班，中間兩個小時湛萍總是回家吃飯、眯幾十分鐘午覺。平時都是湛曉蘭做好飯，但現在曉蘭不在，湛萍随便對付着吃了點東西，便躺下睡覺。
聽到敲門聲，還沒來得及睡着的湛萍一肚子火。
打開門，看到賈俊楠那張讨債鬼的臉，湛萍更是氣不打一處出，沒好氣地說：“你又來做什麽？”
賈俊楠苦着一張臉，哀求道：“請你再想一想，還有什麽漏掉的線索沒有說出來，我們一起想辦法把曉蘭找到。”
湛萍每天雷打不動要午休，被人吵醒脾氣很不好：“該講的我都已經講給警察聽了，沒什麽可說的。誰知道曉蘭偷了錢跑哪裏去了，你自己找去，我要休息。”
賈俊楠雙手捏拳，牙齒咬得咯吱響：“曉蘭無緣無故在你家裏失蹤，警方給她老家發了協查函，反饋過來的消息說曉蘭根本沒有回去，她爸媽已經趕過來，你還有心情休息？”
湛萍聽到賈俊楠的指控，立馬就炸了：“什麽叫無緣無故在我家失蹤？分明是她年紀大了、心思靈泛了，偷了東西和人私奔！我沒找你算賬，你倒有臉來找我要人？我把她從山溝溝裏帶出來，供她吃、供她喝、供她住，難道還供出罪過來了？”
趙向晚站在賈俊楠身後，安靜傾聽着湛萍的心聲。
【男人沒一個好東西。讓她不要談，不要談，她就是不聽！先前找了個在外面混社會的二流子，差點連娃娃都生下來了。就這樣了，也不曉得接受教訓。結婚？結個屁的婚，男人就沒有一個好東西！】
湛曉蘭曾經談過一個男朋友？這個重要消息賈俊楠并沒有提及，不知道是他不知道，還是忘記提起。
趙向晚眸光微斂，認真審視眼前發脾氣的湛萍。四十多歲年齡，個子中等，體态豐滿，風韻猶存，眉心因為經常皺着留下一個深深的“川”字紋，讓她看上去帶着股淩厲的壓迫感。
賈俊楠繼續指控湛萍：“第一，曉蘭不是偷東西的人，你別污蔑她。第二，曉蘭在你家住了幾年沒錯，但是她一日三餐、打掃衛生，冬天織圍巾、夏天煮綠豆湯，這不是回報？第三，我是曉蘭的男朋友，她在你家失蹤，難道我連追問的權利都沒有？曉蘭爸媽收到消息，馬上就會來星市，到時候我看你怎麽跟他們交代！”
到底是理科生，思路清晰，一字一句，怼得湛萍啞口無言，氣恨恨地擡手将門一推，就要關上。
顧之光眼疾手快，右手一揮将門板頂住，不讓湛萍合上門：“湛女士，我們有事要問你，如果你不配合，那就讓警察上門來！”
這一周因為湛曉蘭失蹤，電信局宿舍樓裏身穿制服的警察來了好幾趟，早就引得周圍人議論紛紛，湛萍不堪其擾，聽顧之光這一說，只得耐着性子站在門口，沒好氣地說：“有什麽要問的趕緊說，我下午還要上班。”
【一天到晚問問問，煩死了。我要是知道曉蘭這丫頭跑哪裏去了，不早就過去把她找回來了？姓賈的是個糊塗鬼，根本不了解曉蘭，還一天到晚說她玉潔冰清、完美無瑕。要不是我帶她去打過胎，連我都被她蒙在鼓裏。誰知道她是不是不想和他結婚，跟着別的男人跑了？還有臉一天到晚過來找我要人，要個屁！現在事情鬧大了，還在派出所立了案，我哥嫂要過來，可怎麽收場哦……】
打過胎？是誰的孩子？這又是一個新線索。
顧之光看一眼趙向晚，見她一直沒有開口的意思，只得硬着頭皮，将那些老調重彈的話再拿過來詢問一次。
“失蹤那天，湛曉蘭穿的是什麽衣服？”
“白色碎花尖領襯衫，黑色滌綸長褲，黑色布鞋。”
“除了錢，家裏是不是還有其他失竊的物品？湛曉蘭有沒有帶走衣服、鞋子、洗漱用品？”
這個問題，湛萍已經回答過無數遍：“她住西邊屋，衣服鞋襪什麽的都是她自己整理，我哪裏知道有沒有少東西？”
【曉蘭自從到鞋店打工，每個月工資加提成都有差不多一百塊錢，沒事就買些便宜衣服、化妝品回來，跟她說過無數遍，同樣的錢，少買點，買點上檔次的，偏偏不肯聽，屋裏放了一大堆沒用的東西。鬼知道她帶走了什麽！】
農村孩子剛到城裏來，眼花缭亂的，手上一有錢，控制不住購買欲也正常。不過骨子裏的勤儉節約觀念卻揮之不去，所以湛曉蘭買上一堆廉價衣服、化妝品，的确有可能。
顧之光繼續問：“衣服、靴子什麽的少了你不知道，那洗漱用品有沒有少，你總知道吧？”
湛萍回答：“牙刷、牙膏、毛巾什麽的都在廁所裏放着，她沒帶走。唉呀，這些東西又不值幾個錢，帶不帶都無所謂。”
顧之光追問：“洗漱用品沒有帶走，你怎麽就肯定她是離家出走？”
湛萍翻了一個白眼：“她偷了我的錢，難道還留在家裏等我罵？肯定是跑了！”
問到這裏，顧之光再次轉頭看向趙向晚。每次都是這樣，湛萍揪着湛曉蘭偷錢一事不放，對其他問題都避而不談。估計是擔心侄女失蹤自己要擔責，所以先站在道德制高點上，将責任推卸到曉蘭身上。
趙向晚走上前一步，輕聲問道：“如果曉蘭離家出走，總要帶些随身物品，用什麽裝呢？她有沒有常用的包包？在不在家裏？”湛萍不知道少了什麽衣服、鞋子不要緊，既然她這麽篤定湛曉蘭是離家出走，那至少可以問清楚曉蘭提的是什麽袋子，有什麽特征。
湛萍突然就卡了殼。
先前警察也詢問過類似問題，但當時她心裏執着地認定湛曉蘭偷了錢之後與男友私奔，因此随口應付了幾句。
顧之光被趙向晚提醒，趕緊詢問：“是啊，你是湛曉蘭的姑姑，朝夕相處，總不能屋裏少了手提袋、皮箱什麽的也不知道吧？”
湛萍這幾天腦袋昏沉沉的，思緒有些混亂。陡然聽到趙向晚的問題，再聽到顧之光說到“皮箱”，突然間“啊”了一聲，急急奔向屋內。
兩分鐘之後，湛萍又跑回到門口，大聲道：“行李箱，放在大衣櫃頂上的那個藍色行李箱不見了！”
顧之光、賈俊楠異口同聲：“什麽樣的行李箱？”
湛萍：“去年她自己買的，一口差不多五十公分高的藍色行李箱，人造革，帶輪子，過年曉蘭回老家的時候就帶着這個行李箱上的火車。箱子大，平時沒怎麽用，就放在大衣櫃頂上，我根本沒有留意。”
賈俊楠也明白過來：“是，這行李箱是去年十月份，我陪她一起到華僑商場買的，三百二十塊錢，當時我有點舍不得，不過曉蘭說她在店裏見過幾個空姐都拖這樣的行李箱，羨慕得很，存了幾個月的錢一定要買一個。”
帶輪子的拉杆箱，目前在內地還是新事物，趙向晚也是第一次聽說。一個箱子三百二十塊，對她這個窮學生而言，實在是天價！
“什麽樣子的行李箱？能不能描述得再清楚一點？有沒有人看到？”如果是新鮮事物，那一定會引發衆人的好奇心，湛曉蘭拖着箱子走出小區，應該會有人留意到，也會被記住。
湛萍有點不耐煩：“不是說了嗎？人造革、藍色，五十公分高，就那種外國電影裏有錢人上飛機時拖着的行李箱。小小年紀，一點也不務實，三百多塊錢！有這錢不會帶回去讓她爸媽起新屋？”
【箱子又大又笨，占地方得很，平時放在大衣櫃頂上吃灰，我根本就沒有在意，還沒想到這口箱子這麽貴，真是折壽哦。她以為拖着口高檔行李箱，就成為有錢人了？真是可笑！】
顧之光也有些詫異。他家裏開建築公司，算是有錢的，但父母也沒有給他買這種拉杆箱。他第一次聽賈俊楠說起這口行李箱的價格，心裏犯起了嘀咕。
【一直以為湛曉蘭是那種勤勞樸實的女孩子，沒想到舍得花三個月工資買行李箱。她又不經常出差，何必呢？這種箱子我聽人提起過，好像1987年才在M國流行起來，是一個機長發明的，那些整天帶着行李飛來飛去的機師和空乘人員覺得這玩意兒不錯。在我們星市，估計也只能是專門賣進口商品的華僑商場有賣吧。】
賈俊楠聽到湛萍的話，不知道為什麽突然激動起來：“窮人家的孩子，難道就不配擁有自己真心想要的東西？曉蘭喜歡，把工資攢下來買口行李箱，不偷不搶，有什麽問題嗎？你把她帶在身邊，只知道讓她聽話，讓她感恩，讓她孝順父母，讓她賺錢寄回家去。你有沒有真正去了解她？有沒有問過她喜歡什麽，她的夢想是什麽？”
湛萍被賈俊楠突如其來的質問唬了一跳，下意識地後退一步：“我，我管她吃管她住還不夠？女孩子嘛，能夠養活自己就不錯了，要什麽夢想！”
賈俊楠的胸脯快速地上下起伏着，呼吸也變得粗重，眼睛瞪得溜圓，瞳孔開始放大，将他內心對湛萍的不滿、對世界的不滿盡情發洩出來。
“曉蘭難道是因為成績不好，才沒有上大學嗎？不！她明明很會讀書，可是因為家裏窮，因為媽媽生病需要錢，只得高中辍學到星市來打工賺錢。你知道她想考哪一所大學嗎？京都航天航空大學！
她從小到大的夢想，就是要當一名飛行員，在藍天翺翔。哪怕當不成飛行員，她也希望自己成為一名飛機設計師、飛機機師，看着自己設計的、制造的、維修的飛機在天空中飛翔。
就是因為這個夢想，所以當她看到空姐拖着的行李箱，才會那麽渴望。她那幾個月省吃儉用，好不容易才攢夠錢，托關系找人換了外彙券，買下那口行李箱，怎麽就不行？難道她只配住在你這破屋子裏，每天從店裏趕天趕地往家跑，給你做一日三餐？你根本就不愛她，你只想控制她！”
賈俊楠個子不高，瘦瘦小小，看着沒有什麽男子氣。但他此刻怒火中燒，眉眼間滿是控訴，令趙向晚動容。
湛萍沒有想到，因為一個行李箱，竟讓賈俊楠發這麽大的火。她氣焰頓消，嘟囔着解釋：“我，我也沒說什麽。她買了就買了吧，難道我還能把行李箱丢了？這不是你們在問行李箱的事情嗎？我就是照實回答。”
顧之光顯然也意識到自己先前忽視了這個細節。
他、湛萍、派出所的公安幹警，都将關注重點放在湛曉蘭失蹤那天的衣着、打扮，卻忽視了一件事：她離家出走時，有沒有帶行李箱？
現在湛萍發現藍色行李箱不見了，那在詢問周邊人群的時候，就應該将重點放在這個藍色人造革的拉杆箱上。
這麽一想，顧之光忽然就興奮起來，恨不得馬上出門找宿舍區附近人群詢問：五月十五號，星期五，下午五點半到六點，你們是否看到有人拖着一口藍色拉杆箱走出去？
趙向晚似乎聽到了他心中所想，對他和賈俊楠說：“你們去宿舍區周邊問問，看能不能找出新線索。”
顧之光猶豫了一下：“那你呢？”
趙向晚道：“我和湛女士說幾句話。”
顧之光看一眼湛萍，再看一眼趙向晚，思忖着應該不會有什麽危險，這才拉上賈俊楠走出老宿舍樓。
湛萍看着趙向晚：“你要說什麽？”
眼前這個女孩是張陌生面孔，只有十幾歲，一雙眼睛亮晶晶的，和自己當年剛從鄉下嫁到城裏來時一樣單純青澀，這讓湛萍多了一絲好感。
感覺到湛萍放松了警惕，趙向晚微笑道：“我可以進去坐坐嗎？”
趙向晚的笑容雖然淺淡，卻似微風吹過湖面，柔美而安寧。
湛萍點點頭：“進來吧。”
收起一身銳刺的湛萍，面色也柔和下來，比剛剛一臉提防時多了幾分和藹，能看得出來年青時曾經是個美人。
趙向晚坐在客廳洗發，喝着湛萍遞過來的熱茶，輕輕啜了一口。她規規矩矩地坐着，捧茶的動作也恭敬有禮，這讓湛萍更增好感。
【這孩子倒是個有禮貌的，比賈俊楠那個鄉巴佬強多了。明明是他惹惱了曉蘭，這才害得她離家出走。現在倒是他倒打一耙，像跟我有仇一樣，臉紅脖子粗地質問、質問、質問。難道我自己的親侄女，我能害她？真是可笑！還偷偷跑到我院子裏挖土，未必我能殺人埋屍不成？真是可笑！】
連着兩個“可笑”傳到腦海，趙向晚低頭喝了一口茶。茶水熱氣氤氲，在眼前形成一片薄薄的霧。
湛曉蘭失蹤案，更是一片迷霧。
湛萍沒有作案動機，也沒有說謊，那到底是因為什麽，湛曉蘭會在不到半個
小時內消失不見？
想到先前聽到的話，趙向晚擡起頭，審視着湛萍的面部表情：“湛曉蘭在與賈俊楠交往之前，有沒有談過其他男朋友？”
湛萍眼神有些躲閃，顯然不願意回答這個問題：“沒，沒有。曉蘭十七歲來到星市，現在才二十一歲，就談了賈俊楠這一個。”
趙向晚提高了音量：“現在每一個線索都非常重要，關系到能不能找到曉蘭。所以，請你不要隐瞞。”
湛萍斜着眼睛看了趙向晚一眼：“你別哄我，曉蘭出走和她前男友有什麽關系？”
趙向晚迅速反應：“所以，她有前男友。”
湛萍鼻翼微張，這代表猶豫。
趙向晚不讓她回避問題：“家中失竊，房門卻沒有被撬的痕跡。可能是湛曉蘭偷拿，也有可能是旁人幹的。曉蘭失蹤，沒有帶走洗漱用品，家中少了一個五十多公分的大拉杆箱……這箱子能夠裝下一個身材苗條的成年人，你想過沒有？”
“什麽？你別吓我！”湛萍被趙向晚的話驚住，陡然提高了音量，“她，她這麽大一個人，肯定是因為和賈俊楠吵架，所以離家出去散散心，過幾天就會回來，不會有什麽危險。”
趙向晚的聲音冷靜得可怕：“活要見人，死要見屍。人在哪裏？屍在哪裏？”
湛萍手腳開始止不住地哆嗦，明明是五月中旬，正是暖春時節，但她卻覺得一股寒意自腳底一直沖到天靈蓋。
可以裝下人的行李箱……死要見屍……
“不，不會的。曉蘭只是偷了錢離家出走，一定是這樣的。”湛萍喃喃自語着。
趙向晚問：“屋裏沒有打鬥痕跡，說明進來的是熟人。湛曉蘭的前男友是誰？”
湛萍的心防已破，頹然坐倒，擡起手捂住臉，聲音被手掌蓋住，顯得悶悶的。
“曉蘭剛來星市的時候在一家飯館當服務員，很快就談了個朋友。曉蘭不知深淺，交往沒多久就失了身。後來懷孕了驚慌失措找我求助，我才知道這件事，真的是又氣又恨。早就跟她說過，不要相信男人，男人沒一個好東西，她就是不聽！”
趙向晚沒有指責湛萍的言論。湛萍年近五十，早已形成她自己的價值觀，既然她覺得男人沒一個好東西，那何必駁斥？
“後來呢？”
“後來，後來曉蘭懷孕，那男的不願意承擔責任，提出分手，甩了她兩百塊錢叫她去落胎。我怕丢臉，陪她找了家診所做人流。萬幸她年青身體好，休息半個月差不多就養好了。只是，只是……”
湛萍“只是”了半天，終于說出實情：“只是曉蘭從此之後就有了心理陰影，不敢和男人親近。有人給她介紹過兩個對象，都只談了一個月不到就分了手。曉蘭和我說過，只要男的一抱她，她就惡心想吐。”
趙向晚終于明白湛曉蘭會有身體接觸恐懼症的原因。難怪湛曉蘭會在上周四和賈俊楠争執，沒有按照約定時間和他打電話。估計是賈俊楠想要與她親密，把她吓到，又不敢說出實情，只能先回避幾天。
趙向晚看過湛曉蘭的照片，身段玲珑，五官清秀，和瘦黑矮小的賈俊楠站在一塊，外型上并不般配。也許因為曾經吃過虧，所以沒有男子漢氣概的賈俊楠反而能給她安全感吧。
“她前男友叫什麽？”
“不知道，曉蘭只跟我說是開出租的司機。”
“有他照片嗎？”
“沒有。”
“見過他嗎？”
“沒有。”
“有什麽特征？”
“我不知道。”
趙向晚點了點頭，還想再問，忽然聽到門口傳來顧之光的聲音：“趙向晚，趙向晚——”
趙向晚從椅中站起，走到門口。
顧之光額角滿是汗水，跑得氣喘籲籲，一邊跑一邊喊：“有消息，有消息。”
趙向晚示意他安靜下來，喘勻一口氣再說話。
“有人看到那口箱子！”
說完這句話，顧之光下腰，右手撐着大腿，大口大口地呼吸着，等到終于緩過勁來，這才直起腰，快速将剛剛詢問得到的消息說出來。
“從電信局宿舍區走出去，正對着一條大馬路，路口有個修鞋攤子。老板在上周五傍晚看到過，有人拉着口藍色拉杆箱從他攤子前面經過。老板說，之所以記得那麽清楚，是因為當時他正在給一雙紅色高跟鞋釘腳跟，真是一雙漂亮的真皮鞋，紅得正、紅得豔，釘上銅跟之後踩在地上發出咔嗒咔嗒的聲音特別洋氣。”
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.