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The Shadow Under the Acacia
墨書 Inktalez
When the police knocked on the door of Acacia Flower Shop, I was changing the water for the flowers in the shop. I selectively removed some withered leaves, my hand brushing over the potted plants.
"Officer, please come in," I said, gesturing to the doormat at the entrance. They wiped the mud off their shoes and Officer Ma Yuan quietly waited for me to finish my task.
I held out a bouquet of Acacia flowers to him. "This is for you."
The bright flowers seemed to make him a bit uncomfortable.
"Miss Lin, sorry to disturb you."
"It's fine, I actually needed to talk to you as well." I led them inside, placed the flowers on the coffee table, and poured two cups of hot water for them.
"Miss Lin, have you noticed anything about the Yu Family at the end of the alley recently?"
The Yu Family at the end of the alley consisted only of Old Master Yu and his six-year-old granddaughter, Xin Xin.
"Yes," I nodded. "He has a granddaughter who is especially cute. Every time she comes to my shop, she grabs a handful of snacks."
Xin Xin was a lively and adorable girl. Dressed in a red down jacket, she looked like a little torch when she ran, capable of lighting up an entire street. The long-time residents at the end of the alley all adored her. She was like the warm sun in winter, the cool breeze in summer, the falling leaves in autumn, and the gentle rain in spring—bringing warmth and hope to everyone.
"Has she gone missing?" I asked cautiously.
Officer Ma Yuan nodded. "We traced some leads here and found that she was the last person to visit this place. Miss Lin, do you know what she came here for that day?"
"I think she came to buy candy. I remember giving her two handfuls of lollipops that day."
Xin Xin loved sweets, but her parents were worried about her getting cavities and didn’t allow her to eat too much.
Every time she came to my place, I would secretly slip her two bills.
"When did she come?"
"Around five in the afternoon."
Officer Ma Yuan pressed on, "Do you remember anything else?"
"That's all. After I closed up, I went to a friend's gathering."
Xin Xin's disappearance drove everyone in Hehuan Alley into a frenzy.
The residents spontaneously searched for her, reported to the police, and posted messages on social media.
Following the leads, the police found surveillance footage from the day Xin Xin went missing.
The footage showed Xin Xin being stopped by a black car as she was leaving the alley.
It seemed she knew the people in the car; she opened the door and got in.
Tracing the license plate number, the police quickly located the car owner.
The owner was a middle-aged man in his forties who claimed he had lent his car to a friend that day.
Following this lead, the police tracked down his friend, which surprisingly led to several wealthy second-generation individuals.
When the police went to gather evidence, they discovered Xin Xin's body in one of their homes.
She was completely naked, stuffed inside a suitcase.
Her body bore numerous overlapping old and new scars, indicating she had been abused before her death.
The female officer who found the body broke down in tears, while others present wished they could skin those scoundrels alive.
Such brutal methods even brought tears to the eyes of seasoned officers accustomed to life and death.
A six-year-old child, at an age when she should have been carefree, had suffered such abuse.
She had even believed those people were taking her out to play before her death.
Once the news broke, major media outlets reported on it, and netizens demanded severe punishment for those responsible.
Such an atrocity called for blood for blood.
In the end, the case was tried by the City First Court.
All those involved in the case were sentenced to death. When the verdict was announced, society erupted once again. Some expressed regret, while others felt anger.
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