Murder in a Secret Room B&B (19)

After arresting Gui Xiangyang, Meng Siqi stayed overnight in the police station because it was too late. She woke up at dawn the next day, washed up, and prepared for a busy day of work. The most crucial thing next was to find evidence of Gui Xiangyang's murder.

Feng Shaomin and his men also rushed to the office early in the morning. Before the morning work began, a police officer rushed into the office and said, "Brother Feng, Gui Xiangyang has been clamoring to meet the Han team and is making a lot of noise."

"Can he see whoever he wants to see?" Feng Shaomin refused coldly, and the police officer had no choice but to leave.

"Wait a minute." Feng Shaomin said, "Let's interrogate Gui Xiangyang now and see what he wants to say."

"good."

More than 20 minutes later, in the interrogation room, Meng Siqi met Gui Xiangyang again. This time, Feng Shaomin directly sat in the presiding judge's seat.

Gui Xiangyang looked restless, he patted the table, "Feng Shaomin, do you think I don't know you? Call my brother-in-law, I want to see my brother-in-law."

"Gui Xiangyang, I advise you to be honest. Your brother-in-law has been suspended from his job. He can't help you at all now. Besides, even if you find him, he will punish you according to the law. You have been bullying others outside these years, and you must have mentioned his name a lot."

"What the hell did you say!" Gui Xiangyang was furious, "How can you slander my brother-in-law?" Feng Shaomin put his hands on the table and responded in a tough manner: "I warn you, tell the truth about the murder of Kong Qushan. The law is not merciful, and you can't get away with what you have done!"

"Feng Shaomin, you are getting more and more confused as you get older. Last time I said I didn't recognize you, but you have aged so much. I have wanted to scold you for a long time. Don't you know the mistakes you made back then? Otherwise, the position of captain would not have been my brother-in-law's turn. My brother-in-law is suspended today, and you want to be the captain again to have a taste of it, right?"

"You!" Feng Shaomin's momentum of confrontation suddenly froze, his eyes suddenly turned red, and his dry lips slightly opened a few times, as if he was in a stalemate.

Meng Siqi saw this and was worried about Feng Shaomin's situation, but he was always very calm. She was also confused by Gui Xiangyang's words. She didn't understand what Gui Xiangyang meant by "mistake". In her eyes, Feng Shaomin was an old policeman who was very strict with himself. Moreover, if he had made a mistake, he would not be sitting in this position today.

Then this mistake may not be a violation of the law, but just a wrong thing that Feng Shaomin did. That wrong thing may have dealt a heavy blow to him. If it weren't for that thing, perhaps he would at least be a deputy captain today.

However, Meng Siqi did not have the habit of prying into other people's private affairs. In her opinion, Gui Xiangyang was simply trying to stir up trouble and conflict to gain psychological satisfaction.

While she was thinking, Tang Xiaochuan suddenly stood up and warned Gui Xiangyang: "Gui Xiangyang, I warn you, don't say anything nonsense. Why are you so arrogant? We will definitely bring you to justice!"

"I'm waiting for you to find evidence. If you suspect that I have killed someone, and you suspect that turtle grandson, then go find him. Find Kong Qushan and his body!"

Gui Xiangyang grinned and said, "You thought I was a vegetarian and you wanted to punish me with just a few words. You are still young!"

The air suddenly became very heavy.

"The interrogation is over." Feng Shaomin stood up, his tone heavy, without looking at Gui Xiangyang, "You stay here obediently for 24 hours."

"Okay, I'll cooperate, fully. Find the evidence quickly, Captain Feng!"

However, back in the office, in front of the crime board, Meng Siqi felt that everyone's mood seemed to have fallen to the bottom. Kong Qushan was murdered eight years ago. Not to mention the body, there might not be any clues left. The former textile factory has now become a wholesale area. It is impossible to find anything. Moreover, the police had already conducted an investigation at that time. Do they have to dig up the place thoroughly?

When Feng Shaomin stepped out of the interrogation room, his expression returned to calm. He calmly asked everyone, "What do you think Gui Xiangyang will do with the body?"

Tang Xiaochuan said: "Burying them is the most direct way. The textile factory is so large, who knows where they are buried? If the textile factory is demolished, the bodies may be buried deep down."

Feng Shaomin frowned, "It's not impossible, but the police had already done a round of investigation at the time. It was done by the local police station and colleagues from the municipal bureau. It was a large-scale investigation, and there were police dogs to help."

Zhao Leiting said: "If it is not in the factory, then is it near Gui Xiangyang's residence? There is a theory that the murderer will hide the evidence in a place he is familiar with. This is convenient and safe, so that he can have complete control."

Feng Shaomin picked up the file again and said, "You are right. The police considered Gui Xiangyang as a suspect at the time, so the area around his home was carefully checked."

"What about the area near Long Shanwen's home?" Zhao Leiting suggested again.

“All of them were within the scope of the survey at that time.”

Zhao Lei Ting couldn't help but sigh: "In that case, Gui Xiangyang really has the courage to face our interrogation. As long as he doesn't speak, then everything will become a mystery."

Feng Shaomin said: "So, this is the most difficult part of this case. If Gui Xiangyang remains a suspect, Han may never be able to return to his job, which is also very troublesome."

Everyone was a little depressed for a while. Feng Shaomin glanced at Meng Siqi. She had been silent just now, maybe she had some thoughts. He asked, "Where's Xiao Meng?"

Meng Siqi had indeed been thinking, but her thinking direction was the same as theirs, so she could only answer: "Master, I don't have any ideas for the time being."

Feng Shaomin nodded. After a while, he glanced at everyone and said, "You can't just wait here. I have some ideas. If you think the body may be buried in a limited place, is it possible that the body is hidden in a special place, such as a box that no one has ever turned over, the bottom of a well, or a cellar? The body is built into the wall? I encountered a case before where the body was mixed into cement. These are all ways to hide corpses."

Feng Shaomin's words made Meng Siqi startled. She thought of Lu He unconsciously. In the original world, Lu He's bones were hidden in an oil drum filled with cement, so they had not been found for so many years. She couldn't help but feel a vague sense of uneasiness in her heart.

Seeing that no one responded, Feng Shaomin said, "Everyone should split up this morning and go to the old textile factory site and the family building to revisit it and ask if there were any strange things that happened or any strange smells, and try to find some useful clues."

Everyone understood Feng Shaomin's idea and agreed. Feng Shaomin and Meng Siqi went to the old family building. Several police officers also participated in the visit.

However, things have changed and many of the family buildings have been demolished and new houses have been built. Therefore, we can only visit some elderly people who used to work in the textile factory.

After a round of inquiries, no useful clues were found. The closure of the textile mill that year was a farce that happened out of the blue and ended in a farce. Perhaps many people are concerned about their own destiny and future, so who would pay attention to things that have nothing to do with them?

At noon, the four of them met in a small restaurant, dragging their tired bodies. No one had gained anything and their faces looked depressed.

Feng Shaomin had no choice but to order that the scope be expanded in the afternoon and more people be sent to walk around the textile factory and the old site of the family building.

After an afternoon of visiting, the harvest was still empty and there were no clues. Feng Shaomin looked at the bustling wholesale area in the distance, and then looked at the family building that had been renovated long ago. Everything had changed, just like a movie ended, the people were gone, and there was no image left. His brows gradually wrinkled into a "川" shape.

Meng Siqi was standing next to him, watching the golden sunset in the sky. The day was about to pass, and Gui Xiangyang would complete twenty-four hours in the evening and be released without charge.

She knew that Feng Shaomin was unwilling to accept this, and so was she. However, criminal investigation work sometimes forced one to face regrets. Unsolved cases were something that police officers would worry about throughout their lives. Some cases were never solved until the end of their lives, just like her father, who was still reciting a few cases before his death.

When Meng Xinghai was lying on the hospital bed, he tried to comfort himself with a smile, but he was actually saying something completely different. "That little girl was so young, her parents died, and no evidence has ever been found... The serial murder case has been going on for many years, and I'm afraid the murderer is dead, but the family members haven't seen him brought to justice yet... The dismemberment case at the university..."

He said a lot of things like this. He died with regrets. Meng Siqi didn't understand at the time. She thought her father was just a job, so why didn't he let her go before he died.

But today, she seemed to understand that maybe she would be like her father, and have her own unfulfilled wish before she died.

A half-moon hung on the treetops in the evening, like a layer of gauze covering the blue night mist. A romantic couple walked closely together on the road.

This is a three-story community. From the third floor of a building in the corridor, there were sounds of crying.

Han Changlin heard the sound in the room and felt a headache. He sat on the wooden floor of the bedroom, resting his head on the wall, looking at the night outside the window, feeling cold in his heart.

Zhang Yajing walked over quietly and handed him a glass of water.

Han Changlin took the cup and asked, "Zhang Ya..."

"Hush!" Zhang Ya motioned with her hand for him to speak in a low voice.

Han Changlin said nothing and drank the glass of water directly.

Zhang Ya walked into the room, closed the door quietly, and sat down next to Han Changlin. Their arms were close together. Zhang Ya whispered, "Don't think too much. Wait a little longer."

"I see Zhang Hui has been crying for the whole afternoon. If I don't show up, I might become the biggest sinner in your family in the future."

Outside the door, Zhang Hui had been knocking on the door since around two o'clock in the afternoon, saying that only her brother-in-law could save Xiangyang. She also said that someone had seen her brother-in-law return home, and if her brother-in-law didn't save her, she would jump into the river.

This alarmed the property management in the community, and they came over to persuade Zhang Hui and notified Zhang Hui's parents. At five o'clock, Xu Lanfang also came over and persuaded Zhang Hui to go home while scolding Han Changlin as a good-for-nothing.

But Zhang Hui was stubborn and refused to leave even though she was crying. She insisted that her brother-in-law give her an answer as to whether he should save her brother-in-law or not.

At this moment, her voice came from the unsoundproof door again: "Brother-in-law, if I have done anything wrong to you in the past, I will use a knife to cut my flesh to pay you back. Please help Xiangyang, just this once..."

Han Changlin was frightened when he heard this and took another sip of water, but the cup was already empty.

Zhang Ya grabbed his wrist and whispered, "Zhang Hui was like this when she was little, always competitive. She would cry if my grades were better than hers or my clothes were prettier than hers, so my mother spoiled her since she was little, and I was quite tolerant of her..."

Han Changlin always felt that the sisters were somewhat competitive. He didn't understand why sisters who grew up together were always comparing themselves to each other.

Zhang Ya said, "But I was very hardworking. My family didn't have to worry about my academic performance. I did better in school than she did, and I also did better at work than she did. I had just met you at that time, and I really pissed her off. She told my mom at home that she was determined to find a boyfriend who was a hundred times better than you."

Han Changlin smiled. In his confused mood, he was amused by Zhang Ya's words. However, seven or eight years ago, he worked in the Municipal Bureau and had a stable job. He was a real civil servant. Zhang Hui felt that her sister had found a good partner, and with her personality, she would definitely be jealous.

Thinking of this, Han Changlin held Zhang Ya's hand in return. He felt that he held a very important position in Zhang Ya's heart, and this was something he was proud of.

Zhang Ya said: "So, she later found Gui Xiangyang without getting to know him at all, because Gui Xiangyang was rich. Her eyes were shining at that time, and she wanted the whole world to know that she had found a rich man."

"If I was interested in money, how could I have followed you then..." Zhang Ya looked at him deliberately, and because her voice was intentionally lowered, her eyes seemed to have some of the charm of her youth.

Han Changlin rubbed her palms. He remembered that Zhang Ya once said that marrying a people's policeman was the happiest thing for her.

However, Zhang Hui's crying and Xu Lanfang's insults outside also made him upset.

Zhang Ya comforted her, saying, "Don't go out. If you go out and can't help, she will hate you for the rest of her life."

Han Changlin understood what she meant. Instead of pretending to be a good person, he might as well pretend to be deaf and dumb. Otherwise, he would be hated for the rest of his life just as Zhang Ya said. He didn't mind it, but Zhang Ya had to go home, so he had to consider her feelings.

However, after this incident, Han Changlin also had some thoughts in his mind. He said calmly: "Zhang Ya, if Gui Xiangyang really gets into trouble, I will resign as captain."

Zhang Ya got anxious for a moment, but she didn't dare to get angry loudly, so she twisted his arm hard.

While he was enduring the pain, she yelled at him with her eyes, "Just try it. You and Gui Xiangyang have never had any contact. If you try it, I will divorce you..."

Han Changlin regretted telling Zhang Ya his thoughts, but he had made this decision long ago. He could not tolerate living under the same roof with a murderer for eight years, and he was the captain of the criminal police. If he told others about it, he would be laughed at.

Although Gui Xiangyang has not been convicted yet, he has experienced many cases like this, and it is just a matter of whether he can find evidence.

Outside the house, Zhang Ya's sister Zhang Hui lay on the doorway crying heartbrokenly, her tears almost dried up.

People in the community saw Han Changlin return home, but the people inside refused to respond. If it were any other time, she would have scolded him, but today was different. The only person in the world who could save Xiangyang was Han Changlin.

She just heard today that Gui Xiangyang was taken away by the police. She didn't take it seriously because Gui Xiangyang would sometimes go out to discuss business and stay at the company at night. But the next day, someone from the company called home and asked if Gui was at home. She panicked, and after asking around, she found out that Gui Xiangyang was taken away by the police.

She rushed to the police station early in the morning to confirm the situation, only to find out that Gui Xiangyang was involved in a murder case. It was the first time she heard of such a big thing, and she almost fainted at the time.

She knew Gui Xiangyang very well. He was a bit smooth-talking, but he was honest and career-oriented. Although he was busy at work, he could still take time to take care of the children and was willing to buy her expensive clothes and jewelry. How could he kill someone?

She knew Xiang Yang's character. Although he looked bad on the outside, he was very enthusiastic at heart and was not a bad person at all. In her mind, Xiang Yang would never do such a stupid thing. Wasn't she still waiting for him to come back and tutor Tiantian?

But she was also worried that something might happen to Xiang Yang. Xiang Yang often offended people when doing business outside, and someone might slander and frame him, which was completely impossible to prevent. If the police believed the rumors and convicted Xiang Yang, she would not know how to live in the future. Perhaps only her brother-in-law could save him.

She looked up at Xu Lanfang with tears in her eyes, "Mom, if Xiangyang is framed, how will I live in the future?"

"Rong, your crying makes me feel bad. Xiangyang is a good child. Don't worry, he will be fine." Xu Lanfang tried to comfort her, and complained to the door, deliberately letting people inside hear, "I have never seen such a cold-blooded person. We are still a family. I usually give him all the good food and clothes. Look, does he know how to repay the favor?"

At this time, there were several children standing in the corridor and on the stairs, watching the excitement. Occasionally, an adult would come over and pull the children to eat, but they would be replaced by another group. Anyway, there were always a few spectators.

They didn't seem to understand the adult world, they just thought this family was more interesting than in TV dramas.

The lights were all on in the neighborhood, except for Han Changlin's house, which was still dark, as if there was no one in the house at all.

After a while, an imported Mercedes-Benz stopped downstairs. The man got out, loosened his tie, and walked up the stairs in high-end leather shoes. He saw the children leaning on the stair railings to watch the excitement, and waved his hand, "Get lost!"

The children were frightened and crawled down the stairs around his tall figure.

Zhang Hui heard the voice and turned around suddenly. The tears, anxiety and despair on her face disappeared immediately. The person standing at the entrance of the stairs had his hands in his pockets and said in a sad tone: "Home, Zhang Hui."

"Are you okay?" Zhang Hui wanted to get up, but her legs and feet suddenly felt numb. Xu Lanfang quickly pulled up one of her arms.

Gui Xiangyang quickly ran up to her and picked her up. "Wife, when did you ever see me doing anything wrong? I have a strong life. I can't be framed by a few idle words."

Zhang Hui burst into laughter and punched him, "You are such a bastard. If you really killed someone, I would cut you into pieces."

Gui Xiangyang's expression froze for a moment, then he smiled again: "Okay, is it like five horses dismembering the body or chopping melons and vegetables?"

"You're still being naughty with me!"

"Go home, go home." Xu Lanfang said. The three of them were about to go downstairs. Xu Lanfang was so angry that she turned back and pounded on the door twice, "I warn you, Han Changlin, don't come to this house again in the future..."

Han Changlin in the bedroom was frightened when he heard this, but Zhang Ya smiled and said a little louder this time: "You are so afraid of my mother."

"Love the house and love the dog."

Zhang Ya smiled even more: "This is great, Gui Xiangyang is back home, and we are free too."

"Hey, Zhang Ya, why do I feel like my waist can't move these few days without work?"

"You're almost 40, and you still think you're young?"

"We are not weak in stamina, come on—"

"I'm telling you, have you any shame?"

It was getting dark outside. Gui Xiangyang held Zhang Hui's hand and walked on the way home. Zhang Hui said, "Mom, you have seen what kind of person my brother-in-law is. I don't want to see him in this house anymore."

"Don't worry, can I allow him to enter this house?"

"Oh, it's not a big deal, just take it easy." Gui Xiangyang said with a smile.

"You don't know how much they bully people. We are still a family. I have already knelt down." Zhang Hui's eyes were red again. "How can they bully people like this?"

Xu Lanfang said: "People like this think that since they are leaders, they must use their power to gain authority. Tell me, what kind of people are they?"

"She is nothing." Zhang Hui gritted her teeth and said, "When my sister fell in love with him, I told her that he was a policeman, but what did he have? He was poor and didn't care about the family. He had lived in this old house for many years, but he was still worse off than the workers of Xiangyang Company. Didn't my sister suffer with him on weekdays? Now, he sees me being bullied and hides away to watch the show. His daughter will have to go to college in the future and she will need money. Xiangyang, if he asks you to borrow money in the future, you'd better hold on tight. You can't lend money to any kid..."