Red Makeup Serial Murder Case (5)

The next morning was a sunny day. The sun shone on the streets of Jinyang City. Rainwater had accumulated on the road, forming puddles of varying sizes. Car wheels rolled over the road, splashing water.

The water pools reflected colorful lights, and the streets and alleys looked like countless crystal clear flowers blooming.

Three little boys were playing football on an empty street. Today was a school holiday. Perhaps because of the continuous rain, they could no longer wait to play and started playing football outside at around nine in the morning.

The three of them were having a great time chasing each other, and the cheerful voices of the children were also echoing outside a construction site on the roadside.

It was a construction site under construction, and the outside was covered with green nets. Due to the continuous rain, the green nets were filled with water and were falling down.

The building is surrounded by scaffolding made of bamboo and wood, which are intertwined with each other. Suddenly, behind the scaffolding is a dark world, which seems to be another world isolated from the outside world.

Parents warn their children not to go into construction sites, as there might be demons and monsters inside. But children aged seven or eight know that their parents are worried about their safety, so they won’t go there to play.

When three people were playing football, everyone wanted to kick the ball far. They even set up a ball hoop with bamboo discarded from the construction site. Whoever kicked the ball into the hoop would score.

"Boom!" A chubby little boy used all his strength and the ball flew past the hoop.

Passing through the bamboo scaffolding of the building, I flew into the dark building.

"Shao Chao, who told you to kick the ball in?" A taller boy asked him angrily.

The chubby little boy looked aggrieved.

The thinner kid said, "It's just a football. Just go pick it up."

The tall kid said, "My family has told us many times not to go into construction sites. If a brick falls, it might hit you on the head."

The thin kid said, "It's okay. The workers are working in there all the time."

“He’s wearing a helmet!”

"I'll pick it up!" The chubby little boy named Shao Chao walked towards the construction site.

"Shao Chao!" the tall boy called him.

Shao Chao walked straight in and found that the ground was full of cement lumps. He crawled in clumsily and his uncoordinated body hit the scaffolding. A layer of raindrops fell from above his head, wetting his back.

The two little boys standing outside were both startled.

Shao Chao went inside. It was empty, but not as dark as he had imagined. The sunlight from outside shone in, dividing the large area inside into a mottled world.

He looked around and finally found the football. It was lying next to a pile of short bamboos that were scattered all over the place. He quickly ran over, bent down and picked up the football.

He wanted to go back and tell his friends that there was no devil in here like his parents had said.

When he stood up and raised his head, he was suddenly stunned.

There was a man lying behind the pile of bamboo.

He stepped back suddenly, was tripped by a bamboo on the ground, and rolled to the ground, "Ah..." Shao Chao was scared to death.

He ran outside desperately and saw with his own eyes a woman who was as white as death, with bulging pupils looking upwards, her body dotted with red makeup, her black hair spread out, and underneath her was a wet red cloth.

That look reminded him of the female ghost on TV. Shao Chao rolled and crawled out, screaming "Ghost, ghost!"

*

"Beep, beep, beep..." Three police cars rushed towards a place called Guangming Road near the city TV station.

Meng Siqi was sitting in one of the police cars. She felt a little uneasy. From the moment she got in the car, her heart was in a knot.

In the morning, she was still sorting out notes in the second team's office when Cai Shuangxi suddenly ran over and said, "Xiao Meng, the police are out. It's the third makeup case!"

At that moment, the pen in Meng Siqi's hand fell down, and she seemed to be stunned.

She remembered that there were two makeup murders last year and early this year. Six months later, the third case happened. Everything always caught people off guard.

The murderer of the Hongzhuang serial murder case is extremely perverted and has strong anti-detection ability. To this day, not even a single clue has been left. Moreover, this case is related to Lu He's fate.

Meng Siqi walked into the police car almost in a state of trepidation. Fortunately, Lu He was in the car in front and could not tell her mood.

Soon, the car arrived at a construction site on Guangming Road. Meng Siqi pushed the door and got out of the car. In front of him was the street scene after the rain. Apart from the construction site under construction, there were buildings nearby that were close to each other. This was not the city center and the houses were not densely populated, but Meng Siqi could see the mountains in the distance. In the rain, the mountains looked misty and extremely beautiful.

If it weren't for this case, this place would always be peaceful and beautiful.

A cordon has surrounded the construction site, and several police officers who were to seal off the scene have arrived here in advance to work, including Da Cheng.

This is a three-story building under construction, surrounded by green nets and scaffolding. It is almost impossible to see clearly inside, it is pitch black. The body should be inside. The murderer found a very hidden place to dump the body.

No, this should be the place where the murderer committed the crime, because it has been raining recently, and the murderer must find a dry and sheltered place to commit the crime. This place is very suitable for him, hidden and sheltered from the rain. In the sound of rain, any criminal behavior he commits will not be heard by the surrounding residents. What's more, the houses in this place are sparsely populated and it is quite a distance away from the residential area.

"Siqi." Lu He's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, and he walked towards her from the front.

Meng Siqi turned his head slightly from the view of the building and replied, "Road team."

"Let's go in and take a look together." Lu He looked at her. He was very calm. It should be said that he was always very calm. The way he looked at her did not even contain any emotion.

"Okay." Meng Siqi replied.

Lu He turned and walked towards the cordon. Meng Siqi followed him, looking at his back from time to time with a faint sadness. No matter what, this time, she must find out the truth and try her best to find the real culprit.

"Team Road, Xiao Meng." Da Cheng held a notebook in his hand, "I happened to be nearby today, and I rushed here to seal off the scene as soon as possible."

"Thank you for your hard work." Lu He said.

"This is what happened," Da Cheng said. "The person who called the police was the father of a child who lived nearby. The child's name was Shao Chao, and he was seven years old. Today, he was playing football here with two other friends. Shao Chao kicked the ball into the construction site. He went in alone to pick up the ball, and that's when he found the body."

Da Cheng licked his lips and continued, "We didn't go in at the scene. We immediately sealed it off. I used a flashlight to look from outside. From that angle," Da Cheng pointed to a place, probably southeast of the house, "you can see the body. You need to put something under your feet to see. The body is naked and has red patterns on it, which should be the characteristics of a red makeup case. This is basically the information we have so far. I have asked someone to notify the parents of the three children to take the children home and wait for inquiries."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Dacheng." Lu He said affirmatively.

"It's okay, Captain Lu. If you need anything else, I'll be there for you."

"good."

Lu He looked around. All the team members except Luo Xiaoguo were here today. He instructed, "Yan Chun, take Yunfeng to take statements from the three children, especially Shao Chao. Also, visit the residents nearby to see if they have seen any suspicious people or unusual situations in the past two days."

"Okay, team road." The two responded.

"Lin Tao, Shuang Xi, look around, especially at the routes around here, and simulate the routes the suspect might have taken. Also, check to see if any of the deceased's belongings were dumped nearby."

"Okay, team."

Meng Siqi understood that the murderer in the Hongzhuang case was extremely meticulous. Although the scene was very clean, it could not be ruled out that he would deal with evidence after leaving the scene, such as the identity card, wallet, and personal belongings that could prove the identity of the deceased.

If he really dumped the deceased's belongings nearby, it is very likely that the belongings contain fingerprints and other information that can identify the murderer. Finally, Lu He looked at Meng Siqi, "Siqi and I will go in and take a look first. Where are the shoe covers?"

Cai Shuangxi handed over the shoe covers and gloves. Meng Siqi took one and put it on.

Meng Siqi knew that Lu He must want to go in and see the truth as soon as possible. After all, the scene is of vital importance to the criminal police.

However, because the forensic doctor and trace investigators had not arrived yet, he could not let everyone in to prevent the crime scene from being damaged. Da Cheng was equally cautious and immediately sealed off the scene. He did not go in to check, but instead checked from outside.

It has been raining these days. If the murderer has entered the scene, his footprints are likely to be left there, which may be the key to solving the case.

The division of labor on site was completed, and everyone went to perform their tasks. Lu He raised the cordon, went in, and raised the cordon a little higher, waiting for her to go in.

Meng Siqi slightly bent his body and just barely brushed past Lu He's palm.

"Captain Lu, would the murderer have entered from here?" Standing in front of the tangled scaffolding, Meng Siqi felt that the murderer must have been holding or carrying someone on his back at the time, and it would not be easy for him to drag the other person into the scaffolding.

"Let's go in and take a look first."

Lu He first stepped one foot into the opening of the scaffolding, then turned sideways and easily squeezed in with his body extremely coordinated.

Meng Siqi followed, stepping in with one foot first, but she also bent her body and tried to jump in.

There were cement lumps everywhere, and when she jumped over, she found that there were sharp edges under her feet.

At that moment, Lu He seemed to be prepared. When she jumped over, he stretched out his hands and hugged her, held her arms, turned her 180 degrees and put her down.

Although only their palms touched, Meng Siqi felt a tingling sensation on her skin. She smelled the special woody scent on him again, which made her feel very peaceful. She knew that Lu He must want to help her at this time.

This was a criminal scene at this time and place. There was no room for any other emotions. Lu He's expression was calm and professional, and they also had to be professional.

After Lu He put her down, he slowly leaned over, looked at the ground, and said, "There are traces of a child's footprints here. Shao Chao must have passed through here."

Meng Siqi also saw clearly that although the cement floor was bumpy, it was covered with dust. There were incomplete footprints on the dust, about 20 centimeters long. They were the footprints of a seven-year-old child, but the footprints were very messy, which showed that the child had run away and was frightened.

"Siqi, let's try to avoid footprints. Just follow my steps." Lu He said as he walked in front.

"good."

Lu He walked forward cautiously, and Meng Siqi followed his footsteps and stepped forward. The body was behind the bamboo pile. This was the information received in advance, and Meng Siqi had just come in to check out the situation inside.

The inside of the building is rather empty, with a few large concrete pillars that seem to be load-bearing columns. Not much sunlight from outside can get in, and because of the green net, the inside appears green. But it is not entirely green, because the green net outside is incomplete, which may be related to the damage caused by wind and rain in recent days. Therefore, the sunlight near the bamboo pile did not filter through the green net and was brighter.

Meng Siqi still remembers that when she was a child, she also liked to follow her father's steps. She thought that this made her feel like she had grown up, because adults always had wider steps.

She never thought that one day she would follow in Lu He's footsteps and end up at a crime scene.

While she was looking around, Lu He had already walked to the bamboo pile and stopped, and Meng Siqi also walked behind him.

"Siqi, come and take a look."

Meng Siqi moved forward a few steps, and suddenly, the figure of the corpse fell into her sight.

Meng Siqi had seen photos of the victims in the previous two makeup cases, but observing them at such close range at the scene still left her instantly shocked.

This is a young girl. Although her skin color has changed, she can still be seen as a girl in her twenties.

She was lying on a wooden board, which should be the board used to store building materials on the construction site. The board was just the right length for an adult and about as high as a person's waist. If she lowered her head slightly, she could see two cylindrical oil drums underneath the board.

Oil drum? Meng Siqi's heart stagnated. This word made her feel uneasy.

The girl was lying on the wooden board. Her posture was very neat and quiet. She was almost lying flat, with her body straight, her legs together, her arms bent, and her palms overlapping and placed on her abdomen.

There was a piece of red cloth under her. No, Meng Siqi saw it clearly. It was a dress, but it was cut open in the middle of the front and the sleeves were also cut open. Then they were spread out on the wooden board. In addition to cutting open the dress, the murderer also cut open the victim's underwear. These clothes looked a little wet. She must have been caught in the rain yesterday.

Therefore, in Meng Siqi's eyes, the deceased was wearing clothes that were symmetrically spread to the sides, thus exposing the entire body of the deceased.

The deceased was extremely white from head to toe, or rather, pale. After death, the blood settled downwards, and the skin above became even paler.

The deceased's hair was also wet, but the murderer seemed to have done something with it. The hair was spread out nicely behind the head, and the hair near the ears was tied into small braids, with many strands neatly placed. It was unknown whether these small braids were tied before or after death. However, it seemed difficult to tie such small braids on wet hair, and she believed that the girl had braided them herself.

At first glance, her hair looks like a peacock spreading its tail. Because the girl's facial features are very delicate and she is wearing makeup, she looks extremely stunning at first glance.

The girl's facial features were mainly covered with red makeup, without any other colors. Her eyes were open. She had heard Chen Jierong's description of the deceased's eyeballs before. The deceased's eyeballs were quite chaotic, which meant that the time of death was not today during the day, but most likely last night, a rainy night.

There was red makeup around the eyes, on both sides of the nose, on the lips, and even in front of the ears and on the neck of the deceased, there were varying shades of red.

If a girl puts on normal makeup and applies this kind of red makeup on her face, it actually doesn't look good, at least it won't look natural.

But it is precisely because of the death and the red makeup that it looks weird and shocking.

Meng Siqi really couldn't think of a more appropriate word. She felt that the word "stunning" was enough to describe the scene before her.

The reason why it is so shocking is that it means the murderer spent a lot of time on it. Lu He once estimated that it took him an hour to put on makeup, and his makeup skills were very good. The texture of the red makeup on the left, right, top and bottom of the victim's face was very even.

In addition to her face, the girl also put on red makeup on her body, first on the clavicle area, then around the areola, and finally on the inner sides of her legs. Because her hands were placed on her abdomen, Meng Siqi guessed that there was also red makeup on her belly. Her fingers and elbows were also painted with red makeup, and then on the inner sides of her calves, ankles, and toes.

In short, the murderer painted almost her entire body in a way that could bring out the beauty of the deceased. It was because of the presence of these red makeups that the girl's skin was not simply cold and pale, but even looked a bit angry.

Meng Siqi feels that this kind of makeup pigment is a kind of lipstick, but the effect is not deep, so the color of the makeup is lighter. This color is a rosy red, which is more common in lipsticks.

Was it the lipstick on the deceased or was it on the murderer himself? All of this can only be known after the identity of the deceased is found. However, Meng Siqi believes that it is the latter because a similar color occurred in a previous case. The murderer should have been prepared. He would not wait until he captured the prey to check whether the other party has lipstick on him.

After seeing the corpse and the layout of the scene, Meng Siqi became more and more convinced that what the murderer did was extremely perverted, so perverted that it could be said to be creepy. The scene revealed almost no habits of the murderer, and he did not violate the deceased, at least judging from the first two cases and the appearance of the corpse in front of him.

He did not seem to hate the deceased, but was just performing a ceremony that he thought was extremely high-end. In fact, judging from the scene, the murderer did it, and it was extremely "high-end", even comparable to a "work of art". Perhaps this is the impression he wanted to leave on others.

"Siqi, look at the index finger of your left hand!" Lu He reminded her.

The girl placed her hands together on her abdomen, with her left hand underneath. Because of Lu He's reminder, she carefully looked at the fingers of her left hand that were pressed under her right hand. The nail of one of her fingers, the index finger, was not the red color from makeup, but a dark red. It was obvious that the nail on her left index finger had been pulled out.

Of the ten fingers, the deceased only had his left index finger nail removed. This had happened in the previous two cases, and the nail on the left index finger was removed in exactly the same way.

Lu He once speculated that the murderer wanted to leave an item from the deceased as a "show-off capital" for his serial crimes. As for why it was the nail of the left index finger, this cannot be determined. It is possible that the nail of the left index finger was pulled out during the first crime, and then he "followed the old ways" afterwards. This is because many serial killers have more or less some strange "obsessive-compulsive disorder".

While she was thinking, her eyes moved and she suddenly discovered something.

"Lu He, it seems that the murderer put makeup on the deceased before she died."

Lu He: “…”

He asked, “How did you know that?”