Madness of the Heart

In the folk, pagoda tree is also called ghost wood, which gathers shade.Huang Yan’s locust wood “ghost cards” consisted of 24 pieces, which were placed in 24 corners of the home, and there were as many as 12 pieces in the bedroom. Only Huang Yan’s fingerprints were on the outer protective film, and the dust was laid out. From the looks of it, they have been out for at least half a year.

There is a high probability that Huang Yan put it up by herself, and the position is very particular.

Although there is currently no direct connection between the "ghost card" and Huang Yan's death, the small ritual holes on Huang Yan's chest give people an evil feeling, and the "ghost card" is even more evil Tao told Ming Shu about the "ghost card", Ming Shu thought for a while, and said: "I am in Fengsheng Town now, you bring the 'ghost card' to the Criminal Investigation Bureau and find us in Bureau Xiao, if it is inconvenient to send Detail drawings are fine too.”

When Xiang Tao heard this, he was a little surprised, "Deputy Director Xiao Yu'an?"

"Yeah." Mingshu said, "I don't know much about folklore, and Jue Xiao is half an expert."

Xiang Tao hurriedly said, "Then I'll go over right away."

Serious crime team, trace inspection office area.

"Team Ming said I'm a half-expert?" Wearing gloves, Xiao Yu'an picked up one of the "ghost cards" and observed it carefully under the cold light.

The "Ghost Card" is 14.8 cm long and 5.9 cm wide. The little finger of an adult is thick and the surface is uneven.It is actually not accurate to say that it is black. Its overall color is between dark brown and black. Some places are darker, as if dyed with something, and some places are slightly lighter.In deeper areas, strange patterns are incised.The pattern on each "joker card" is different.

Ordinary people may think it is just a piece of rotten wood when they see it.

"Yes." Xiang Tao stood beside Xiao Yu'an, a little nervous.

Xiao Yuan turned the "ghost card" over, and rubbed his fingers on the lines on the back of the "monster card", "'Ghost card' has different meanings in different places, and the production methods are also different. People play, and this kind of 'ghost card' is the most evil, it first appeared in a village in the north called 'Qiuxu Village', every 'ghost card' represents a life."

Xiang Tao was startled, "One life? There are 24 cards in Huang Yan's family, which equals 24 lives? She... she killed 24 people?"

"If it's the past, you're right." Xiao Yu'an put the "ghost cards" on the table one by one, "Qiu Xucun's 'ghost cards' are made by placing locust trees in the corpse oil of the old man Infiltrate, and then pour the blood of the baby's heart. They believe that the corpse oil of the old man and the heart blood of the baby can bind each other and lock each other's souls in the locust tree. Both will be owned by the owner of the "ghost card" driven."

Xiang Tao was dumbfounded when he heard that, "Is there still such a thing now?"

"It's hard to say, there is always a place where the police are not strong enough." Xiao Yu'an said: "But Qiuxu Village is under strict management, and it will definitely not make this kind of 'ghost card'. It takes two lives to make a 'ghost card', and it must It is more difficult for healthy old people and healthy children, so in later development, the blood of children who died young and the corpse oil of monkeys are generally used. People who get the "ghost cards" put them in their homes and places of work. The functions of lifting, guarding, cursing, etc. People who make offerings to the 'monster card' need to pray for the souls in the card regularly, and some need to donate their own blood. If it is not done properly, it is easy to cause the backlash of the 'monster card'. For example, once using the 'job card' to curse others, the same curse may be fulfilled on the donor."

Xiang Tao said, "So it's similar to raising 'kids' abroad?"

"Yes, they are all evil and backward superstitions." Xiao Yu'an said, "That's all I know. Where did Huang Yan get these 24 'job cards'? Does it have anything to do with her death? You need to investigate."

"Huang Yan graduated from a top ten university in the country, majoring in finance. When she graduated, the employment situation for finance majors was very good." Xiang Tao forgot that he came to the Criminal Investigation Bureau to ask Xiao Yu'an for advice on "ghost cards". Jue talked about the case, "Huang Yan worked in the stock exchange when she first came out of the society, but she only worked for two years, and she resigned without making mistakes and in the rising stage. After that, she has been working with all She studied unrelated jobs, such as opening an online store, engaging in purchasing agents, and wrote about it. The last one she opened is the current courier station. We have checked her mobile phone and computer, and found that she is usually full of ghosts. Her There are a lot of folk haunting rumors stored on the computer, and it gives me the feeling that she seems to have created a horrible and gloomy living environment for herself, and she is happy to live in it."

Xiao Yuan said: "You can investigate along this line, but don't slack in the investigation of interpersonal relationships. Haven't verified all the people related to Huang Yan yet? In some cases, details related to folklore and ghosts are always easier Attracts attention, but sometimes, they're just a distraction."

Xiang Tao froze for a moment, then nodded quickly.

This was the first time he talked with Xiao Yuan alone about the case, and he benefited a lot from the other party's few words.

Indeed, strange things are more likely to attract attention, but Huang Yan's death cannot be equated with those weird "ghost cards". .

North City Branch.

Huang Yan's mother, Huang Yue, was invited again, with a sad look on her face, "I told her a few years ago that I can't live like this. She doesn't listen to me!"

Huang Yue is a single mother. She was in the women's shoes business in her early years, but now she is married to another city, and her mother-daughter relationship with Huang Yan is half-severed.

Xiang Tao asked: "In your perception, what kind of person is Huang Yan?"

"Capricious, selfish, and crazy." Huang Yue sighed, "She had no father since she was a child. I worked hard to raise her up early in the morning and late in the morning, so that she could study and hope that she would be successful. She was indeed promising before she was 18, and she was admitted to the best university. , she was studying the most promising major. But after finishing her studies, her whole person changed. She became obsessed with messy things, didn’t do her job well, and quit her job casually. I was happy, and gave me 10 yuan, saying it was to repay the money I had invested in her over the years. Heaven and earth, do I raise her just for her 10 yuan?"

Xiang Tao said, "What do you mean by 'messy things'?"

"Ghost." Huang Yue wiped away her tears, "She joined a society at the university. In name, it was to explore various backward villages. In fact, it was a group of ghost story lovers playing house! I am also responsible for this. She was so strict that she was forced to study every day, and she was not allowed to have any hobbies. She went to the north to study at university, and I couldn't control her anymore, so she became completely unrestrained. But I didn't take it seriously at the time, thinking that she was anyway She's already admitted to university, so just relax, I never thought that this would ruin her for the rest of her life!"

Xiang Tao said: "Huang Yan has never come out again, and she is getting deeper and deeper in the so-called 'mysterious folklore'?"

Huang Yue trembled and covered her face, "She believes that there are ghosts in this world, she likes those strange things, and has come into contact with many evil things. How can a living person touch those things!"

Xiang Tao showed the photo of "Ghost Card" to Huang Yue, and Huang Yue shook her head: "More than that, this is already the lightest thing. When she just resigned, she went to the Southwest to find some wizards and raised Gu."

The police had searched Huang Yan's home, but found nothing related to feudal superstition. Xiang Tao guessed that the "ghost card" was exclusive, and Huang Yan discarded other things after enshrining the "ghost card".

"As far as you know, has Huang Yan offended anyone?" Xiang Tao asked.

"I haven't had much contact with her these years. I really don't know who she knows." Huang Yue finally got to the emotional point, crying out of breath, "If she wasn't addicted to these things, she wouldn't It became like this. She had many friends when she was studying, and she has a very good personality. No one doesn't like her..."

After sending Huang Yan away, Xiang Tao sat in the inquiry room and thought alone.

Huang Yan's change was when she was in college, that is, after she was 18 years old, and Huang Yan is now 33 years old.After a long-term depressive life, Huang Yan put her spirit on the ghosts and ghosts, and this release lasted for more than ten years.

Huang Yue said that there are only ghosts left in Huang Yan's life, which is not true.

Huang Yan has her own daily social circle, and the courier station she runs is the best in Jiangbei Second Village.

of a family.Neighbors in the neighborhood commented on Huang Yan as being cheerful and playful. Others would talk about their parents' short stories when chatting, but Huang Yan could tell everyone interesting stories from all over the world when playing mahjong.

It is not so easy to do a good job in a courier station, it will inevitably consume energy, and it is not easy to deal with interpersonal relationships.

So it can be concluded that Huang Yan believes in ghosts and gods, but she is no longer as obsessed with them as she was in her twenties.

But those small holes in Huang Yan's chest seemed to indicate a mysterious ritual.

Among Huang Yan's recent contacts is a netizen named "Catheria spinosa". The last time the two contacted was to discuss the horror secret room that was about to open in Dongye City.

Xiang Tao decided to meet this netizen.

Fengsheng Town.

Confirming the identity of the victim was easier than last time, because two years ago, she was involved in a brawl and left her DNA information in the public security system.

"The victim, Tang Qian, is 25 years old. She is from the magistrate of Han Province next door. She has a junior high school education and has been working in Dongye City for seven years." Yi Fei leaned on the table with one hand and clicked the mouse with the other. A picture of Tang Qian.

This is a woman who is both beautiful and knows how to dress herself up.She is a typical melon-shaped beauty, with big eyes and slightly drooping eye ends, which is pitiful. The bridge of the nose is straight, the wings of the nose are petite and exquisite, and the lips are slightly M-shaped, and the corners of the lips are just right.In almost all the photos, she wears heavy makeup. The amazing thing is that the heavy makeup does not look exaggerated on her face, but it perfectly complements her facial features.It can be seen that she knows makeup very well, and she also knows what kind of makeup and clothing are suitable for her.

"Before she disappeared in October this year, Tang Qian was working as a senior makeup artist at the 'Taohuajiao' makeup studio on Shunyi Street in Nancheng District. Senior makeup artist, the next level is the chief." Yi Fei continued: "There are many bars, clubs, and livehouses on Shunyi Street. Tang Qian's main job every day is to make up for singers, dancers, and models who are rushing to perform. , Sometimes ordinary customers who join in the fun come to her for makeup. Tang Qian's income is not stable, tens of thousands a day when it is high, and less than 10 a month when it is low. Tang Qian herself is also a frequent visitor to nightclubs, and her social relations are complicated. It hasn’t been fully sorted out yet.”

Mingshu looked at the photo on the curtain, and unconsciously rubbed his index finger on his chin.

From the perspective of life experience and personality, Tang Qian and Meng Shan are two completely different people.Meng Shan has low self-esteem, is introverted, never dresses herself up, has almost no communication, and has no intimate relationship with the opposite sex around her, while Tang Qian is hot, outgoing, and maintains intimate relationships with multiple men at the same time. She is a "night woman" in a sense.

The only thing they have in common is that they are both beautiful.

But this beauty is different. Tang Qian and Meng Shan have different face shapes, eyes, noses, hairstyles, and eyebrow shapes, but their lips are similar. The only difference is that Tang Qian's lips are fuller than Meng Shan's.

The woman targeted by the murderer is firstly beautiful overall, and secondly has M-shaped lips?

But Tang Qian's living and working area is in Nancheng District, while Meng Shan is in Beicheng District. Judging from the situation of throwing the corpses, the murderer is obviously very familiar with the area of ​​Textile Road and Guangdan Road, and has a high probability of living there. Then why was Tang Qian arrested? eye on?Could it be that besides Textile Road and Guangdan Road, the murderer is also familiar with Shunyi Street?

Ming Shu rested his right hand on the edge of the table, tapped his fingers a few times, and remembered that the serious crime team was engaged in "team building" not long ago, and the secret room club "Storm" he went to was on Shunyi Street.

Shunyi Street is now an "entertainment paradise" in Nancheng District, but six or seven years ago, it was still an area waiting to be demolished. Because of the lack of supervision, a large number of "thugs" and horse boys gathered there.

If the murderer saw Tang Qian on Shunyi Street, he could be sure that the murderer's activities included Textile Road, Guangdan Road, and Shunyi Street. One is the murderer's living area, and the other is the entertainment area.

But why did Tang Qian die in Fengsheng Town?

"Tang Qian's mobile phone was lost, and it should have been disposed of by the murderer." Yi Fei went on to say, "The last time her number was used was on October 10th, and it was located in Fengsheng Town. Another point, Zhou Changyou's farmhouse is She made a reservation with her own account on the morning of October 26th, and the check-in time was on the 10th."

"Killed as soon as you checked in?" Mingshu said, "It sounds like you stayed in a black shop."

"Tang Qian booked a couple's room." Yi Fei said: "There are only three couple's rooms in Zhou Changyou's house, and the double bed room is sufficient. If Tang Qian is traveling alone, she should not book a couple's room. This one is staying with her People are likely to be the murderer."

There was a glint in Mingshu's eyes. After a while, he stood up, "Continue to investigate Tang Qian's relationship, and I will go see Zhou Changyou again."

Zhoujia Farmhouse.

Ever since he learned that the deceased was a guest who had stayed at his farmhouse, Zhou Changyou became even more uneasy. At first he was too scared to speak, but now he finally calmed down a bit.

"I really don't know anything." Zhou Changyou shrugged his shoulders, his neck stretched forward like a twisted branch, "I swear, everyone in our family has nothing to do with her, someone must want to Framed on me."

If the police hadn't found Meng Shan before Tang Qian, Mingshu would still have thought about whether the body appeared at Zhou Changyou's house, and whether someone deliberately framed it, but now, this possibility can be ruled out.

Mingshu put three photos of Tang Qian in front of Zhou Changyou, "You should still have an impression of what happened more than a month ago. When she checked in on October 10, was she alone or with others?"

Zhou Changyou shook his head, "I don't know, I wasn't the one who checked in that day."

Mingshu said: "Take out the surveillance at that time, the video from less than two months ago, you should still keep it?"

Zhou Changyou hurriedly called his eldest daughter, and found the video after searching for a long time, "Look, that's all."

Mingshu pulled the video at double speed. At 10:26 am on October 11, Tang Qian appeared at the front desk with a backpack on her back. She was wearing a short black leather jacket, and the shorts set off her slender legs. She looked very neat.

There were other guests at the front desk, and Tang Qian observed the furnishings in the lobby while waiting.After waiting for about ten minutes, Tang Qian took out her phone and started taking selfies before the customers in front had finished processing.

After a few more minutes, it was finally her turn, and she showed a sweet smile to the registration camera.

The couple's room is on the third floor, and the stairs on each floor are monitored.

At 11:36, Tang Qian entered Room 314.

At 12:27, Tang Qian came out of Room 314.

During this period of time, only the cleaning staff appeared on the surveillance screen on the entire third floor.

After going down to the lobby, Tang Qian asked the front desk staff something, but she couldn't hear it on the monitor.

Zhou Changyou's eldest daughter said that this worker has only been working for two months and has returned to his hometown a while ago.

At 12:39, Tang Qian left the farmhouse.

"Going out at this time must be for lunch." Zhou Changyou said.

At 2:08 p.m., Tang Qian appeared in the lobby again, this time with a plastic bag in her hand.

"A pocket from a convenience store?" Mingshu asked.

Zhou Changyou looked closely for a long time, pointed to the small supermarket across the street and said, "It's their pocket."

Mingshu immediately sent someone to adjust the monitoring of the day.

Back at the farmhouse this time, Tang Qian stayed in the room for a long time until 9:31 pm before leaving with the backpack she had brought.

During this period of time, the number of farmhouse guests has increased. There are people everywhere in the lobby, upper and lower floors, restaurants, and chess and card rooms.But room 314 where Tang Qian lives has never been approached.

At least in the video, Tang Qian did not speak to anyone other than the staff.

The team members who went to the supermarket came back soon, and the video they got showed that Tang Qian went to buy a box of toilet paper, three packs of wet wipes, two sets of portable toiletries, and a box of by-the-box.

Obviously, Tang Qian was waiting for someone to spend a romantic night with herself.

However, after leaving at 9:[-], Tang Qian never appeared in any of the cameras of the farmhouse.

She didn't come back until the next morning.According to the records of the farmhouse, room 314 was vacant for one night, and a new guest checked in on the 28th.

Mingshu asked: "The guest staying here disappeared, and you didn't respond at all?"

Zhou Changyou was in a hurry, "How can I control this? She paid for two days when she checked in, and she doesn't owe us anything. How can I react? Many guests are like this, and they leave when they feel uncomfortable. The deposit It’s only 100 yuan, he’s so arrogant, he doesn’t like to refund it? Am I still chasing after it?”

"Did she leave anything in the room?" Mingshu asked.

Zhou Changyou wondered: "Even if there is one, throw it away. We clean it every day."

Mingshu said: "I need a list of guests who checked in at your store before and after Tang Qian checked in."

Zhou Changyou panicked and said, "Could it be that the guest staying at my place decided on that little girl's idea?"

Mingshu didn't want to explain too much, "You just do it."

Tang Qian was not killed in the farmhouse, she left voluntarily, and checking the communication records shows that the murderer did not call or send her a message before she left, and the surveillance outside the guest room also showed that no suspicious person approached 314.

Tang Qian would leave, most likely because she had made an appointment with the murderer early in the morning.

But this does not mean that the murderer is not in the farmhouse.

The murderer may have been observing Tang Qian in a corner of the farmhouse, but neither Tang Qian at that time nor the police now found any trace of him.

Zhou Changyou honestly handed over the list of residents, and Mingshu suddenly noticed a bunch of strange eyes.

The criminal policeman has a natural sensitivity to sight, Mingshu turned around abruptly, and made eye contact with a thin young man.

The man turned and ran.

Mingshu ran after him, but Zhou Changyou shouted anxiously from behind: "Don't chase! That's my stupid son!"

The man could not run faster than Ming Shu, but he was restrained by Ming Shu within a few steps, and he let out an indistinct cry.

"What were you doing standing behind me just now?" Ming Shu said coldly, "Why are you running now?"

The man struggled hard, opened his mouth and bit Mingshu's arm.

Mingshu dodges quickly, grabbing the back of the man's neck.

"He has brain problems and doesn't understand anything. Let him go!" Zhou Changyou hastily explained, saying that this man's name is Zhou Yu, and he is his youngest son. He has abnormal intelligence and has never been educated. Can't even speak clearly.

Mingshu let go of Zhou Yu, Zhou Yu suddenly cried, "I know! I know everything!"

Mingshu's eyes froze, "What do you know?"

"He's a fool!" Zhou Changyou said.

Zhou Yu made a photo frame with both hands, "That sister, take a selfie, I know!"

Mingshu immediately took out Tang Qian's photo, "Do you remember her?"

Zhou Yu nodded vigorously.

"Remember what a fart!" Zhou Changyou was afraid that his stupid son would cause trouble, so he slapped Zhou Yu on the face, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Seeing that Zhou Changyou wanted to fight, Ming Shu raised his hand to stop him, and asked, "What do you remember?"

The old duck soup pot in Fengsheng Town is very famous. Sitting by the steaming soup pot, Zhou Yu blushed from eating, and finally stopped crying, puffing his cheeks and saying, "She is with someone."

Mingshu asked: "Have you seen that person's appearance clearly?"

Zhou Yu nodded, then shook his head again, "It's dark, I didn't see the face."

Mingshu asked again: "Where is it? What are they doing?"

Zhou Yu was full of excitement, pointing to his backyard, clenched his hands, and slammed himself on the head, "In my house! I'm killing people! Hahahahaha! I'm killing people! Boom boom boom! I'm killing people!"