Red Makeup Serial Murder Case (9)

The next day at noon, Meng Siqi got into Zhao Leiting's car and went to his house together. On the way, Zhao Leiting said happily: "I called Yuting this morning. It turned out that her classmates told her about Huang Feixiang's apology posters posted at school. My sister was so happy that her cold was cured immediately. She insisted on coming to the police station to give you a banner today. I said your sister Siqi would come to see you at noon. She said she would get up to cook for you. I said forget it, don't burn the egg fried rice."

Meng Siqi laughed out loud. Every time she saw Zhao Leiting and his sister together, she felt particularly warm.

On the way, Zhao Leiting's tone became solemn: "Siqi, you are not here just to see my sister, right?"

Meng Siqi was stunned for a moment. She did not just come to see Zhao Yuting. Although Zhao Yuting was sick with a cold, there was no need for her to make this trip. A big reason for her visit was because of Zhao Yuting's interview at the TV station. However, she did not want Zhao Leiting to worry, so she planned to ask privately when she visited.

Since Zhao Leiting knew about it, she didn't want to hide it. "Yes, Yuting's interview the day before yesterday afternoon was highly coincidental with Tan Xiaoshuang's. If they met, then Yuting must have discovered something. This may be the key clue to the Hongzhuang case."

"Okay, since you're asking, I'll take your notes."

"Zhao Leiting, are you crazy?" Meng Siqi glanced at him coldly. She was not worried about whether Zhao Leiting should avoid suspicion, but because her brother questioning his sister would bring her psychological shadow. How would Yuting face her brother in the future?

"If you ask, wouldn't two people be more suitable?" Zhao Lei Ting retorted.

"You are her brother, so you shouldn't be among the questioners."

"Is it okay if I don't speak?"

"Instead, I'll ask Lu He to come along."

"I..." Zhao Leiting's eyes suddenly turned red, "I'm just worried about her... Maybe she'll feel better if I'm here."

Meng Siqi felt extremely uncomfortable instantly. If Yuting really saw something that day, she must have suffered psychological trauma when she learned that the girl who interviewed with her was murdered. Perhaps her brother could really help her relieve this anxiety. This might be what Zhao Leiting thought.

"Okay, but this is not a formal inquiry, do you understand Zhao Leiting? If necessary, I will apply for a formal inquiry with Lu He."

"I know."

The car soon arrived at Zhao Leiting's residential area. This was the first time we visited Zhao Leiting's home. We chose noon because Zhao Leiting's parents were at work.

Although the university did not have a holiday, Zhao Yuting had already received her diploma in advance and was in the process of looking for a job, so she had relatively free time.

This is a relatively prosperous residential area. Although it is not in the city center, it is obvious that the house price is not cheap. Meng Siqi doesn't know much about Zhao Leiting's family background, nor does he know about his parents' jobs, but he knows that his family is relatively wealthy. In the entire second team, Zhao Leiting is the only one who has a car.

Zhao Lei Ting parked the car in front of a building, opened the door, got out of the car and led her upstairs. This was a six-story building and his family lived on the fifth floor. After Zhao Lei Ting knocked on the door, it opened, revealing Zhao Yuting's smiling face, "Sister Siqi, you are finally here. Welcome to be my guest."

"Hello, Yuting." Meng Siqi smiled.

"Why are you up?" Zhao Lei Ting asked Meng Siqi as he walked in to get her slippers, "Are you well from your cold?"

"When I knew Sister Siqi was coming to visit my home, I suddenly came back to life."

After Meng Siqi changed her shoes, Zhao Yuting took Meng Siqi's hand and pulled her to the living room. "Sister Siqi, I prepared a lot of delicious food for you. I just squeezed mango juice for you. You should like to drink warm water. It's just right to drink it now while it's hot."

Meng Siqi couldn't refuse the invitation, but when he looked at the pile of snacks on the table, he swallowed slightly.

"Sister Siqi, please sit down and eat something." Zhao Yuting took her to the sofa and brought her a glass of hot mango juice.

"You are so lazy at home, but you are actually very attentive now." Zhao Leiting said with a smile.

"Brother, could you please stop calling me lazy in front of Sister Siqi?" Zhao Yuting glared at him.

Meng Siqi picked up the mango juice and said, "Thank you, Yuting. How did you know that I like mango tea?"

"Sister Siqi, I know you like to drink fruit tea. Next time I will make you a different kind. Unfortunately, I don't have much prepared today. Oh, I have something special and delicious. Wait for me."

"Hey Yuting, I just had lunch."

Zhao Yuting had already entered the bedroom. Zhao Leiting smiled at her and said, "She is just like that. She is spoiled."

"It's pretty good. I like it very much."

After a while, Zhao Yuting came back with a glass jar filled with colorful candies. Zhao Yuting grabbed a handful and put them in her hand. Meng Siqi found that the candy wrappers were written in foreign languages. Zhao Yuting said, "My dad brought this for me when he was on a business trip abroad. It's really delicious. Sister Siqi, you can take it back."

"Yuting, keep it for yourself."

"I will give you the best."

Meng Siqi was very touched, and she even remembered the last time Chen Jierong took away cakes for her. Zhao Yuting peeled off the candy wrapper for her and put a candy into her mouth.

Meng Siqi ate a piece of candy and found it very delicious, sweet and with a special sour taste.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Meng Siqi also observed Zhao Leiting's house. There was a wooden staircase leading to the upper floor. It should be that the fifth and sixth floors were bought and connected from top to bottom, so the living room was very large and the decoration was very luxurious. The bedrooms should be on the second floor.

Meng Siqi looked at the clock on the wall. It was already one o'clock in the afternoon. She had to end the visit quickly, otherwise Lu He would look for her.

But she didn't know how to start. The atmosphere at the moment was very good, and Zhao Yuting's face was full of happiness. Maybe she knew that Huang Feixiang had taken the initiative to admit his mistake and was very grateful to her. He wanted to keep the best mood for her. If she asked something about the tragedy at this time, she didn't know what the atmosphere would become.

"Yuting..." Just when Meng Siqi was in a dilemma, Zhao Leiting spoke up, "Your sister Siqi and I will go back to the police station right away, but there is something that sister Siqi wants to ask you, can you help answer it?"

Zhao Yuting probably didn't know what she was going to ask, so she smiled and asked, "Sister Siqi, just ask directly, and I will tell you everything."

Meng Siqi pursed her lips and took another sip of mango juice. The mango juice was a little cold. Zhao Yuting said, "Sister Siqi, I'll squeeze you another cup of hot juice."

"Yuting," Meng Siqi held her hand tightly, "Siqi, I have something to ask you. You've grown up and will be working soon. I hope you can remain calm like an adult when facing my questions."

Zhao Yuting seemed to realize something, and her smile slowly disappeared, but she still nodded obediently.

"Did you go to the city TV station for an interview on Thursday at noon?"

After asking this question, Zhao Yuting's expression changed. She must be the girl who couldn't hide things. Her eyes immediately looked as if she had been wronged. Meng Siqi knew that something must have happened that day.

Zhao Leiting had picked up the notebook, but now his expression showed worry. He kept paying attention to Zhao Yuting's face and bit his lips tightly.

"Yes, I did have an interview." Zhao Yuting replied, but her tone no longer had the joy as before.

Meng Siqi must have a good talk with Zhao Yuting, even if it will make Zhao Yuting feel uneasy, but finding the truth is her mission and she must make this sacrifice. Perhaps Zhao Leiting has the same idea.

"Yuting, don't be nervous." Meng Siqi gently rubbed the back of her hand. "If you saw anything, tell Sister Siqi, okay? You met Tan Xiaoshuang that day, right?"

"Tan Xiaoshuang?" Zhao Yuting's eyes were wide open, filled with unknown fear.

"The morning before yesterday, we found the body of Tan Xiaoshuang in a construction site about 800 meters away from the TV station. She was wearing a red dress and had her hair tied in a pigtail. She was about your age. She went to the TV station for an interview at noon on the 30th, just like you. You should have had the interviews one after the other, with you in front and her behind. But Tan Xiaoshuang disappeared after leaving the TV station. She should have been attacked on her way to the bus."

When Meng Siqi said this, Zhao Yuting's chest was heaving violently and her forehead was covered with sweat. She didn't look at anyone, but just lowered her head, at a loss.

"You left the TV station and went to the bus stop, which took at most half an hour. The murderer might have set an ambush on this road in advance. He might..." He might have chosen his prey randomly, but Meng Siqi didn't say it out loud. She didn't want Zhao Yuting to think that she might have been a prey.

"Yuting, think back, what did you see on your way back that day?"

Zhao Yuting kept her head down and didn't say anything. Zhao Leiting came over and sat on the other side of the sofa. He said softly, "Sister, don't be afraid. Sister Siqi is helping that girl find the truth. You will feel better if you speak it out, right?"

"I...I don't know how to say it." Zhao Yuting's voice became extremely weak.

Meng Siqi said: "Then let's start from the time you finished your interview and left the city TV station."

Zhao Yuting clenched her palms tightly. Because Meng Siqi was holding her hands, Meng Siqi could feel that she was exerting force, and her palms were sweaty.

"I had a bad interview that day and was in a bad mood. When I left the TV station, I saw her. She was wearing a red dress and had small braids on her ears. Is her name Tan Xiaoshuang? She bumped into me at the time, but we both gave each other blessings. Later, I went back with an umbrella. When I was about to reach the platform, I saw a person. He was wearing a raincoat. He should be a man. He was dragging a suitcase in his hand. I just thought it was strange to drag a suitcase in the rain, so I was a little nervous..."

Meng Siqi also felt strange about this box. Could it be the box that took Tan Xiaoshuang away? She didn't think much about it, because at this moment Zhao Yuting was already sweating profusely, her face was full of tension and anxiety, she seemed to have returned to that rainy day.

Meng Siqi gently rubbed the back of her hand, trying to relax her tense fist.

"The road was not wide, and the man in the raincoat came towards me. I don't know why my feet felt so heavy at the time that I couldn't move at all. He quickly came to my side, and I was so scared that I fell back. I backed away desperately, but I still couldn't stand still and fell to the ground... It was raining heavily at the time, and the umbrella fell off, so I couldn't see clearly... He suddenly leaned down and reached out to grab me... I was so scared that I slapped him desperately, and then ran away while crawling..."

When she said these words, Zhao Yuting could no longer control her emotions and burst into tears. Zhao Leiting felt very distressed and quickly wiped her tears with a tissue, trying to comfort her: "Sister, don't cry, your brother is here, no one dares to bully you."

Seeing Zhao Yuting crying, Meng Siqi felt very uncomfortable. She patted Yuting's arm and said, "Yuting, don't worry. Sister Siqi is here. I am like your brother and will never let you get hurt."

At that moment, Zhao Yuting suddenly laid on Meng Siqi’s body and started crying. She cried very sadly, and her whole body was shaking. “Sister Siqi, did I… meet the murderer that day? Was I the one who was supposed to die… In fact, I knew yesterday that someone was killed near the TV station. I was so scared that I didn’t dare to tell you… I was afraid that I would be the one to die… Wuuuu…”

Meng Siqi's eyes were moist as she patted her back gently. "Don't be afraid, Yuting. Sister Siqi is here to catch the murderer. Don't worry, no one can hurt you."

Zhao Leiting put the back of his hand against his eyes. His eyes were red and already wet.

After Zhao Yuting calmed down and choked from time to time, Meng Siqi helped her wipe away her tears, "Yuting must be strong. In order to arrest the murderer as soon as possible, we must stay calm. I hope you can tell Sister Siqi, do you still remember what the man in the raincoat looks like?"

"I don't remember. It was raining heavily that day and I couldn't see his face clearly from beginning to end."

"Does he have any characteristics? For example, his breathing, movements, smell..."

"He seemed to be wearing glasses. I slapped him with my hand and his glasses seemed to fall off. He also made an 'ah-oh-ah-oh' sound..." Zhao Yuting said nervously with frightened eyes.

"Ah Ou Ah Ou? He's laughing?" Meng Siqi was puzzled and looked at Zhao Leiting again.

Zhao Yuting shook her head and said, "It's not a laugh, it's just that the sound is like ah ooh ah ooh."

What was going on that made the "ah-ou-ah-ou" sound? Meng Siqi found it very strange.

She felt that Zhao Yuting had calmed down after crying, so she continued to ask, "What else can you remember about this person? The suitcase, his raincoat? What did you remember about it, its size, color, pattern?"

"The suitcases are quite large and all black."

"Can you feel his height and weight?"

"It was raining so hard that I couldn't see clearly, but I felt he wasn't short. After I fell, he was like a shadow pressing down on me."

"And then, after you ran away, what did he do?"

"I ran as fast as I could. I think his glasses fell off and he didn't catch up with me. When I ran to the bus stop, a car drove by from a distance. I was not so scared anymore. I looked back and it was raining. He seemed to be gone."

"...Okay, Yuting." Meng Siqi couldn't think of more questions for a moment, "Besides this incident that day, did you see anything else that left a deep impression on you?"

Zhao Yuting seemed to think about it carefully, "I don't remember, I was too scared, I got sick when I came back, I couldn't say a word."

"Have you ever thought about telling your brother about this?"

"I was afraid they would worry, especially after seeing the news on TV yesterday. I didn't dare tell anyone."

Meng Siqi understood what Zhao Yuting was thinking. She had originally wanted to digest it slowly by herself. Perhaps she would feel much better after speaking it out today. But at this moment, Zhao Leiting's eyes were full of heartache, a moist heartache.

In fact, today's questioning was basically over. Meng Siqi chatted with Zhao Yuting for a few more words and finally comforted her, "Yuting, you are very brave. Whenever you encounter danger in the future, remember to stay calm, remember to seek help, and remember to tell us. Your brother and I will protect you."

"Thank you, Sister Siqi."

"Zhao Leiting, give me a piece of paper." Meng Siqi asked for a piece of paper and wrote down the landline number of his rental house and gave it to Zhao Yuting. "Yuting, if you have anything to say, whether it's about happiness or sadness in life, you can call me at night."

"Okay, Sister Siqi." Zhao Yuting held the paper with the phone number tightly in her hand.

On the way back, Zhao Leiting remained silent and Meng Siqi felt particularly uncomfortable. This inquiry was undoubtedly valuable. Although it was not certain whether the man in the raincoat was the murderer, at least it was a direction, which was better than having no clue at all. Maybe after Zhao Yuting had recovered for some time, she might be able to remember something?

She also planned to go back and discuss with Lu He whether they could start the investigation from the man in the raincoat.