[European Style] Praying Mantis

Days of investigation have thrown my mind into turmoil.Dominique, Professor Curley, Grande, Whitney, Laura... all the people involved in the case were like a hemp rope that was twisted into a ball, and I couldn't breathe.I felt like I was suffocating.

Just then, my phone vibrated again.I glanced feebly at the screen, only to realize it was a message from my best friend, Dwayne: "How's it going, dude?"

"So-so. How about you, how far are you with Angelina?" From the outside world, I should be a shy guy, but occasionally I will make a few jokes, such as when confronting Dwyane.

"Don't worry, maybe we will get married tomorrow!" Dwayne replied confidently, "Recently, the law and order in Chicago is very poor, and there are armed robberies almost every day. I was busy for several days before I was free. "

"Take a break, my friend. Working all the time will turn you into a silly boy," I said. "Actually, I've been investigating a case recently. You know the 'Mantis case' in San Francisco two years ago?"

"The case of the missing university professor?" Devine said. "The one that was killed by his own wife?"

"I found a lot of things wrong with it." I told my most trusted friend all my findings until my mouth was dry, "What do you think, Officer Hansen?"

"Your reasoning is very reasonable." Devine thought for a while and commented, "There is reason to believe that the real culprit is someone else. In addition, the case of his student's mysterious death should be related to the professor."

"I checked some documents in the file room, and found that many of Laura's statements were inconsistent with what the police investigated." I said, "What kind of person do you think the murderer should be?"

Originally, I wanted to ask "who do you think the murderer is", but this seemed too certain, so I changed my original statement.

"I think his stepson is a strong possibility."

I gasped - that was the last answer I wanted to hear.In the past few days of investigation, I seem to use up all the evidence to force myself to believe that the murderer is someone else, except Dominic.Out of the pursuit of beauty, people always tend to "beauty is justice".The previous "Angel Killer Case" (①) is a good proof of this point.

"Maybe there are some quarrels between them, such as differences in habits and the like." Devine analyzed casually, "Maybe you can ask from this aspect. Many times, people can't control their tempers, and tragedies are prone to happen .”

So I had to talk to Miss Whitney Curley again.

"Miss Curley, did Professor Curley quarrel with Dominic?"

"Once. When I was in high school, he went out to play and didn't come back until the wee hours of the morning. Dad gave him a good beating. The two of them didn't speak for three days." Whitney replied, "Actually Dad likes him quite a bit. He was also cheated by that kid!"

"And what about Christian Grande?"

"I'm not familiar with that nerd." Whitney immediately distanced herself from him, "But he once came to our house for dinner. In fact, his education is not bad, but he is too boring."

"What do you think of the relationship between the three of them?"

"As I said, they were all in the same gang." Whitney repeated, and dropped a vicious curse, "This is what happens when you believe in Dominic!"

To be honest, I don't really want to communicate with her.She is like a sleeping lioness who may get angry at any time, making people around her tremble with fear.Whenever I talk to her, I have to think for a long time before typing the next sentence carefully.

In contrast, talking to Justin, a high school student, is much more relaxed and enjoyable, although sometimes he can't help but chat for a long time on some unimportant things.My second interview with him was also set at that dessert shop, but this time the food was changed to vanilla parfait.

"Do you know Dominique Curley?" I asked tentatively.

"This name is very familiar, let me think about it." After thinking for a while, the 17-year-old white boy put on a look of epiphany, "I remembered, he is Chris's netizen."

"Netizen?" I frowned.

Seeing my confused face, he looked embarrassed: "Actually, I don't know Chris very well. Most of the time, like you, I only know him through his social accounts. But I have tweeted several times. Saw him @DominiqueCurley on Twitter, though it's all been deleted now."

I've looked into Christian Grande's social profiles, but either one just shows a blank.Either he deleted everything, or he didn't use it seriously in the first place.

"Do you remember what it was about?"

"It's very common, just retweeting some funny jokes." Justin stuffed a big mouthful of vanilla ice cream into his mouth, "If I see this, I'll also @MyGirlfriend."

During that period of disordered thinking, only this sentence woke me up like a thunderbolt.When I was dating Camilla, if I saw something interesting, I would think of her immediately.This is a human nature in social thinking.

Until late at night, I was busy sorting out materials and writing reports on this matter.The next day, after I submitted the rewritten manuscript to Mrs. Maisel, the deputy editor-in-chief Mr. Darkeri was still dealing with the affairs of his nephew Jimmy, and she was in charge of the social section for the time being-I got the most important news since I joined the job. Highest comment ever: "Oh my God, your writing is really touching!"

"Mr. Darkry says I write like gay fiction..."

"Robbie, leave him alone. Believe me, your manuscript is top-notch," Mrs. Maisel reassured me. "I'll get it published as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Mrs. Maisel." Her overly enthusiastic praise made me a little embarrassed, and I could feel my face was burning hot. "By the way, how is Mr. Darkry's nephew?"

"Poor Jimmy is dead." Mrs. Maisel showed a look of pity on her face. "It's a pity that he was only 19 years old, and he chose to end his life with a bullet."

"He committed suicide?" This surprised me.

"Yes." Mrs. Maisel nodded, her short gray hair trembled like a ball of snow-white cotton, "He shot himself in the chest, right in the heart. He is still so young, Why are you impulsive? When you live to my age, you will find that there is nothing you can't get past."

She was right, nothing is insurmountable.Just like half a year ago, I chose to drink alcohol day and night because of a broken relationship, but looking back, it was nothing at all.Few people can be consistent throughout their lives.

If I were the old me, I would be shocked and ashamed that I could say such a thing.I know because my heart has sneaked away from Camilla, forever from the girl I swore I would love forever.

In the opinion of Dwyane, who changed his girlfriend every few months, I was too innocent.I regard fidelity to my spouse as the highest honor in the world and am proud of it.But now, I took the initiative to betray my heart.

The loneliness of celibacy and the pursuit of beauty finally made me have a throbbing feeling for another soul.I even began to imitate his behavior consciously or unconsciously-I also bought a praying mantis as a pet and named him "Ben".Maybe he could be Dora's future husband.

The author has something to say:

①The "Angel Killer Case" refers to the rape and murder of Meredith Kercher, a British exchange student at the University of Perugia in Italy in 2007.The suspect, American student Amanda Knox, was described by the media as having an "angel face and a snake heart", so it was called the "angel killer case".