"I asked Mrs. Guan, and her confession was the same as what you said. However, people with mental problems are really unpredictable. After my repeated questioning, I found that she may have become confused and said some incomprehensible words."
"So, the coal stove is really placed next to the door?" the wine shop owner asked from Cheng Mingxiang's point of view.
"That's right. She said she didn't remember clearly. She may have placed the coal stove far away from the door, or she may have been negligent and placed it next to the door before going back."
"Mr. Policeman, this kind of situation is very common." The wine shop owner said, "Once you develop a habit, sometimes you can't remember where you put things. Especially when you are suddenly questioned by the police, no wonder The woman would be so frightened that she could speak incoherently.”
"Maybe." The policeman did not refute, but looked at Cheng Mingxiang, "When the fire broke out, it goes without saying that you must have been at the Fangxian Hotel, right?"
His expression didn't look like he was investigating a suspect, but rather like he was having a conversation. The sun dimmed and the cold wind added to the chill.
"Yes." Cheng Mingxiang nodded clearly, "I'm working."
"Did the neighbor discover the fire after one o'clock in the morning?" the police asked the liquor store owner.
"That's right. The neighbor's old man said that when he woke up in the middle of the night and went to the roadside to relieve himself, he suddenly saw a fire under the eaves of her house."
"That's it... a fire broke out under the eaves at around one o'clock in the morning. So, extrapolating forward, the flames from the coal stove may have spread to the wooden door twenty minutes ago." Police officer Fu Heng said to himself.
Cheng Mingxiang was startled because she was worried that she might have been negligent. There is a gap in time between the flames of the coal stove burning slowly along the wooden door and the sudden explosion of gasoline. It should have been less than five or six minutes after Cheng Mingxiang poured gasoline on the house until the fire broke out under the eaves. She remembered filling the coal stove with toilet paper, dousing it with gasoline, and when she finished all the actions and walked out the door, the house suddenly lit up like daylight. It only lasted two or three minutes. It shouldn't take a few minutes for the flames in the house to reach under the eaves...
Police officer Fu Heng scratched his head vigorously and remained silent, as if thinking. Perhaps he was calculating how long it would take for the flames from the coal stove to reach the wooden door. Cheng Mingxiang's heart couldn't help but beat faster, but having said that, it was impossible to determine whether it was arson based on the situation alone. After all, when the first witnesses discovered it, there was already a sea of fire under the roof. Before that, no one knew what Cheng Mingxiang had done except herself.
After the fire broke out, the fire brigade and criminal police detachment immediately sent an forensic team to investigate the fire scene. It is said that they can determine whether it was an accident or arson based on the charred objects at the scene. Cheng Mingxiang believed that she did not leave any suspicious clues. The gasoline bottle was taken away by her on her return trip, and nothing was left at the fire scene.
However, on the way back, Cheng Mingxiang could not find a suitable place to dispose of the bottle, so she had to smash it near the "Fangxian Hotel" and kick the pieces to an inconspicuous place on the roadside, so the fire scene was impossible. Any suspicious glass shards were left behind, and as for the toilet paper stuffed in the coal stove, it would have been burned to ashes.
"I would like to ask you," Detective Hao Dong of the Criminal Police Detachment asked Cheng Mingxiang, "Did all the waitresses at Fangxian Hotel know that you were working last night?"
Cheng Mingxiang calmed down and answered the expected question: "Yes. Because my colleagues on the night shift don't go to bed until four in the morning, and they are all on duty before that."
Just answer like this, there is no need to specifically state Xiao Long’s name. It was part of Cheng Mingxiang's job to stay in Xiao Long's guest room. If he said Xiao Long's name rashly, it would arouse doubts. It would be more natural to treat him as an ordinary tenant.
"Really... Well, I understand." Detective Hao Dong smiled, with wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. "By the way, madam, I'm sorry to bother you when you are sad. Could you please come to our criminal police detachment?"
"..."
"Our captain wants to meet with you, please go there."
"All right."
"Please don't worry. The fire has been determined to be an accidental fire. You just need to repeat what you just said in front of the captain."
"Then do I need to go?" the liquor store owner asked the detective.
"You can go back first. This lady will be delayed for a while. Can you go back alone?"
"Ah!" The wine shop owner said with a somewhat shy look, "Go ahead", bowed to the detective and Cheng Mingxiang and left.
"Please go this way."
The criminal policeman did not go outside, but took her directly to the criminal police detachment in a police car.
You must stay calm and you must hold on! As long as you state what you said in front of the detective, you'll be fine. Cheng Mingxiang followed the criminal police and walked into the office building of the criminal police detachment.
There was nothing special about the questioning of Captain Tian Chunda of the Criminal Police Detachment. Just as Detective Hao Dong said, he just changed his questioning tone to a formulaic one. The captain had a thin face and a serious face, but his voice was very soft. He looked at Cheng Mingxiang in front of him unceremoniously. From beginning to end, he just nodded "um, um" in response to Cheng Mingxiang's statement. Cheng Mingxiang repeated her answer in front of Detective Hao Dong.
"Didn't the family buy insurance for your husband?" Captain Tian asked.
"Yes……"
"What a shame. Then your situation would be completely different."
Cheng Mingxiang thought to herself that not having an insurance claim would be beneficial to her. Captain Tian did not inquire about the details of Cheng Mingxiang's stay at the "Fangxian Hotel" at that time, and the police did not seem to think it was an arson case. After a general inquiry into Cheng Mingxiang's alibi, there is no longer any doubt.
"Thank you for your hard work, please take care of yourself!" Captain Tian said, letting Cheng Mingxiang go easily.
Cheng Mingxiang stepped out of the criminal police detachment, and Detective Hao Dong followed him. When Captain Tian asked her just now, Detective Hao Dong sat aside and kept recording.
"Do you want to go back directly?" he asked in an upright tone.
"Yes."
"Then let me walk with you for a while. I happen to be along the way."
"Thanks……"
Cheng Mingxiang did not refuse. The current atmosphere was a bit weird. Why did the detective take the initiative to accompany her to the bus stop? Just now, he also said that the forensic team has determined that the fire was an accident. Could it be that he was deliberately spreading the word in order to trace the cause of the unknown fire?
"It seems that all the belongings were burned down, and not a single thing was rescued?" Detective Hao Dong asked as he walked.
"Yeah...Actually, I don't have anything valuable in my house. At most, I have a shabby wardrobe and an old quilt."
"That would be very tragic. There are always some clothes in the closet, right?"
"There are a few clothes, but most of them have been pawned. The wardrobe is usually empty. It's embarrassing to say that there is nothing valuable in it. They are all old clothes."
"Ah, I really want to drink a cup of tea."
The detective suddenly muttered to himself. To Cheng Mingxiang, it sounded like the other party was asking if he could buy him a cup of tea.
"I also happen to be very thirsty. Let's go to the teahouse over there and sit." She took the initiative to invite.
It was a simple teahouse. Since it was broad daylight, the loneliness in the store was clearly visible. A sloppily dressed woman came over carrying a teapot.
"I also know people at the fire brigade. If you are not comfortable asking, I can ask for you."
Hao Dong said with the attitude of a criminal policeman. The opponent had the broad shoulders of a wrestler, a plump forehead, and sunken eyes. However, the lines at the corners of his eyes when he smiled made him look particularly friendly.
"Thank you," Cheng Mingxiang nodded gently, "I have never encountered anything like this before, and I don't understand anything. Please give me your advice."
"The so-called fire..." The detective leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, lowered his head slightly and looked down at Cheng Mingxiang and said, "If you really want to find faults, you can find faults wherever you look. Moreover, if you investigate according to regulations, even more It’s endless. In fact, it all depends on what the undertaker thinks. In other words, you should try your best to make the undertaker leave a good impression on you.”
"ah?"
"Even if the undertaker's words are not pleasant to the ears, all he needs to do is apologize. In other words, he has to win the sympathy of the other party. However, some people like to make things difficult, so this kind of bitter trick may not work. If the time comes, I will tell you something. Good words.”
"Thanks."
