I looked at the two. Gu Chen and Guan Zhenglin looked at each other. They hadn’t considered these details.
I explained, “It’s an adapter that connects a USB port to a computer port. It’s normally used by old computers and printers. You don’t find it that often now. Since she has a USB cable, she should at least have a computer or phone. Even though we haven’t been to the other rooms, I believe she doesn’t have those things.” I turned back to study the old wooden door. I pulled on my hair. “There are only 2 explanations. The old lady was lying to us, and she did have those high-tech items; she didn’t have them, but someone else who often visits her does.”
“You have a point.” Gu Chen conceded.
I raised my finger. “The problem is when I asked her if she has any visitors, she said none. She said no one has visited her for a long time already.”
Guan Zhenglin concluded, “So she either lied about that or she did have a phone or a computer.” I snapped my finger. “Either way, she has lied to us.”
“But why?” Guan Zhenglin asked.
I shook my head. “I don’t know yet, but I’m sure it’s related to this case. How could it be so coincidental that her brother’s family matches the 3 missing zodiac signs? It’s like she’s telling us they are the next target.”
Guan Zhenglin added, “Even if they do have those exact signs, how would the killer know that? Plus, how can we be sure the killer is aiming at these 3 people? How hard is it to find a trio with these 3 signs?” Guan Zhenglin paused. “Hell, the 3 of us have these 3 signs.”
“So what made Xiao Liu so confident that the killer would go after this family of 3?” I asked. “Things must be more complicated than this, and Xiao Liu must have access to clues that we don’t.”
“Will the killer really go after this family?” Gu Chen looked at the darkening sky. I lifted my head as well. The grey sky was filled with clouds. It felt like the sky was falling. Guan Zhenglin looked up as well. “But this still has nothing to do with whether the killer works alone or in a group.”
She had a point. Perhaps in Xiao Liu’s mind, after capturing one killer, they would give up the rest.
“Should we go check this out?” Guan Zhenglin asked. I shook my head. “It’s already 5 pm. It’ll be 9 pm when we reach the city. By then, the 4th story will be on the internet already. If the killer’s target is really the family of 3, Xiao Liu’s people would be there to protect them. It’s pointless for us to go there. If the killer’s target is not that family of 3, we only have one afternoon to find and protect the real target. Plus,” I leaned against the car. “Since we know that the old lady is lying, we should look into it. There is only one reason why someone would lie, and it is to hide the truth. No one would lie for something that they think is unimportant.” I crawled into the car and said, “So if this case is related to her, then tonight, when the killer goes on the killing spree, she will do something as well. There are 12 bowls, but we only found 4. What happened to the others? Perhaps we could find more clues on them.”
Gu Chen entered the car but didn’t start the engine. “So, what should we do now?”
I thought about it and said, “Find the village head and a place to stay at the village. Of course, we can’t allow the old lady to know that. If we’re around, she’ll be more cautious. So we need to create the impression that we’re leaving even though we’re really not.”
Guan Zhenglin tapped on the door. “But I still have my doubt. This is an old woman. What can she do to help the killer?” I looked at Guan Zhenglin. She looked cold on the surface, but I knew she had a soft center. She always hoped for the best in people. I sighed, “She naturally won’t be the killer, but the problem is, if she is not related to the case, she wouldn’t need to lie to us. This can only mean that she plays a role in this case somehow.”
“But what role?” Guan Zhenglin pressed.
I answered, “That is what we need to find out.”
We called Mary and had her contact the village head of Dong Xing Village through the station. In less than half an hour, we had our reply. We parked inside the village head’s courtyard. After we explained everything, he promised to help us. Sitting in the yard, the village head’s wife cooked for us while the rest of us chatted.
After some pleasantries, I cut to the point. “Actually we’re here for official business. You’re the village leader so I won’t hide this from you. There’s a string of murders at Dong Xing City and the investigation lead us to the set of Chinese zodiac set of bowls produced at Moulin Rouge Workshop which operated here in the past.”
“What?” The village head didn’t seem to have any impression of the workshop. I frowned. The man looked like he was in his 50s. He should know about the Moulin Rouge Workshop but it looked like he didn’t. Suddenly I was reminded of something. Mary said this was where one of the managers of the workshop lived, but she didn’t say this was where the workshop was located.
So I quickly added, “It’s your villager, Wu Xiufen. Wasn’t she a villager here 10 years ago? Wasn’t there a workshop called Moulin Rouge around here?”
“No,” The man shook his head as he handed cigarette to me and Gu Chen. “I am born here and live all my life here, and I have not heard of this workshop. I’m 50 plus this year, so unless the workshop was closed down more than 50 years ago, no, it wasn’t around here.” Hearing that, my heart skipped a beat. Something flashed across my mind but I couldn’t capture it. I asked further, “If that’s the case, Wu Xiufen wasn’t a local here? She moved here?”
“Yes.” The village head nodded. “She is considered a villager I supposed. After all, she was married here. That happens around 30 plus years ago, it was my father who officiated the wedding.” At this point, the man frowned, “You suspect Wu Xiufen?”
I shook my head. “It’s not that. Our investigation showed that Wu Xiufen worked at the workshop back then so we are interested in her as a witness.”
The man nodded. “Speaking of, when she married here, it created quite a commotion back then.”
“Commotion?” I asked.
The man continued, “Yes, because Wu Xiufen was quite rich compared to the rest of the villagers. Of course, we were too polite to ask her what kind of business her family was in. However, she traveled here alone to get married. During the ceremony, there was no one from the maiden family. Isn’t that strange?”
I nodded. It looked like Wu Xiufen wasn’t lying when she said she cut off her relationship with her brother after their father died.
“Also, Wu Xiufen was quite pretty back then.” The man continued, “She was both rich and pretty, so it would be easy for her to find a city kid to marry, but she insisted on coming to the countryside. And the man she ended up marrying…”
“What about him?” I was intrigued. “She had the freedom to marry anyone she liked. What is wrong with that?”
The village head coughed. He looked around like he was searching for something. “It’s not good to speak ill of the dead but since you’re here for official work.” The man spoke into the sky, “Please forgive me for the offense, but I am only telling the truth.”
I shivered. It was like there was something watching me from the dark.
“So what about it?” Gu Chen couldn’t hold in his patience anymore.
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