The Last Killer

After seeing the body half-buried in the mud at the bottom of the lake, Leo returned to the wooden house and immediately called the local police—it was a girl about ten years old, her hands were tied behind the back with ropes, and a belt for running with a weight was tied around her waist. A lead bag, a face that was swollen pale and swollen from the water, and a pair of gray-blue eyes that were staring wide open.

Li Biqing has been sitting on the wooden plank with his knees hugged, burying his face in his arms.Leo knew how hard he was feeling right now. No one could remain indifferent after seeing the murdered body of such a young child.

Due to the remoteness of the location, the police car of the New Jersey State Police arrived more than an hour later. After checking Leo's ID, a white police officer named Eden asked him how the body was found. .The routine recording was completed quickly. The little girl's body was salvaged, put into a bag and put into a police car. Some police officers stayed to continue investigating the scene, while others prepared to take the body back to the forensic doctor.

Li Biqing's face was still a little pale, but he seemed to have regained his composure.He walked over to Eden, who was talking quietly to Leo.He told state troopers: "I suggest that the police search the entire bottom of the lake."

"You mean..." Eden was a little confused about the relationship between this Chinese boy and the FBI, but obviously now is not the time to care about it.

"I think it's possible—although I don't want this to happen from the bottom of my heart—but I still ask you to search the bottom of the lake thoroughly," Li Biqing turned around, and finally spit out: "I suspect that there are more than one corpse like this. .”

Eden's expression changed: "You mean... this is a serial murder case?" He spends most of his working time patrolling the highway, and he has never seen this kind of formation at all. If the boy's guess is not unfounded... …Damn it, New Jersey hasn't had a serial murder in seven years, so why should he be in charge this time?This kind of case has a high rate of media attention, the top is pressing, and the murderer is extremely cunning and brutal. The police handling the case have to bear considerable pressure. For Eden, who always just wants to patrol the road and goof around, it is a hard job.

What evidence do you have?Eden wanted to refute that, but the handsome FBI criminal chief seemed to trust the boy's judgment.The black-haired detective frowned and said, "Maybe you should set up a larger area of ​​martial law and evacuate the tourists first. If it is really a serial murder, I will take over the investigation of this case."

The worried state policeman was eager to throw the hot potato out, and immediately agreed: "Okay, I will immediately send more people to search the bottom of the lake, but this lake is too big, and I can't guarantee that there will be no omissions."

"Do what you can," said the detective.

It will take at least two or three days. I am afraid that the wooden house by the lake will not be able to live. Even if they can ignore the warning tape, the two of them are unwilling to vacation under the eyes of a group of busy state police and county police.

"What should I do?" Li Biqing asked.

Leo said: "Go back to New York first, or find a nearby town to live in."

Li Biqing chose the latter, although New York is not far away.It wasn't just his feet that were entangled with the hair of the little ghost at the bottom of the lake. Until now, he still felt a chill on his ankle, as if a cold, wet little hand was still holding it tightly.

He couldn't help shivering.At night, the cool wind in the mountains was cool, and Leo took off his coat and put it on his shoulders, "It's already dark, stay in the wooden house for one night, and leave tomorrow."

At night, the police left behind a bright yellow cordon and several officers on duty and left one after another, waiting for dawn to come back.

Li Biqing was sitting by the window sill looking at the lake in a daze. Leo walked up to him and said, "Sorry, the planned vacation may be ruined."

"It's not your fault," the boy whispered, "and you saved my life, and I haven't thanked you yet."

"Do we need to be so polite between us, not to mention the old Chinese saying, no thanks for a big favor."

"It's true." Li Biqing smiled, "But there is usually a follow-up to that sentence: 'I should promise myself with my body'."

Leo was stunned for a few seconds before he basically understood the meaning of the idiom, and suddenly felt a little short of breath, "...what does it mean?" He vigorously brushed off the little paw that scratched his heart, and asked calmly.

Li Biqing looked at him with his head tilted. The serious temperament on the handsome and serious face of the federal agent was like the glass cover on the diamond showcase, which made people feel the urge to smash it with a hammer.

That's the end of the joke, it's a bit too much, he reminded himself.But an irresistible force pushed the wheel, and deviated a little bit from the set track... His fingers seemed to have independent consciousness, and he ticked the black-haired agent lightly, indicating to get closer, and then After the other party took two steps closer, he hooked his fingers to the second button on the shirt and slowly pulled his upper body down.

Leo let this finger lead and control his body, and countless voices buzzed in his head, but he couldn't hear a single word... It was as if he had followed a demon!He thought anxiously in his heart, both joy and pain, this is really a test question set up by the devil, just to test the limit of a mortal's self-control and restraint of desire...

It's so close that it can't be any closer, so that you can clearly see your own projection in the other person's pupils, and feel the slight trembling of the extremely soft hair on the other person's lips... Is this a joke?It seems that it is no longer a joke. The Chinese boy who is uncomfortable even saying the word gay, with his gentle and restrained personality, is unlikely to make such an over-the-top joke... Or, is this actually a joke? Probing?Is it a hint?Leo guessed in confusion, but now he couldn't think normally at all, and his fragmented rationality was getting farther and farther away from him, only desire, emotion, and emotion were infinitely clear.

Just a second before the embankment collapsed, Hong Feng diverted - the boy's lips brushed his cheek, and the other hand picked up a short-winged and long-legged insect from his hair: a dead water strider , or other bugs.That is not important, what is important is that the dense and ambiguous illusion of the previous moment is gone.

"There is a bug in your hair." Li Biqing said seriously, pinching the corpse with two fingers, his expression so innocent that Leo vomited blood.

"...Never mind it! What were you trying to say just now?"

"What? I forgot... Oh, that idiom means that this body is yours now, you can fry it, fry it, stew it as you like."

Leo was silent for a moment.

"This joke is not funny at all, boy. It reminds me of a serial murder cooking case I took over three years ago. When I caught that perverted ogre, he was peppering the bone broth." He showed a look An unbearable look.

Li Biqing blocked his mouth with his fist, "Sorry..."

"A joke? No point."

"No, for dinner later... I just made a pot of bone broth and sprinkled it with pepper."

"God..." The federal agent pressed his fingers on his forehead and sighed, "You are really a genius, Li Biqing."

"How about I cook a pot of fish soup again?"

"Fish from this lake? No thanks, I don't want to think about what's feeding them."

"Then only microwave hot dogs."

"An unfinished lunch in the car today? Well, I'd rather eat that."

The scene that almost got out of control was pulled back like this, and the two returned to a relaxed and happy atmosphere. The impulsive passion before was buried in ashes like a extinguished fire.

Fortunately, there is still room for reincarnation, a man thought happily and regretfully.

Fortunately, it didn't go too far off track, the other man thought with equal gratitude and regret.

The next morning, news came from the state police that the identity of the deceased had been confirmed. Nine-year-old Renee?Dull, from a nearby place called "Water Gap".Leo and Li Biqing decided to drive to the small town first. As for whether there were other victims, after the entire bottom of the lake was turned over, Eden would call to tell them the situation.

When they arrived at an ordinary residential house in Shuixia Town, the local county police had already controlled the scene and were about to take away a middle-aged woman.She is bloated, with a cold and dull expression, and her golden brown hair is cut too short, which makes her look dull. She may have been beautiful more than ten years ago, but life has drained her charm, leaving her only fat.

After Leo showed his ID, he chatted with a tall, lanky county sheriff.

"Her name is Belle, and she was the deceased's mother—in the genetic sense." The sheriff cast a disgusted glance at the woman.

"How to say?"

"She is not worthy of being a mother at all. She abused the children, beat and scolded them, and refused to feed and clothe them. What's more vicious, she drowned her six-month-old son in her own bathtub. More than two years ago .”

"Not sentenced?" the federal agent asked, anger began to gather in his eyes.

"Multiple doctors diagnosed her with schizophrenia, unable to bear legal responsibility, so she was admitted to a mental hospital. In May this year, the hospital said that her condition had improved to the point that it would not affect her daily life, so she was released. As soon as she came back, she asked the church in the town to take back the custody of her two daughters. The two poor children were taken care of by Father Bai Yisi—if only the priest took care of them all the time, Daddy The one in my life won't be buried at the bottom of the lake, that's a pretty little girl..." The county policeman sighed sympathetically.

"You now suspect that Belleri killed Renee?"

"It's no problem for her, is it? It's just that the bathtub is a little bigger." The county policeman said coldly. As long as I change to another hospital for another three to five years of recuperation, I can come out and continue to harm the last daughter."

Li Biqing stood behind Leo, not knowing what expression to use to face the words he heard.a mother!How cruel would it be to drown a six-month-old son in a bathtub?Is her heart made of serpent's fang, scorpion's sting, and hell's fire?He would rather believe that she was really schizophrenic and had no idea what was going on.

Belleri walked towards the police car with stiff steps. No one cared about her life, and she didn't seem to care about everything around her.

Leo walked towards the dilapidated house with a gloomy face.Hidden in the shadows on the side of the steps under the porch is a small body, a curled up little girl of about five or six years old, wearing a dirty white skirt, two county policemen are squatting on the ground and talking softly reassure her.But she hugged her knees and said nothing, didn't move.

This is probably the youngest daughter, Leo thought pitifully, poor child, her sister and brother are dead, her mother is a murderer, this world is like a horrible nightmare for her that she will never wake up from.He couldn't help but move closer to her.

The little girl suddenly raised her face, as if sensing something, she looked straight at him.

That face—Leo took a sharp step back!

The girl has long, thick, seaweed-like light golden hair. Although it is unkempt and unkempt, it is still in lovely thin curls. Her blue eyes are as clear as the sky washed by rain. She is a beautiful girl. little angel.

As if struck by a bolt of lightning, Leo's face froze in extreme shock and disbelief, and he staggered back two steps.

Li Biqing noticed something strange, and stepped forward to hold his arm, "Leo?" He looked at the cold sweat rolling down the black-haired detective's forehead, felt his muscles trembling, and asked anxiously, "What happened?" ? Leo, your face is ugly..." It was like seeing a ghost.He dared not say the second half of the sentence.

"...Debi, can you come out? Don't be afraid, we will protect you, Debi?" The squatting policewoman softly called the little girl's name.

Leo's face became paler and paler, and his blood faded away, like a cancer patient on the verge of death, the connection with life was only the breath that was about to be swallowed.

"Let's go, let's go back to the car first." Li Biqing was anxious and worried, but he couldn't figure it out, so he could only grab his arm and lead him to the car.Leo let him drag, as if his soul had drifted to another world.

Li Biqing stuffed him into the back seat, feeling like he was stuffing a walking dead, "Leo!" He was really scared, and slapped him hard on the face: "Wake up!"

One side of Leo's cheek swelled immediately, but this also successfully awakened his mind, and the feeling of living things returned to his eyes.

Li Biqing regretted it as soon as he took the shot: he just had surgery on his upper jaw, how could he hit him in the face?Chest, legs, butt, any place is fine, but the face should not be slapped, it is really dizzy for a while.

"Are you all right, Leo?" he asked nervously. "What's wrong?"

"...It's okay, I feel a little uncomfortable." Leo replied, his voice without confidence was like snowflakes floating in the air.

"Sick? Let's go to the hospital!"

"No! It's much better now, I just want to lie down..."

Li Biqing hesitated for a moment, seeing the extremely tired look on the black-haired detective's face, decided to follow his advice and find a hotel to rest first.

Just at the end of the street, there is a small hotel with "Green Season Hotel" written on the neon sign at the door.Li Biqing didn't care about being picky about the environment, so he parked the car in the yard directly, and dragged Leo to the lobby. "Open a room!" he said hurriedly to the thin middle-aged woman behind the counter.

"One, or two?" The woman looked up at them with her face heavily painted with mascara and eyeliner.

"Whatever!" Li Biqing replied impatiently.

"Is it one room? Or two rooms!" The woman glared at them, her scarlet lips rolled down in dissatisfaction.

"one!"

Leo is in a bad state and he has to take care of him.

"Two single beds, or a double bed?" the woman continued.

An unknown fire surged, Li Biqing slapped the counter, and slapped the plastic box with the hotel introduction color page into pieces: "Are you fucking finished? Hurry up and give me the key!"

The frightened woman hurriedly opened the drawer, grabbed out a key, and handed it over quickly.Li Biqing snatched the key, took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and threw it on the counter, then pulled Leo up the stairs.

The woman subconsciously wanted to call the police, but when she picked up the phone, she suddenly found that the stack of banknotes was much thicker than she expected.After counting carefully, she put down the microphone in satisfaction, and began to skillfully fill in the guest registration card: "Jack? Smith, Tom? Wilson, home address..."