Chapter 33 The Past
It was already early morning when Luo Xun returned to his residence.
After being released from prison, he went to see Chang Youwei first, looked at the time, and instead of going back to the police station, he went back to his residence.
While I was fiddling with a bucket of instant noodles, it suddenly started raining outside. There was a hint of chill in the air, and the wind blew in through the window that was never closed tightly, bringing in some raindrops.
Captain Luo's residence is a bit unexpected. It is just a single room of more than 50 square meters. Apart from the bathroom and kitchen, the rest of the space is really simple.
A simple wardrobe, a shoe rack, a bed, a desk and an old-looking refrigerator make up Captain Luo's home.
But the most eye-catching thing is the wall behind the desk.
At a glance, it was clearly a case analysis board that had been magnified several times. There were intricate red lines and photos scattered on the wall, and all the clues pointed to a case that happened ten years ago.
1.25 serial murder case.
Luo Xun stood in front of the wall, looking through photo after photo with his sharp eyes, until his gaze stopped on the photo of the last victim.
The photo shows a girl, probably in her twenties, with a gentle appearance and eyes and eyebrows that are somewhat similar to Luo Xun. That is his sister Luo Lingfei.
Luo Xun stared at the photo for a long time, as if he could see the living person through the photo, the person who was always smiling, firm and gentle.
She would always look at him with a smile and say, "Brother, your sister needs your help now."
"Brother, your sister wants to have lunch with you."
"Comrade Luo Xun, your sister has a gift for you."
"Comrade Luo Xun, would you be lucky enough to pick up your sister tonight?"
…
Memories flooded in like a tide, Luo Xun's nose was sore and his eyes were hot. He turned around and sat on the chair. Apart from the sound of rain, there was only lonely silence in the room.
He took a deep breath, hesitantly opened the drawer of the table, and took out the only photo frame inside.
There is a group photo embedded in the frame, and Luo Xun is one of the protagonists. In the photo, he is full of vigor and vitality, a little immature, handsome and high-spirited, and his smile is full of the drive, elegance and enthusiasm of a young man.
He is full of hope for the future.
The woman next to him was slightly shorter than him, and he had his arm around her shoulders. She was her sister Luo Lingfei.
Maybe something funny happened when the photo was taken. Luo Lingfei was in a very good mood. She smiled so hard that her teeth were showing and her eyes were narrowed like crescent moons. The photo seemed to be filled with joy.
Luo Xun looked at the photo and seemed to have thought of the scene at that time. He suddenly smiled and gently stroked the photo frame with his fingertips.
That was taken on the day he first joined the task force.
At that time, Luo Xun was a child of destiny. His father was successful in his career, his mother was gentle and quiet, and he had an older sister who fully supported him no matter what he did.
That day he followed the steps of his dream and stepped into the door of the police station.
"Sister, your dear brother, Luo Xun, will shine in his life in the pursuit of fairness and justice!"
He still remembers what he said at that time.
But he couldn't even give his sister fairness and justice?
Ten years.
The rain gradually got heavier, the wind blew open the window, and it seemed that raindrops blew onto his face. His eyes were full of guilt and pain.
Luo Xun pulled himself out of his memories. He stood up and closed the window. When he came out of the shower, he caught a glimpse of his cell phone screen, which was lit. He didn't know who had called him, and the phone was buzzing.
Luo Xun picked up the phone and saw a word on the screen: Mom
He was silent for a moment, took a deep breath and then answered the phone.
"mom."
He said, "Why are you still awake so late? Are you suffering from insomnia again?"
"Nothing serious, I just woke up from the rain and wanted to hear your voice."
The person on the other side also seemed a little cautious: "Xiao Xun, how are you doing recently? Have you eaten well? Is your work going well? You have to take care of your health, okay?"
"Mom, I'm fine, don't worry."
Luo Xun wiped his hair a few times, and lay down on the bed without caring that his hair was not dry yet. There was a little more tenderness in his voice: "Mom, I will go home after a while and accompany you ."
The person on the other end of the phone was obviously happy because of this: "Okay, Mom will cook your favorite dishes for you. Don't lie to Mom. All these years..."
She suddenly stopped talking here, and both mother and son were silent. Luo Xun heard suppressed crying coming from the other end of the phone .
He was also choked up in his heart and wanted to comfort her but couldn't say anything until he heard another person's voice on the phone.
"Luo Xun, I'm your father."
Luo Xun's father Luo Weijun answered the phone.
Luo Xun sat up again and pinched the corners of his eyes: "Dad, is there something wrong with Mom? Is she sick or something?"
"Nothing."
There was a rustling sound coming from the other side, as if the other person got out of bed and walked outside.
"Your sister's birthday is coming up."
Luo Weijun said: "Your mother has been in a bad mood recently, don't worry, if you have time, come back to see her."
"I know."
Luo Xun sat on the bed and looked up at the rain outside the window: "Dad, don't worry, I will catch the murderer sooner or later."
Luo Weijun was silent for a while, but still told his son: "The murderer must be caught, even if it takes all his life, but Xiaoxun, you have to understand that you are the only child in the family now, you must pay attention to your health and safety. Teacher Zheng and Director Chang both called me, and you almost lived in the police station. You can't do this, don't you know?"
Luo Xun laughed: "I'm busy with a case, so I'm at home right now."
"Don't make excuses. I know my own child better than anyone else."
Luo Weijun paused and said, "Son, we have to get out of here. You know, we still have to live our lives. Getting out won't hinder us from catching the murderer..."
Luo Xun listened to his father's breathing. He stood up and walked to the window, half-opened the window, and let the raindrops hit his face with the wind.
He said, "Dad, I know, don't worry."
Luo Weijun on the other end of the phone gave a few more instructions before hanging up, but Luo Xun couldn't sleep.
Ten years have passed in a flash, but the grief that the incident brought to the family has never dissipated during these ten years. Instead, it has settled down bit by bit, making each of them cautious.
He went from being a young man full of vigor and vitality to a walking corpse, his parents' hair turned white overnight, and only the girl whose life was taken away by the devil remained forever at the age of a flower.
Luo Xun closed his eyes, his face was cold.
At the same time, at Chi Xia's residence.
In her study, there was actually a case analysis wall that was similar to the one in Luo Xun's home. At this moment, Chi Xia was standing in front of this wall, his eyes full of thought.
The case pointed to on this wall is not the same case as Luo Xun's.
But it was the murder case of Mr. and Mrs. Lin at No. 348 Pingjiang Road, Dongzhou five years ago.
The victims were Chi Xia's parents, or to be more precise, her adoptive parents.
This is also the reason why she went to the prison to see Tu Guoan.
Before the Lin couple were murdered, Tu Guoan was the only outsider who had visited the Lin family. Two days later, her parents died in a fire. Everyone thought it was an accident, but Chi Xia insisted on an autopsy. The forensic doctor found a special drug in their bodies, and it was this drug that caused their death.
It was concluded that the Lin couple were murdered.
But five years have passed, and the case is still unsolved. Chi Xia was unable to participate in the investigation because he was a relative. Qiao Life, the provincial department director and a good friend of his father, made the decision, and Chi Xia stayed in Qincheng after graduation.
Later, she heard the details of her neighbor's case and after some inquiry, she discovered the same kitten carving. She was desperate to return to Dongzhou.
The first thing Chi Xia did when he returned to Dongzhou was to meet Tu Guoan, but unfortunately, he got nothing.
But Tu Guoan committed suicide a week before he was to be executed. What does this have to do with the case back then? Chi Xia had to think about it, but he couldn't figure it out.
She exhaled heavily and opened a wooden box on the table. Inside was a kitten sculpture carved out of soap.
Her memory went back to five years ago, when she went out to meet friends the day before she returned to school. When she came back, her mother showed her the carving of a kitten, saying it was given to her by the air conditioner repairman. She liked it very much and knew that Chi Xia liked cats, so she gave the carving to her daughter.
Chi Xia was unaware of it at the time and liked this small carving that smelled of soap very much, but she never expected that not long after she returned to school, she would hear the news of her parents' death.
The death of her parents hit her hard. The memories that had been deliberately suppressed deep in her mind began to occupy her life sporadically. She didn't know about the tragedy that happened in her neighbor's house at the time, and only heard about it later.
The kitten carving that appeared in Zhou's case is exactly the same as the one her mother gave her.
In the darkness, who is pushing the truth forward? Chi Xia realizes that danger surrounds her, but she is not afraid!
She wants the truth!
She clenched her fists and looked determined.
No matter who it is, she will find out.
