Flower Museum Headless Dismemberment Case (11)

The female clerk introduced, "Some flowers are beautiful, but we generally don't give them as gifts. The meaning of the tea flower is very sad. You may have heard of a poem called 'When the tea flowers are in full bloom, spring is over. For example, the red spider lily symbolizes sad memories and is also called the flower of the underworld. No one gives it as a gift. There is a flower that you all know, the epiphyllum, which is short-lived. Although it is beautiful, it is too sad to give it as a gift."

After listening carefully, Meng Siqi felt that she was really an entry-level person in the field of flowers. The female clerk's explanation was very helpful to her.

After thanking the female clerk and walking out of the flower shop, Meng Siqi and Zhao Leiting looked at each other almost at the same time and said in unison: "Funeral flower shop!"

Yes, it is not surprising that the white tea flower appears in a funeral flower shop. Maybe there happened to be a funeral flower shop selling this flower, and the suspect happened to buy it.

This coincidence may be the key to solving the case.

In fact, Meng Siqi later learned about the white tea flower. The flower language is given by people, and there is usually no clear boundary. Because the white tea flower is pure white, some people will give it to the girl they like. There is also the phrase "love to the tea flower", which means the regret for the unforgettable love, so some people will use this flower as a souvenir or give it to those who have broken up.

Soon the two found a funeral flower shop, which was close to the crematorium. The entrance was all white. People have a terrible feeling about death, and funerals associated with death also make many people repulsive. But in fact, when you walk into this white world, you will have a feeling of tranquility and calmness.

In addition to wreaths, funeral homes also sell a lot of loose flowers, such as white chrysanthemums, carnations, white lilies, and even white roses. These white flowers make the thoughts of relatives, friends or lovers more pure and sincere.

Among a group of flowers, Meng Siqi quickly found the white tea flower, which has white petals and yellow stamens. The petals looked wrinkled and overlapped, and at first glance they looked like paper flowers, and the petals felt as if they were pinched by fingers.

There are not many funeral flower shops within ten kilometers of the museum. If the suspect really appears here, then the scope must be narrowed down. Perhaps the owner knows this person.

Meng Siqi gave Zhao Leiting a confident look, and Zhao Leiting took out his police ID briskly, "Boss, we are from the Municipal Bureau, and we came to understand something with you."

The boss, who was in his forties and had a Mediterranean look, quickly replied, "You said, you said?"

Zhao Leiting described the suspect's information. The boss seemed to be thinking about it, and after a while he replied: "I don't know if what you said is correct. There was a man who was similar to what you described, and he bought Bai Tu Mi and Bai Mei Gui..."

Meng Siqi was almost certain that, apart from white roses and white chrysanthemums, this flower shop did not have the third kind of flower on the list. That was to say, the suspect bought white roses and white chrysanthemums in this store, and bought other flowers in other stores.

Other flowers are basically available in all flower shops, and ordinary flower shops have a large flow of people, so even if the suspect has been there, the flower shop owner may not care.

This explains why it is impossible for the suspect to buy a large number of flowers from one flower shop, as that would indeed attract other people's attention. Although records from other flower shops may not be found, the suspect must have been to this funeral flower shop.

It is indeed surprising that the suspect deliberately bought different flowers from different places, but now is not the time to think about these.

Zhao Leiting asked his boss: "Does the boss still remember that person? Does he live nearby?"

The boss seemed to think for a moment and said, "I don't really have any impression of him. I just remember he was about 25 or 26 years old. He wore a black cap and a black mask. He coughed occasionally. Maybe he had a cold. People who come to buy flowers from me are usually in poor condition, so I don't care that much."

"Where are the clothes?" Meng Siqi asked.

"I don't really remember." The boss thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "People were coming and going to buy flowers, and I didn't pay much attention to his clothes."

"So when did he come here and what did he say at that time? Do you remember?"

The boss seemed to be thinking about something, and then he took out a ledger from the drawer and scratched it with his fingers. After a while, he pointed his finger and said, "Found it. It's the evening of March 24th."

Zhao Leiting picked up the notebook and they looked at it together. The handwriting on the account book should be written by the boss, and it did record the purchase of white roses and white camellia flowers on the evening of the 24th.

The museum murder occurred on March 26th. March 24th is indeed a very sensitive date.

"What did he say?" Meng Siqi asked again.

"His voice was a little hoarse, as if he had a cold. He asked for two pots of flowers. After I packed them, he paid directly without saying anything else."

Without asking for more details, Zhao Leiting wrote down a phone number and the two of them went out together. It was already evening.

This area has a cool feeling because it is close to the crematorium.

In addition to funeral flower shops, you will definitely see paper people if you look around casually. Some shops even put paper people at the door for sales promotion. They have white bodies and black eyes, which are quite scary at first glance.

In the distance, green flames were dancing up and down. Meng Siqi swallowed and said, "Zhao Leiting, that can't be a ghost."

Zhao Leiting also swallowed: "Don't scare me, our people's police can't be superstitious."

"Why is it still beating?"

"Why don't we go and take a look?" Zhao Leiting was also curious.

Perhaps because they had been doing criminal investigation for a long time, the two of them were determined to find out the truth. Zhao Leiting took a few steps forward and suddenly stopped, which scared Meng Siqi. "What are you doing?"

Zhao Lei Ting was about to back out: "Forget it, let's go back. We have to report such an important matter to Team Lu early tomorrow morning."

"So you don't want to know the truth."

"I think it doesn't matter if I know the truth. I don't believe in superstition, I believe in science."

"Come on, you're just scared."

Zhao Leiting licked his lips after his lie was exposed. "I admit that I was afraid of the dark and walking at night when I was a child, but for you, I am willing to go through this journey."

Meng Siqi was torn between fear and curiosity. Perhaps the truth meant more to her.

Just as Zhao Leiting took a step forward, suddenly, a sinister voice came from behind Meng Siqi: "Hello."

Meng Siqi held her breath and slowly turned her head. In the dark night, she saw a cold and desolate face with green face, fangs and disheveled hair. She stepped back in fear and bumped into Zhao Leiting.

Zhao Leiting shrank his neck, held her arm, and asked carefully: "Who are you?"

The man replied: "I have some candles and paper money here. I'll sell the last few to you at a lower price."

Meng Siqi's body, which had been so frightened that her legs went limp, suddenly stood up straight. She really wanted to go up and scold the man, asking why he came out to scare people in the middle of the night.

Looking closely, I saw that he was indeed holding candles and paper money in his hands. His hair was a little long, but not disheveled. In the dim night, his face did look a little green. Coupled with the shadows cast by the night light through the branches on his facial features, it was easy to associate him with a green face and fangs.

This is actually a funeral area. When she thought about it this way, everything seemed normal. It was she who was abnormal.

Zhao Leiting said: "We are not buying it, but we want to ask one thing, what is that flame?" He pointed to the flame in the green mist in the distance.

"There's a cemetery here, so it's not normal to have will-o'-the-wisps."

Meng Siqi felt that she was a bit boring. As a people's policeman, she was actually afraid of will-o'-the-wisp. She had no scientific spirit. She must reflect on herself.

In the car on the way back, both of them were silent, as if the "ghost fire" incident today had exposed their "weaknesses".

After a while, Zhao Leiting said seriously: "The human body is mainly composed of three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but there are also small amounts of phosphorus, sulfur, and iron. Human bones are rich in calcium phosphide. After the corpse decays and undergoes changes, it will produce hydrogen phosphide. The ignition point of hydrogen phosphide is very low and it can spontaneously combust. If a person or animal passes by, the air flow rate at the bottom of the feet is fast and the pressure is low, and the phosphorus fire will follow. If you look closely, you might think it's a flying ghost."

"Don't say it, I know you are scared."

Zhao Lei Ting licked his lips and said, "I told you, I'm not afraid. I've given you all the basic knowledge... I'm a criminal policeman. I'm afraid. Am I afraid? I believe in science..."

Amid Zhao Leiting's muttering, Meng Siqi yawned helplessly, feeling a little sleepy. "Zhao Leiting, send me home and call me."

"Go to sleep. You're very tired today. It's already past nine o'clock. But I hope you don't tell anyone about what happened today. After all, there are still many girls pursuing me at that time..."

"You're such a tight talker. I wonder which girl would be attracted to you..."

“…”

The next morning, Meng Siqi got on the bus. Unlike the usual quietness, today there were two passengers in the back seat who were discussing the murder case in the museum. Although their voices were not loud, they were particularly harsh in the dull bus.

One of the men in particular said: "I heard that the murderer wrote a letter to the newspaper, saying that he was looking for a second person. This is a blatant provocation to social media and the market..."

"Who told you that?" There was someone in the car who was clear-headed and immediately interrupted him.

"Nonsense?" the man said confidently, "My friend is in the newspaper office, how dare I say nonsense..."

"Which newspaper? I'm a reporter, how come I don't know?"

The man retorted: "Why should I tell you that even a reporter of your level may not be able to receive a letter from the murderer..."

A quarrel immediately broke out in the bus. If it weren't for the fact that there were so many people and the two people were some distance apart, they would have been able to talk only through the air.

Meng Siqi didn't know about this news. If he had, the police would definitely have known it first. However, he did not deny that the murderer had contacted the newspaper and made such remarks. After all, the murderer had provoked the police twice.

Of course, it is not ruled out that some newspapers create all kinds of false news in order to attract traffic.

However, in the midst of all kinds of true and false news, the most worrying things are ordinary citizens. Meng Siqi can clearly see a vague worry and fear on their faces.

She could imagine that everyone living in such a city would be worried about whether there would be hidden dangers around them when they heard about the headless dismemberment case and the murderer's identity was very mysterious. What they feared most was the sentence, "The murderer is right next to you."

Meng Siqi also knew that there was no way to effectively stop these true and false remarks. The only way was to solve the case as soon as possible. The moment she got off the bus, she felt particularly heavy-hearted.

As soon as she took the first step into the police station, her heart began to tense up. In the morning, she saw Lu He. Lu He had a serious expression and it was obvious that he, like her, was worried about the case.

Ten minutes later, Lu He convened an emergency meeting and members of Criminal Police Team 1 and Team 2 rushed to the meeting room.

Nine people immediately gathered in the conference room and surrounded the crime board.

As requested, Liang Yunfeng wrote down all the clues that everyone had investigated on the new crime board.

Next to the crime board was a partial city map with a dark red circle in the upper center and a clear name marked in red pen, which was the address of the museum.

Cai Shuangxi and Lin Tao first reported on their investigation of the trolleys and suitcases.

Lin Tao said: "The suitcase must have been purchased a long time ago. We searched many luggage stores and did find similar luggage, but there was no purchase record."

Cai Shuangxi added: "Captain Lu, this suitcase is not a big brand and is not expensive, so you can find similar ones in luggage stores of all sizes. In addition, the suitcase has been used for a long time, so there is no purchase record at all."

"Where's the cart?" Lu He asked.

"There is news." Lin Tao picked up the notebook and said, "This kind of trolley is quite common, but hard to buy. However, we found a clue in a small supermarket. It said that a trolley was lost at the door before the supermarket closed on the evening of the 23rd. However, the cost was not high, so no one cared."

Luo Xiaoguo said: "Yes, Lin Tao told me the information yesterday. You were not there at the time, so I immediately took the photo to the supermarket to check. The supermarket owner confirmed that this trolley is very similar to their supermarket. Although it is not 100% confirmed, we think it is likely to be the one."

"Yeah." Lu He nodded, his thin lips slightly pursed with beautiful lines, and his eyes revealed his affirmation of the work of the three people. In Meng Siqi's opinion, that kind of look can indeed give people encouragement in the midst of stressful work.

Perhaps Lu He was born with such a temperament, and a glance could convey a kind of power, which should be the power accumulated from his long years of striving to hunt killers and pursue excellence.

Lu He said, "Very good, this supermarket called Xiaotian is not too far from the museum."

Liang Yunfeng drew the location of the supermarket on the crime board. He pointed to the map and said, "It's about ten kilometers away."

"Hmm." Lu He glanced at everyone again, "Anything else?"

His eyes fell on Luo Xiaoguo's face, and Luo Xiaoguo couldn't wait to say: "Yes, an important discovery, Yan Chun and I... Lao Feng, during the investigation, found an anime-style clothing store, there are similar to the suspect's small ugly clothes, after investigation, the suspect is likely to have bought the clothes from there. Yan Chun, give the address to Xiao Liang."

Yan Chun immediately handed a piece of paper to Liang Yunfeng, and Liang Yunfeng drew a circle somewhere on the map.

"Good." Lu He showed a satisfied look, and then asked, "How is the head search going?"

Luo Xiaoguo licked his lips and turned his head slightly to look away. Luo Xiaoguo and Feng Shaomin were looking for clues about the head. In fact, this clue was the most important. As long as the head was found, the identity of the deceased could be confirmed quickly. Of course, it could also be the most difficult clue.

Judging from Luo Xiaoguo's expression, it is highly likely that no one has found the head. Feng Shaomin took the initiative to say, "Team Lu, Lao Luo Yanchun and I have searched all the waste stations, garbage dumps, and trash cans within seven or eight kilometers around the museum, and we have also interviewed the workers who manage the underground waterways in various communities, but we have not found the head yet."

"Okay, Lao Feng, you guys have worked hard too." Lu He's voice was magnetic and a little hoarse, which made people feel comfortable listening to it.

The head is a crucial clue, and the search must be very difficult. If it was found, it would not be discussed at this meeting. Lu He should have anticipated this, so there was no change in his emotions, but there was a hint of comfort for Feng Shaomin in his eyes.

Feng Shaomin said, "Captain Lu, don't worry, we will think of a solution later."

Lu He finally turned his attention to Meng Siqi. Meng Siqi and Zhao Leiting had agreed last night that he would be the one to report the clues today.

Zhao Leiting picked up the notebook and was about to speak when a man walked in from the door with a gust of wind.

Cai Shuangxi was the first to turn around, "Director Liu?"

When they heard Director Liu's name, everyone looked towards the door. Director Liu had a serious expression and walked quickly to everyone. Everyone quickly made way for him.

Liu Maoping faced the crime board and Lu He directly. He said in a serious tone: "I shouldn't have disturbed your meeting, but the current situation is very serious. I received two calls from the provincial department last night. This case is no longer just a murder case. Not only Jinyang City, but also Haijiang Province is under the shadow of the case. The people are full of panic and many large exhibitions and gatherings have been temporarily closed..."

Liu Maoping suddenly raised his voice: "The original plan of solving the case in ten days has to be scrapped. I demand that you solve the case within two days. There is no room for negotiation!"

Liu Maoping's tone was firm and no one dared to question it. Everyone had a look of uneasiness on their faces. This was his order and also a military order.

However, Lu He's expression was as hard as iron and his eyes were as sharp as torches. At a moment when everyone felt uneasy, he was the only one who remained upright and calm.

The heaviness in Meng Siqi's heart was slowly alleviated because of Lu He's calmness. In the dark moment, she believed in Lu He and believed that he could lead them to solve the unsolved case.

The next second, she heard Lu He say, "Director Liu, give me one day!"

Not only was she shocked, but everyone present was shocked.