Chapter 10: Night Terror
He casually closed the bedroom door as well and checked the door lock
During the process of getting out of bed, apart from a slight sound made by the bed board, there was no other noise, and his gaze remained fixed on the direction of the foot of the bed
At this moment, the moonlight outside is abundant, allowing most areas of the room to be seen even without turning on the lights
When the door closed, he saw the two officers continue to walk upstairs
Saying this, he handed Shen Xing a card with a phone number written on it, and the name on the card was Xiong Wei
How is Lin Wanru's daughter Feifei doing now? This is what Shen Xing is currently worried about
The female sheriff nodded while quickly taking notes in a notebook.
Opening my eyes in a daze, I found myself curled up in a ball, holding onto a pillow, yet the blanket was still properly covering me and had not been kicked off.
There may be a thief in the house
In the same level where Shen Xing resides, there are only two households, and to reach the opposite side, one must go downstairs and then ascend via another staircase
A brief silence fell over the bedroom
A faint sound emerged from the foot of the bed, accompanied by a slight tremor
A slow rustling sound arose at this moment, as if someone were crawling on the ground, moving very slowly
Have you heard anything unusual downstairs in the past few days? For example, arguments, crying, or something happened. Sounds of collisions or breaking.
This city is a true summer retreat
Shen Xing looked up at the male sheriff, who was less than 1.7 meters tall and had a slender build, his appearance being in stark contrast to his name.
Shen Xing also saw a recording pen with a flashing red light placed beside her thigh
Are you living alone? The male sheriff looked around.
Returning to the workstation just before midnight, Shen Xing finally set down the completed wooden sculpture of the Buddha, yawned, and went to the restroom to freshen up for a moment
He turned off the desk lamp, climbed into bed, and fell asleep immediately, feeling somewhat drowsy
Where are the parents
Still feeling a bit cold, Shen Xing tugged at the blanket, confirming that he was still covered. Soon after, he felt a gentle movement at the foot of the bed, as if someone was curled up beneath the bed, seemingly with their head or back pressed against the edge of the bed.
Yungu City is characterized by a subtropical humid and mild climate, with cool summer nights arriving quickly. The highest temperature of the day typically occurs at noon, but it is generally around twenty-seven to twenty-eight degrees.
The Ivy League residential complex, being an old-style building, consists of only six floors. It features a rather peculiar design, constructed in opposition, with two staircases facing different directions, each leading to different residential floors.
From the sheriff's questioning, he could roughly infer that the other party did not rule out the possibility that Lin Wanru's death was a homicide, which is why they were going door to door to inquire and investigate
Suddenly, Shen Xing seemed to see a dark mass slightly rise from the direction of the foot of the bed, and then it settled down again
"I used to rent here because it is both inexpensive and quiet. It doesn't matter if the house is a bit small and old," Shen Xing replied
He maintained a supine position, his limbs motionless, only slightly raising his head to direct his gaze towards the foot of the bed from which the vibrations were emanating
Shen Xing relaxed and replied: "Originally, the next door was occupied by an elderly man in his seventies, but he later moved to live with his son. Currently, the room is unoccupied and has not been rented out."
After waiting for a moment, Shen Xing slowly turned his body, extending his bare feet to the ground without wearing shoes. This ensured that he would not make any noise while moving. The slight chill from the ground quickly helped him regain his composure.
He slightly raised his head, looking towards the foot of the bed in the moonlight streaming through the window, and suddenly he was startled, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the bedroom door
Shen Xing recalled and shook his head: "No, when I usually do wood carving, I am very focused and need a quiet environment. However, to be honest, although this community is quite old, it becomes very quiet after around 9 PM every night, which is very suitable for someone like me who works at night"
They do not live in this city
He usually does not close the bedroom door when he sleeps at night, but the events that occurred today inexplicably left Shen Xing with a persistent feeling of unease
Shen Xing tried to place the memories of his night before sleep onto the polished Buddha statue, no longer thinking about that blood-red eye
The slightly arched object just now seemed to be the back of a person crouching, this was the first thought that emerged in Shen Xing's mind
As long as one cooperates well, it will assist the sheriff in capturing the murderer as soon as possible
What is going on
What do you do
Wood carving, self-made and self-sold. Shen Xing said: "I opened a small shop, located about a twenty-minute walk from here on Chunyu Street."
After relieving himself, he was struck by his obsessive-compulsive tendencies and checked all the doors, windows, and locks in the room before finally returning to the bedroom
"Yes." Shen Xing nodded
Sitting up straight, I reached down to feel under the pillow and grasped a flashlight that was placed there tightly.
The drowsiness had faded somewhat, and Shen Xing was unsure whether the feeling just now was an illusion or reality, after all, she had just woken up and her mind was not clear
The male sheriff turned around and reminded, "The scene on the third floor has been sealed off, so please do not approach it while going up and down the stairs to avoid disturbing the scene. If you remember anything, you can call me at this number."
"In other words, if there are any unusual sounds, you will notice them quickly?" the male sheriff asked with a frown
This time, Shen Xing was certain that the initial tremor just now was definitely not an illusion
He was awakened from the cold, though he did not know how long it had been
At this moment, the open bedroom door instantly dispelled his drowsiness, and he even felt a slight chill in his hands and feet
His heartbeat has begun to unconsciously quicken
Dong!
The male sheriff shook his head: "Rest assured, it was Feifei who reported the incident after school. The little girl is currently frightened and has been taken to the Public Security Bureau, where we have personnel specifically assigned to look after her and provide psychological counseling"
Shen Xing clearly remembers that he definitely closed the bedroom door before going to sleep
Upon careful recollection, it seems that the neighbors of Lin Wanru and her mother downstairs just moved out last month, and the room is still vacant. Otherwise, if that family had not moved out, with a death occurring next door, it would be difficult to expect a peaceful night's sleep tonight
The female sheriff then looked up and asked: "What time does your neighbor usually come home at night?"
Yes. Shen Xing met his gaze directly, without flinching, "If there are any unusual sounds, I might be more sensitive and attentive than others"
At that moment, the female sheriff raised her head and asked, "Is this room yours, or..."
In this moment, the bedroom door is open!
Shen Xing propped himself up with his right hand on the bed, slowly sitting up, his eyes wide open, straining to see what lay in the dim darkness at the foot of the bed.
After asking a few more questions, the two officers stood up and walked to the door
The sleeping Shen Xing even unconsciously pulled the summer quilt over herself.