Cinephile hustle

"That's right, no fingerprints at all. But the strip, it's from the white curtain that was cut."

"White curtains?" Ian searched in his mind where white curtains would be used.

hotels, hospitals...

"In addition, traces of gasoline were found on the outermost layer of cloth wrapping the body." Haley looked at Ian suggestively.

gasoline?Could it be that the murderer also thought of burning the victim to death?

No, if you want to burn the other party, it is pouring gasoline on the cloth strips, not just "traces".The gasoline was rubbed up, not left on purpose by the murderer.

"Could it be that...the victim was not only tied up with cloth strips, but also stuffed into a gasoline drum?" Ian frowned, "He was sent to the freezer without any water or food, until he died of starvation or Frozen to death. Wait until the murderer wants to show him one day, and then put him..."

But the question is how does the murderer keep the victim's head up?And what special significance does such a posture have for the murderer?

Ian raised his head and found that Haili was leaning on the back of the chair across the table, his eyes seemed to be looking at him but out of focus.There was no longer a pleasant smile on his lips, and his arms were hanging limply on both sides of the chair, as if they would collapse if touched lightly.

His mind had already gone to another world when Ian was not paying attention.

Ian gritted his teeth and cursed in a low voice: "Holyshit!"

He didn't know how Haili could suddenly enter that state, even though he was looking at the victim's body at Dr. Bourne's place, he didn't respond at all.Was it because of Fern Keating's phone call?

Now worrying about this guy is useless, Ian lifted the sandwich and continued to eat.He wanted to see how Haili would "die" this time!

Haili on the opposite side slowly raised his chin, opened his mouth slightly, and there was a kind of hope that almost collapsed in his eyes.

Ian looked at him, gradually becoming worried.

Hailey's lips opened and closed, as if to say something.

Lonely tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

At that moment, Ian had to put down everything in his hands and looked at him.

Hailey's shoulders trembled slightly, his fingers tangled as if trying to break free, but in the end he was still imprisoned in an extremely small space and could not stretch.

This state has continued.

The tears in the corners of Haili's eyes flowed down little by little and dried up.

Ian subconsciously grabbed the edge of the dining table, unable to continue.Whether it's true or not, Hailey's state is tormenting Ian's nerves.

"Hailey, whatever you see, come back right now!" Ian tapped his fingers on the table.

Haley still couldn't hear, couldn't see, and didn't respond to the real world.

Ian remembered the time when Haley almost suffocated himself in the morgue in W town.

"Hailey! Haley! Can you hear me!" Ian got up and came to Hailey's side, pushing his shoulder hard.

Hailey swayed with Ian's movements. When Ian met his eyes, his heart seemed to be tightly grasped, and he fell into Haili's world.

His mind was struggling silently, trying to catch a little bit of hope that was close at hand but out of reach.

Until those eyes that were chasing wildly were dimmed by exhaustion.

Everything fell into eternal silence.

Ian's palm subconsciously covered Haili's cheek, only to realize that his face was frighteningly cold.

"Oh shit!"

Ian left the meal fee on the table, carried Haili on his shoulders, and walked out of the restaurant.

When he came to the alley next to the restaurant, Ian suddenly punched Haili hard in the face.

"Wake me up!"

Hailey fell to the ground in embarrassment.

Ian stared at him with wide eyes, and Hailey lay on the ground unresponsive.

"Damn it..." Ian pointed at Haili and gritted his teeth, "You better not pretend, otherwise it will be a big price!"

After speaking, Ian kicked up again, and kicked Haili in the abdomen.

"Hmm—" Haili arched his back and covered his abdomen, gasped suddenly, and took a deep breath with one hand propped on the ground.

His face was flushed with pain.

"...Ian...you kicked me until my stomach bleeds..."

Hearing him speak, Ian clenched his fists and let out a breath.

"My strength is well controlled, you won't want to eat for at most three days. Don't pretend to be dead, get up!"

Ian stepped forward and grabbed Hailey by the collar.

Only then did he realize that Haili's body was shaking.He lowered his head, avoiding Ian's gaze.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine." Hailey shook off Ian's hand and stood up against the wall.

His teeth were chattering, and his legs couldn't stand at all.

Ian stared at his back, watching him stagger towards the entrance of the alley.

Taking a deep breath, Ian stepped forward quickly, put Haili's arm on his shoulder, and walked quickly to the opposite hotel.

"Ian...I'm fine..." Hailey's hands were still cold.

"Shut up." Ian didn't bother to look at him sideways.

Hailey lowered his head, with a helpless smile on his lips.

Ian asked for a room and led Hailey into the elevator.

Hailey put almost all his weight on Ian.He raised his eyes to look at Ian's chin, and said with a smile, "Uncle Ian, do you think we are going to have sex?"

"Do you want me to kick you again?"

Haley shut up wisely.

Because of the close proximity, Ian could clearly hear the trembling of his teeth.

He was cold, even though the guy was leaning against him all the time, his cheek was pressed against him, like a little pet who had been in the ice and snow for a long time and wanted a little warmth from its owner.

Ian wanted to push him away, but in the end it was just a thought.

Opening the door of the room, Ian quickly went into the bathroom to drain the water, then lifted Haili up and walked towards the bathtub.

"I...don't lie in this bathtub...it's dirty! It must have been cleaned for ages! It's..."

Hearing a "crash", Ian threw Haili into the bathtub, took off the nozzle by the way, and turned on the hot water in Haili's face.

"Well..." Hailey raised his hand to try to block it.

Ian was holding the pocket in one hand and the nozzle in the other, watching Haili struggling with choking water coldly.

Ian didn't turn off the tap until the bathtub was full.

"Is it still cold?" Ian lowered his eyes and asked.

Haili was still trembling slightly, he raised his face up, his golden brown hair sticking to his face, besides being embarrassed, he had an inexplicable aura.

Especially his eyes, which were clearly uncomfortable but forced to smile, looked innocent and fragile.

"How do you know I'm cold?"

"The victim froze to death."

Ian turned and walked out of the bathroom.

"Where are you going? As a partner, shouldn't you be by my side at this time?"

"Stay well and don't drown yourself."

Ian walked outside the room and stood in front of the corridor window.He knew that he had softened his heart just now.

Looking at the shivering Haili, Ian suddenly thought of him eight years ago, who left him in the dark woods and left.

A person sat in the shadows, hugged his knees, and buried his head deeply, as if trying to wrap himself up.

It's a pity that there is nowhere to hide in this world.

Ian called Maddy Ron again.

"The last time he almost suffocated himself, this time he almost froze himself to death. This is so unbelievable! Don't tell me there is no other explanation than your so-called 'empathy' effect!"

Maddy Ron sat on the chair and turned more than half a circle, sighing.

"I can only tell you the explanation of the psychologist in the Bureau. And this explanation is nothing more than a 'hypothesis'. Hailey has a strong empathy for the victim, which is so strong that he The brain reproduces the feelings of the victim extremely close to reality. If the victim is frozen to death, then in his brain, he is in exactly the same environment as the victim. The cold they experience is exactly the same. His brain convinces himself that he is in a cold place, and his body responds to his brain. If the victim can't breathe, he can feel it. If the victim feels cold, so can he. "

Ian pressed his fingers firmly on his head, "Is there no solution? Moderate empathy can make people considerate and kind. But to his level...you dare to say that there is no problem with his psychology! How on earth am I going to pull him back when he's stuck?"

"How did you do today?"

"I kicked him hard!"

"Hmm..." Muddy Ron's gasping voice came from the other end of the phone, "I guess it must hurt! Next time you can do it again! Just be careful, don't kick Agent Russell to death Yes. You know, he's worth a lot..."

Ian pressed the phone down hard.

He stood outside the door, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes.

He didn't understand why Haili had such an ability to repeatedly feel the pain and struggle of others. This was not a talent, but torture.

Five minutes later, he was back in the bathroom.

"Hey! Are you warming up..."

At this time, Haili had sunk into the bathtub, only a few strands of hair floating above the water.

Ian's pupils burst instantly, and he rushed over.

"Haley—"

Just as Ian's hands went deep into the water and clasped Haili's shoulders, pulling him up, his hands suddenly raised to hug Ian's back and pulled him down.

In an instant, Ian's hands rested on both ends of the bathtub, and the strength of the other party was astonishing.

Something bumped into his lips, and entered into the gap between his lips with great force, provoking to ingest it forcefully, and with the warm water, hit his heart, as if to destroy the world he originally agreed with.

Ian smashed his fist into the water, and the other party released one hand to hold his fist firmly.

When the other party hugged him hard, Ian realized that it was a kiss.

He thought he would be so angry that blood rushed to the top of his head, but at that moment he was unexpectedly calm.

The softness of the tip of Haley's tongue and the presumptuousness of strength poured into his brain so clearly.

And Ian calmly gave up supporting his body, allowing Hailey to drag him completely into the water.Ian clasped Haili's wrist with his fingers, pressed his wrist bone hard, and twisted it back suddenly. Taking advantage of the moment Haili lost his ability to move, Ian left the bathtub.

A trickle of water dripped down his body.

Ian's lips were still numb.

He remembered the moment when he broke free from Hailey, the tip of the guy's tongue slid over the corner of his lips.

Hailey sat slowly leaning against the edge of the bathtub, looking at Ian playfully.

"Did your skills regress, or did you care too much about me and lost your guard? If it was eight years ago, I would never have succeeded." Haili propped his chin and looked at Ian.

How could he feel sorry for this guy?

"I should let you freeze to death in my own illusion." Ian said, his eyes were cold.

"You almost kicked me, Uncle Ian. Don't I deserve a little compensation from you?" Haley blinked.

His eyes wrapped around Ian's nerves, and his smile was like poison poured into a wine glass.Knowing that it is fatal, but he is too thirsty to bear it and would rather drink it.

Ian wanted to say, never think about me trusting you again.

But he knew it was wise never to mention "forever" in front of Haley.

"I now regret not really kicking you to death. Do you think this is interesting? Kissing a man? Or is it really so meaningful to you to piss me off?" Ian looked at Hailey from a distance.

He thought he knew him better than anyone else in the world.

But the truth was, he still couldn't figure out Hayley.

He is the same as anyone else in this world.

"Why do you always tend to complicate everything about me?" Hailey slowly got up from the bathtub.

He gracefully grabbed the towel beside him and wrapped himself up.

When I lifted my legs and stepped out of the bathtub, the sound of the water falling back was like a burst of emotion.

"Kissing you, to me, just proves our intimacy and proves that I can be closer to you than anyone else in this world."

Haili turned his face slightly, he put away all the charming expressions, and just looked at Ian simply.

Ian raised his hand and pulled off the tie around his neck, "Call and ask Cliff to send you two suits."

Ian turned around and came into the room, pulled up a quilt, covered himself, and lay down on the bed.

Air pressure is low.

Like a tornado brewing.

Haili looked at Ian silently for three seconds, and finally decided to tear off the quilt on the other bed and cover himself, only his head was exposed.

"Tell me, what did you see at the cost of almost freezing yourself to death?"

Hailey closed his eyes and began to picture what he saw in his mind.

"The victim woke up from the cold. When he opened his eyes, all he saw were four walls covered with thin frost, and the skin on his face was so cold that it was about to crack. All this made him panic instantly. He tried to get up and struggle, but Finding himself wrapped tightly in layers of cloth strips and placed in an oil drum. He panicked. He shouted for help, but only his own voice echoed. Until his voice was so dry that he could no longer make a sound. His His eyes were as numb as ice. He felt that all this was a dream, and as long as he closed his eyes and slept, he would return to the real world. But he was too cold, hungry and thirsty. He had a premonition, As long as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, he would never be able to wake up again. So he supported himself impatiently and stayed awake. Until the murderer came in. He shouted 'let me out, save me'! Everything seemed to be on fire dawn..."

Ian stared ahead in silence, sketching the scene Hailey described in his mind.

"The murderer didn't hear the victim's cries. He pushed a shelf over the victim's head. There was a rope hanging from the shelf, and a water jug ​​and food were tied to it. He just said to the victim coldly, 'Eat them, Either starve'. As the murderer leaves, the victim stretches his neck desperately to reach the food on the rope, but never comes close."

Ian froze for a moment, he finally understood why the victim kept his head up.He was indeed longing for something.

"He cursed loudly, he cried, he yelled, he went up desperately, the smell of food entered his nose and rushed into his brain, making him even more hungry and crazy, but he still couldn't touch even the slightest bit of them .”

Haley's voice was calm.

But such calm reveals desperation.

"The last of his strength was also gradually lost. He could only hold his head back, open his mouth slightly, and imagine in his mind that he had bitten them. He chewed them, swallowed them, his body absorbed them. He gradually felt warmer, and he still Alive...he will last until the end..."

Hailey was still talking, but Ian closed his eyes.

"Okay, Haley."

You don't need to go on.

"What's the matter, Ian?" Hailey turned his face sideways, with a faint smile on his lips, "Are you distressed?"

Ian didn't speak.

"You said that I am a survivor, not a victim. I am already a winner in life. And the most important point, when I fell into despair with the victim, you kicked me awake."

There was a knock on the door, and Cliff's voice came, "Sir, I'm here to bring you a suit."

"Oh, my God! Why did this guy come here?" Hailey covered his eyes with extreme regret.

Ian got up and opened the door.

"Thank you, Cliff." Ian took one of the suits.

"You're welcome, I should be the one thanking you for tolerating Mr. Russell's humanity."

"Oh... oh... so in front of you two old people, I am a child of humanity!"

Ian put on his suit neatly and walked out.

He paused in front of the door, "Hailey Larson, what you did to me in the bathtub, it's best not to happen again."

"Oh? If there is a second time, you will blow my head off?" Hailey asked with his chin propped up.

The collar of the shirt was unbuttoned, exposing the collarbone and half of the shoulder.

That laziness and casualness is his usual deceptive gesture.

"No. I'll go where you can't bother me anymore." Ian left without hesitation.

He returned to his apartment, took a hot shower, then sat on the sofa and read today's newspaper.

On the home-rentals page, he saw an old apartment for rent, so he stepped out in the hallway and made a phone call.

The apartment, although a bit older, is fully furnished and the rent is fair.Ian checked the plumbing and bathroom to make sure there were no leaks, and rented it.

Had he stayed in the old apartment, he knew he would have wondered if Haley had installed something in it.

After confirming to move in, Ian did not go back to the original place to move things, but went directly to the mall to buy daily necessities.He contacted a comrade in arms, and the other party made a set of jamming equipment for him, and any eavesdropping and surveillance equipment could not send out messages.

As he walked down the hallway of the old apartment with a plastic bag in his hand, he felt someone following him.The other party tried to press down his footsteps as lightly as possible, but he was obviously not an experienced stalker...and he was too close.

"No way..." Ian thought to himself, why is Haili so pervasive?

He turned around abruptly, apparently startling him.

It was a slightly thin figure, and the hood of the coat was so deep that it almost covered his eyes.

When he looked up, Ian saw the other person's facial features clearly, and then realized that he was the young Lancer he met in the 7-11 supermarket.

"Why are you following me?" Ian asked.

The light in the corridor was very dim, and between the light and shadow, Lancer's face looked even more childish.

He didn't speak for a long time, but just like last time, he wanted to approach but seemed timid.

It was only then that Ian remembered that he couldn't speak.

Lancer stretched out his hand, pointed to the opposite side of Ian's door, and then took out the key from his pocket.

Only then did Ian realize that he lived here too.

"...I'm sorry. The hallway is so dark, I thought..."

Lancer shook his head, showing a slight smile, and the dimples on his cheeks became more obvious.

He gestured to Ian: Do you live alone?

Ian nodded, "Yes, I just moved here."

Would you like to finish dinner with me?I am also alone.

Ian originally wanted to decline the other party, he was used to being alone.He doesn't intend to let other people into his life, nor does he want to be a part of other people's lives.

But it suddenly occurred to him that this young man was unable to speak, and there must be very few people willing to communicate with him, and even fewer people were willing to patiently listen to him "talk".He knew that if he shook his head, the other party would definitely show a disappointed expression.

"Okay, what are you going to do?" Ian asked with a smile.

He tried his best to make himself look less "no strangers allowed in".

enchiladas.

Ian froze.It was his mother's best food.

"If you don't cook well, I'll beat you up." Ian deliberately raised his fist.

Lancer's smile appeared more natural and happy than before.