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墨書 Inktalez
"Has the key disappeared? How interesting. How big is that key?"
Luo Xiaoye rested her chin on her hand, a glimmer of thought crossing her eyes.
"It's a very small key, a mini key. It's about two-thirds the size of my pinky finger," I replied.
"A key that small would be easy to hide," Luo Xiaoye remarked.
"That may be true, but the police searched every corner of the room and still couldn't find it," I said, shaking my head in frustration.
"So, the key really is missing," she mused.
"Yes. I've actually thought about how a key could disappear from the room. For instance, could a key made of ice work? I tried it a few times, but obviously it didn't work; the hardness of ice isn't enough, and it breaks too easily to lock a door. Then I thought about making a key out of plastic and melting it—would that work? That trick could be feasible, but then where would the melted plastic go? The police didn't find anything like that, so that theory doesn't hold."
"You might suggest locking the door with the key from the inside and then throwing the key out the window! Then close the window and lock it from the inside. That could work. Unfortunately, it won't because every window in Rose Manor is fitted with Rose Pattern wire mesh. Even though it's a mini key, there's no way to throw it out from inside. To remove the wire mesh would require workers, and Ling Xiao doesn't have that capability."
I finished my explanation in one breath, feeling slightly out of breath.
Luo Xiaoye lit a cigarette, and smoke slowly wafted through the air.
"You smoke?" I asked her, somewhat surprised.
"I used to do drugs too; do you believe that?" She smiled slightly, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"I believe you. But can you tell me why you use drugs?" I asked curiously.
"Life is about trying everything," she exhaled a puff of smoke, a hint of disdain in her tone.
"Have you ever tried killing someone?" I probed cautiously.
"That's an interesting idea; maybe I'll consider it in the future. By the way, what's the situation with Ling Zhiming? Tell me about it," she said, gently extinguishing her cigarette in the ashtray and refocusing her gaze on me.
"The body of Ling Zhiming was discovered by his wife the night before last. His wife's name is Xie Peiyun, and she is a housewife. According to her, she was chatting at a friend's house on the night of the incident. Around ten o'clock that night, when she returned home, she found her husband's body."
I paused for a moment before continuing, "What was the time of his death?"
"According to the coroner's report, it was around nine-thirty in the evening," I replied.
"When she got home, did she notice anything missing from the house?" Luo Xiaoye pressed.
"Now we're getting to the point. Ling Zhiming committed suicide by hanging in his study. The situation in the study is quite strange; almost all the books were taken out of the bookcase and thrown on the floor. Ling Zhiming had obsessive-compulsive disorder and usually kept his study meticulously organized. Why would he do this before committing suicide? No one knows.
The strangest part is that the most valuable item in the study is also missing—the Emerald Rose. This was a gift from Ling Laoye to his beloved wife and is a family heirloom of great worth. Additionally, a padlock used to secure the glass cabinet is also missing."
I frowned, trying to recall the details of that night.
"Given all these doubts, why does the police still consider it a suicide?" Luo Xiaoye asked with a slight frown, seemingly dissatisfied with that conclusion.
"Because we considered the motive for suicide. You know, by the time it reached Ling Zhiming's generation, the the Ling Family business had long lost its former glory. Not only did they owe a mountain of debt that remained unpaid, but even their properties were about to be seized by the bank. At this rate, bankruptcy was just a matter of time. In such circumstances, wouldn't it seem quite natural for an adult man to commit suicide?" I sighed, trying to clarify my point.
"Emerald Rose," Luo Xiaoye murmured, a hint of contemplation in her eyes.
"Actually, the police also suspected it could be murder. But those who had a motive to kill him had rock-solid alibis."
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