Sha Qing

Chapter 39: Tinder (2)

The next morning, news came from the state police that the identity of the deceased had been confirmed. The nine-year-old Renee Dolé came from a nearby place called River Gorge Town. Leo and Li Biqing decided to go to that town first. As for whether there were any other victims, Eden would call them about the situation after the team finishes searching the whole lake.

By the time they reached an ordinary residential house in River Gorge Town, the local county police had already taken control of the scene and was preparing to take away a middle-aged woman. Her body was kind of bloated, with an apathetic expression; her golden brown hair was cut too short and she seemed rather dull. Perhaps she was once a beautiful lady more than ten years ago, but her charm had dried up over the years.

After showing his ID, Leo talked to a tall, thin county police.

"Her name is Bellary, and she is the mother of the deceased- at least in a biological sense." The county policeman gave the woman a disgusted glance.

"Why do you say so?"

"She is simply not worthy of being called a mother. She abused her children - she beat them while scolding, and didn't give them any proper food and clothes. What's more, she drowned her six-month-old son in her own bathtub more than two years ago."

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

"A number of doctors diagnosed her with schizophrenia and could not bear legal responsibility, so she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Her two remaining children were taken care of by a priest- Father Smith. Month of 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 went to the church in the town and asked to take back the custody of her two daughters. If Father Smith continued to take of them, then maybe eldest one wouldn't be at the bottom of the lake... such a cute little girl ..." The county police sighed sympathetically.

"You're suspecting that Bellary killed Renee?"

"It's not difficult for her, isn't it? Just changing the bathtub to something a little bigger." The county policeman said coldly, "What's better is that she has a shield called 'schizophrenia'! Such a good amulet! Just go back to the hospital and recuperate for another three or five years, and then she can come out and continue to harm her last daughter."

Li Biqing stood behind Leo. He didn't know what facial expression should he use to convey his feelings when he heard those words. A mother! How cruel is she to drown her six-month-old biological son in the bathtub? Was her heart made of snake's venomous fangs, scorpion tail thorns, and the flames of hell? He would rather believe that she was a real schizophrenic patient- that she had no idea of what happened.

Bellary moved her stiff foot towards the police car. No one cared about her life and death, nor did she seem to care about everything around her.

Leo walked gloomily into the rundown house. There was a little body hidden in the shadow on the side of the steps under the porch. It was a little girl about five or six years old, curled up, wearing a dirty white skirt. Two county police were squatting on the ground as they tried to appease her, but she held her knees silently without moving.

This is probably the youngest daughter, Leo thought with pity. The poor child- her sister and brother are dead, her mother is the murderer, and perhaps for her, right now, the world is like a nightmare that she can never wake up from. Leo couldn't help but approached her.

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

That face- Leo abruptly took a step back!

The girl has a long, lush, seaweed-like light blonde hair. Although her appearance is messy because of the lack of care, her head still have these lovely little curls and her blue eyes are clear like a sky just washed by the rain. She is a beautiful girl, like a little angel.

As if struck by lightning, Leo's face solidified into an utter shock and disbelief, and he stumbled two more steps backwards.

Li Biqing noticed that he was acting strange, so the former stepped forward to hold his arm. "Leo?" He looked at the cold sweat dotted on the agent's forehead, and felt that the latter's muscles were shaking. He couldn't help asking, "What happened? Leo, your face looks ugly.... " Like you've seen a ghost. He dared not speak the second half of the sentence.

"Debbie, will you come out? Don't be afraid, we will protect you. Debbie?" The crouching policewoman gently called the little girl's name.

Leo's face became more and more pale, until the color on his face almost faded.

"Let's go. Let's get back in the car first." Li Biqing was worried and was clueless on why Leo was acting that way. He could only grab his arm and take him to the side of the car. Leo just let his body get dragged away, as if his soul had drifted to another world.

Li Biqing tucked him into the back seat, feeling that he was stuffing a walking dead, "Leo!" He was so scared that he gave the other party a hard slap on the face, "Wake up!"

Leo's cheek immediately became swollen, but this also successfully awakened his consciousness and clarity returned to his eyes.

Li Biqing regretted his action as soon as it hit the man, How could he hit his face shortly after his jaw surgery?

"Are you all right, Leo?" He asked nervously, "What's the matter?"

"... I'm okay... Just a little uncomfortable." Leo replied in a light voice, like a snow flake 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. He looked at the exhausted appearance the dark-haired agent, and decided to follow his intentions to find a hotel to rest.

As they neared the end of the street, a small hotel with a neon sign "Green Season Hotel" became visible. Li Biqing didn't care about the environment, and directly parked the car. He pulled Leo straight to the lobby and hurriedly said to the thin middle-aged woman behind the counter, "Open a room!"

"One or two?" The woman looked up- her face heavy with mascara and eyeliner.

"Anything!" Li Biqing replied impatiently.

"Is it one or two!" The woman stared at them, her scarlet lips skimming down discontentedly.

"One!"

Leo's condition is bad, he has to take care of him.

"Two single beds, or a double bed?" The woman continued to ask.

An unknown fire surged within him, and Li Biqing slapped his hands on the counter, smashing the plastic box containing the hotel's introduction pamphlet into pieces, "Are you fucking finished? Give me the key!"

The frightened woman hurriedly opened the drawer, grabbed a key and hurriedly passed it to the young man.

Li Biqing snatched the key, took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and threw it at the counter, then pulled Leo up the stairs.

The woman subconsciously wanted to call the police, but just as she picked up the phone, she suddenly realized that the stack of banknotes was much thicker than she had estimated. Counting carefully, she put down the phone with satisfaction, and began to skillfully fill in the guest registration record, "Jack Smith, Tom Wilson, home address ..."