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墨書 Inktalez
Based on the Killer's previous methods, the surveillance footage nearby should have captured his appearance. This way, we could find clues from the recordings and locate the next crime scene. The Killer had always operated this way, and I feared this time would be no exception. At that moment, Dezi was contacting the local police station.
Before long, officers from the station arrived, and at the same time, a team from the Police Department joined us.
After a brief briefing on our tasks, we accessed the surveillance footage. Wenlan had gone missing five days ago, and fortunately, the footage retention period was exactly five days. If we had waited even one more day, we likely would have seen nothing. The footage showed that early in the morning five days ago, Wenlan had left with a basket.
I immediately asked Master, "Does Wenlan go out with a basket to buy groceries every day?"
Master thought for a moment before replying, "Wenlan usually gets up very early. By the time we wake up, she’s often already back. However, I haven’t actually seen her go out to buy groceries every day, but there are always vegetables at home. So it seems she must have gone out early in the morning to buy them."
If that's the case, it confirms that Wenlan did not leave to search for her hometown but intended to go grocery shopping. However, during her trip, she must have encountered the Killer's abduction. By reviewing the surveillance along the shopping street, we could trace Wenlan's movements. Although not every store's camera captured her, as long as she didn’t take any obscure paths, we should be able to find her whereabouts.
However, our hopes were dashed when it turned out that Wenlan had indeed entered an unknown alleyway. There were no cameras in that alley. I decisively instructed the team and the police officers to continue monitoring nearby surveillance feeds. Wenlan would definitely come out after entering; it was impossible for her to just disappear without a trace. Meanwhile, we would head to the scene ourselves.
I addressed everyone: "The surveillance team will investigate the footage while we go to the scene. Wenlan has been missing for five days; for her, death could be just a second away. We need to coordinate and strive to find this crime scene as quickly as possible!"
We drove to the location while Mary communicated with the surveillance team. Upon arriving at the narrow alley shown in the footage—too narrow for cars—we parked and proceeded on foot. The alley was wedged between two buildings; even two people walking side by side would face some difficulty. From one end of the alley, you could see straight through to the other.
The ground was littered with garbage—mostly vegetable scraps and roots—indicating that there was likely a market nearby. The alley was about seven or eight meters long with small windows on either side leading to first-floor apartments. However, those windows were too small for even a child to squeeze through; if the Killer had acted here, he would have had to exit from one end of either alley.
Yet neither end of the surveillance showed any activity. This meant that once Wenlan entered, she never came out again. But how could a person simply vanish? Looking at it from the windows’ perspective—not only Wenlan and the Killer but even a larger dog couldn’t enter through there. Moreover, all windows were secured with iron fences; clearly, entry was impossible.
I looked up; both buildings were about ten meters high but only about one meter apart. Upon closer inspection, I noticed faint footprints on the wall. With this thought in mind, I began to piece together how the Killer might have escaped and taken Wenlan with him.
Having reached this conclusion, I declared, "Everyone step back; I'm about to show off!"
Though confused, everyone moved back a bit. At that moment, I stretched my wrists and ankles before placing my hands and feet against both opposing walls. The gap was narrow enough that any adult with some strength could push off from the walls and climb upwards.
Moreover, every three meters or so featured recessed windows where one could rest if tired while crossing between sides. In this way, it wouldn’t take long at all to reach the rooftop. From up there, everything looked wide open; one of the doors leading to the rooftop pathway on one building was unlocked.
Upon closer inspection, there were quite a few items piled up on the rooftop, including a Two-Eight Bicycle. It seemed that the residents left it unlocked in hopes of easy access and to store some clutter that couldn't fit in their homes. The building only had four floors, and there were no surveillance cameras in the stairwell. If the Killer had scouted the residents' habits beforehand, it was very likely that they used this place to bring Wenlan inside.
As long as they tied Wenlan up with two ropes and made their way to the rooftop first, then used the ropes to secure her, the chances of success were quite high. With this thought in mind, I stepped out of the building. This building wasn't part of any community, and security measures were lax, allowing outsiders to enter freely.
There were no cameras inside the building, but there should be surveillance on the street across. Realizing this, I quickly turned around from the front of the building. The other members of the Special Investigation Team were still looking up, completely unaware that I had come down from the stairs. I said to Mary, "Since there are no signs of anyone coming or going at both ends, we only have this simple method left."
"But there should be surveillance across the street," I continued. "Let's go check it out."
A few nodded in agreement. As we approached the shop across the street to request access to their surveillance footage, we saw a car start up and leave from downstairs. Dezi remarked, "Given how rundown this building is, it's surprising to see a BMW parked inside. It looks like it has been there for a while."
Mary replied, "You can never tell anything just by appearances. Who says rich people can't live here?"
As we spoke, we reached the shop across the street. However, after reviewing the surveillance footage, we found nothing. Not a single camera recorded anyone coming out from there. But if no one came out from inside, could it mean that the Killer also climbed down from the rooftop afterward? No, if that were true, then the Killer hadn't taken Wenlan away at all! Perhaps the Killer was still inside this building. Whether Wenlan was killed or not remained an open question!
Thinking along these lines, I immediately said to everyone, "If no one came out, it likely means that the Killer is still in this building." At my words, everyone suddenly reacted. Without even having time to speak with the shop owner, we rushed back into that building. Yan Junde had already drawn his gun, ready for a fierce confrontation with the Killer.
This building only had three floors, with two rooms on each floor—only six rooms in total! As I ran, I instructed everyone, " Mary and Juan Juan, you two guard the entrance. Aside from the Main Entrance, there's no other way out of here. Dezi, you and I will check each room!"
In this critical moment, everyone followed my orders without hesitation.
We knocked on doors one by one; both the first and second floors housed elderly residents in their sixties and seventies. They opened their doors slowly but at least confirmed that neither floor was hiding Wenlan. Therefore, our target was on the third floor. If someone wanted to avoid being seen by residents below, the third floor was indeed the best choice—Wenlan must be in one of those two rooms!
As we ascended to the third floor, I noticed one door slightly ajar. However, when I came down earlier, that door had been tightly shut—it was completely different now. There was definitely something suspicious about this room; it was possible that the Killer was hiding inside.
With this thought in mind, I signaled Dezi to prepare himself and then crept along the wall toward the door before delivering a powerful kick. The door splintered halfway open; its wooden structure was weak and splinters flew everywhere. Dezi followed closely behind me; one hand on his gun and another protecting his chest as he leaped over what remained of the broken door.
I turned around and stepped inside as well. The scene before us left us stunned; what greeted our eyes first was a woman's backside—Wenlan's backside! Upon closer inspection, it matched exactly with the pattern on that Human Bone Puzzle.
Wenlan was tied up at the limbs, with the ropes anchored to the corners of the room. The female corpse lay bare, meticulously arranged. Her head was also being pulled, giving the impression that she was arching her back. We couldn't afford to dwell on the corpse; we hurried to check other rooms but found no signs of anyone hiding.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind! It wasn't that no one had come out from inside; just moments ago, we had encountered someone who drove away. Moreover, the door to this room had been closed before, but now it was ajar. All of this indicated that the person we saw in that car was none other than the Killer!
I slammed my hand against the wall, cursing myself for not realizing at that moment that the person in the car was the Killer. I had brushed past him twice—once when I came down from the Building and again when I watched him drive away! Such a good opportunity, and we had let it slip through our fingers!
I immediately checked Wenlan's pulse and breath, discovering that she still had a faint sign of life. While I instructed Dezi to contact the hospital, I used my dagger to cut through the ropes, took off my outer coat, and draped it over Wenlan before carrying her downstairs! Mary and Juan Juan were startled to see me running down with an unconscious woman in my arms.
I quickly said, " Juan Juan, this is Wenlan. She still has a breath left; check her injuries!"
As we reached the front of the car, Dezi activated the siren, and we sped towards the nearest hospital. After a quick examination, Juan Juan's expression turned grave as she said, "Wenlan has no external wounds, but there’s a faint smell of bitter almonds around her mouth and nose. She’s drenched in sweat, her muscles are relaxed, and her pupils are dilated… This is… this is a sign of Cyanide poisoning."
Hearing Juan Juan say this sent a chill down my spine. Cyanide poisoning can lead to death within a very short time, yet it would take at least ten minutes to reach the nearest hospital. Although Dezi had already contacted them, the hope of saving her seemed slim.
"Mary, support her!" Juan Juan instructed. "Keep her as flat as possible; I need to perform chest compressions!"
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