The next day, all five of them were sitting around a table while looking at some papers given by Ning. But the table was filled more with various food, and snacks rather than documents.
" Mr. Lin does not have any bad reputation. He never got in trouble and was friendly with everyone. What might be the reason for killing him? "
"Lian you don't know much about humans. You lived most of the time in your house. But now you are with us. You will slowly know how human nature is complicated, merciless, or sometimes too good. " Said Ning.
Lian gave a bright smile at that as she was glad she quickly made four friends and by her judgment of humans, she knew she could trust them that they were good-natured.
"He was married. We need to meet his wife. Maybe she knows about Mr. Lin better than others" Stated Ning while getting up while stuffing one more dumpling in her mouth.
They went to the mansion of Mr. Lin Xin. He was a rich man and famous among his neighbors. All called him friendly and an expert painter. Mr. Lin's wife Mrs. Lin Jia / Mrs. Feng Jia (her original name)
" We are from the inspection bureau. We would like to ask a few questions" Ning asked while Mrs. Feng nodded.
" Was there any recent dispute between your husband and someone? Like any weird behavior that you noticed? "
" No, he always comes late and is either drunk or brings some... bring some of his friends. So I don't disturb him. "
" Where does he go every night? "
" Don't know. I never asked him. "
" Then what about his friends? Who are they and what are their names? "
" He does not have many old friends. Just one. His name is Han Jun. But he was out of town one month ago. Don't know if he is back or not. I don't know where he lives. "
" Okay, Mrs. Feng. We will come again if we need you. Don't go out of the city without our permission "
Feng Jia was looking down the whole time. She looked timid and shy-natured.
" This Feng Jia feels odd... But I can't tell what is odd" Said Lian.
" You have a good understanding of behavior. Indeed she is suspicious. Come on, let's ask the neighbors about how Feng Jia's nature was.
" Even though she was rich she never looked down on any of us." Said one of the maids of the mansion.
" Feng Jia. Shy girl. But very upright. Always paid money. But after all her husband was a rich man." said the nearby vendors.
" She was good-natured. But she looked weird to me. Whenever she would see children playing or husbands loving their wives she would quickly get away from them. Once I was curious about her nature only to find out that she would cry her heart out in a quiet place. I never asked her the reason. " Said the beside neighbour.
Then the group went back to their shop.
" I don't get it. She was married, and had a rich husband who was good according to her as well as her neighbors what was bothering her that she would cry or be sad? "
"Lian!! my honey-baby"
Hearing this all looked at Ning in surprise with mouth wide open and eyes bulge out.
" Hon-honey baby?? Me??!! " Said Lian in a barely audible voice.
"Yes, you are a sweet baby. You don't know much about the bad, greedy nature of humans. In your eyes all are sweet and good like Xiaobo, right? "
" Yes.... Huh? No, no it is not like that"
At this Xiaobo was getting red due to embarrassment. Also, the answer Lian gave makes him more shy, and wants to run away from there.
" So Xiaobo is not sweet? "
" He is, huh.. Ummm... I mean that you all are also very sweet. " Said Lian with an awkward smile.
" Umm... This Feng Jia had scars on her hands. She tried to hide them but I saw them when she poured tea for us". Said Xiaobo while trying to divert the attention back to the case.
" As expected from our observant Xiaobo. Good work. So from this, we can say that Mr. Lin is a monster hidden well. He used to assault his wife so she was afraid of him even after his death. He was a monster in the house and his real face is only known by his wife. So we need to talk to her and I think only me and Lian will talk. She will be at ease and be better. "
" But what about his old friend Mr. Han? Shouldn't we interrogate him? "Asked Ming.
" That's the work you guys will do. Let's split up and solve the case within two days"
" Two days!! Aren't you overestimating us? We can't find the culprit within two days. "
" Yes, you can believe me in this. I know from where we can't get the answers. "
" Where?? " All four asked in unison.
" Of course interrogation gives some clues. But they are not always the truth. The truth lies in what the murderer started. "
" Answer lies within what the murderer started? But what did the murderer do? " Asked Ming.
" The painting!! There was a message in the painting " Shouted Lian with excitement.
"Right. My little sister is so smart. "
" No, not as smart as my big sister. "
" You... you two are already sisters?? "
" Why any problem with that Mr. Ming? "
Ming shook his head vigorously and looked down scared because of the sharp eagle-like gaze of Ning.
" Let's split. Quick. Meet us here at noon. Got it?
The three men nodded their heads and they were about to go when aloud, angry voice interrupted.
" Did everyone forget about me? Huh? "
That voice belonged to Mr. Xavier who was all red due to anger. Xiaobo just realized that he had forgotten and made an 'O' shaped mouth while Lian pressed her lips inside looking elsewhere.
" We did not forget about you. How can we.. umm.. Ah! Ning needs to solve the case Or else she might get a scolding from her seniors. So we are trying to help her. " Explained Xiaobo. At that Ning nodded vigorously.
"Hmmm, then let me help you. I have still a week free. I will take care of your shop. You do your work"
" Really?? Thank you a lot, I mean it. " Said Xiaobo. Mr. Xavier gave a smile and patted on his back. Then they went off on their way.
At Lin Xin mansion,
" You don't need to hide things from us. We won't say a word about it. Just tell us the REAL behavior of Mr. Lin" Said Ning in a comforting voice.
Feng Jia held her dress tightly while her eyes got teary. She did not say or even look up for a few minutes. Then she wiped her tears and looked up.
" I and Lin was classmates in the school. We cared and liked each other. That led to us ending in a marriage. But his real face was hidden for a long time. If I had known a little earlier, things would have been a lot different now. But what to do? I can't turn the flow now, and I don't want to. I am a bit tired"
" Did he do anything other than physical assault? "
" No, he pretends to be nice in front of others and shows the real face only to the one he targets. Besides me, only Mr. Han knows his true colors"
" That means he was always there with Mr. Lin. Then why the sudden plan of going to another city"
"He said that he wants to get inspiration for his painting, the new occupation which he recently started. That's what I heard. I don't know if there was a talk between the two friends in secret"
" Can we see the place where Mr. Lin worked or free painting? "
At the request, Feng Jia showed them a room in the backyard.
" Since my husband was killed, I did not clean this room. So I am sorry for that"
The room was big, open with big windows and there were many plants planted in small pots. There were still four paintings left hanging on bamboo stands.
" Were these four painted by Mr. Lin himself? "
Feng Jia nodded at the question and waited there till they inspected it properly and then after some time, both the girls left the place.
" What do you think about this Feng Jia? "
" She seems pitiful. But if she was this afraid of her husband, she became a suspect in the killing. She might not have killed but was a partner. This is just my guess"
" Lian, your guess won't help you to catch the culprit. To punish the culprit you need evidence. Now think about it. The person who killed it started with a painting. So the murderer wants us to focus on painting. There is something related to this. We need to find it. "
" Sister Ning, then let's go back to the shop. The boys might be arriving soon. "
Both the girls went back with many questions filled in their minds. When they reached the boys were already there. They looked aghast like they had seen a ghost.
" Hey, Lian. Where did you send them? They came back only after half an hour and did not even say a word. Just sitting there till now"
At that, Ming took a deep breath and sighed.
" Our last hope for clues- Mr. Han died."
" Oh, okay," Ning said while Lian was in shock and looked at Ning as to what was OKAY!!? Others also looked at her in confusion and then she realized what Ming just said.
" Han Jun is dead!! When? How? Did you inform the bureau? "
" Yes, we informed the bureau. He was found dead at his home. He lived alone so no one reported. But he had no injury. Might be an integral injury that led to his sudden death"
"This is too much of a coincidence to believe. Han Jun dies soon after his friend dies. It does not fit. He must know something that we need to find the culprit. Let's go to the bureau. We need to dig out someone's past"
Xiaobo called a carriage and soon they were among piles of books and papers searching for a specific thing asked Ning. After a full hour of concentration, Ming gave up.
" I won't do this. This is crazy. You want us to find out about all the girls around the age of 20-22 who died in the last two years. I have checked hundreds and did not find one. I quit"
" Okay. I have other work for you. Keep an eye on Feng Jia. She is the prime suspect. Don't let her escape seven if she tries to kill you, you need to stay with her and keep an eye on her. If she escapes, the inspection bureau will hold you responsible. "
" Now that I think about it, I should quickly see the remaining papers. I have a photogenic memory. I can remember what I see or hear. " Said Ming with an awkward smile.
After silence of a good ten minutes, Ning shouted aloud.
" Got it. The name is Feng Jie. She was also a painter. But... her paintings are only three. "
" Huh? Only three. That's weird. There is something fishy about this"
" I think I know who is the culprit. I don't know how the bureau never paid attention to this. But from her three paintings, two are claimed to be drawn by Lin Xin. "
" That means he stole her paintings and claimed them as his. What was the cause of Feng Jie's death? "
" She hanged herself to death. It was a case of suicide. So it was closed immediately. "
" I don't think that she had any other reason for suicide other than her paintings being claimed by others"
" Then let's go and visit Feng Jia. She knows the last piece of the puzzle. How did she become her wife when her sister was being harassed by the same person? "
They all headed towards Lin's mansion.
They saw her caressing a tombstone written Feng Jie.
" You are early. I thought you would take time like those stupid seniors of yours. "
" Did you kill Lin Xin and Han Jun? "
" What do you think of the reason? I want to see how our future seniors will be. Because I don't want the same fate as mine to happen to others just because of negligence. "
" Sister Jia. I am sorry for what happened to you and your sister. "
" Oh?? You are saying like you have guessed what happened between us"
" Yes. Your sister's paintings were stolen by Lin Xin which forced her to end her life "
" WRONG!! Do you think we sisters are so lowly that we would end our lives just because someone stole something from us!!?? "
"Then.... "
" Me and my older sister were orphans but never asked someone for help. We always were self-dependent. We worked, me as a doctor and she as a painter. My sister was overprotective and caring about me. She always knew what I wanted and always fulfilled my needs. And then I met Lin Xin- a handsome guy who was also a painter. But his popularity was less than my sister's. I always liked to see him sit in his shop and paint. He was also a good one. But my sister was praised more by her seniors. Lin Xin and she was in the same troupe who did the work of buying and selling paintings. My sister only painted three and she got many offers. Lin Xin also got to know me and we liked each other. I confessed my feelings and he also confessed his. I was overwhelmed and told about him to my sister. My sister did not look very happy about this. She met Lin Xin and they had a private conversation. That was my regret. I did not hear that conversation. If I had, I would have killed Lin Xin that day only.
" I know you don't love my sister. What is your purpose? " Asked Feng Jie.
" As expected, you are clever enough to understand people. Better than your naive sister. "Said Lin Xin.
" What do you want? "
" I will marry her and always keep her happy and safe. Just give me every painting of yours. "
" Aren't you afraid that I would tell this to Jia and she will end this relationship? "
" Hmm... You can do it. But I think you will change this decision when you know that she is pregnant
" You!!..... How dare you!??... "
" Just because you got some money and some status in society you think you can overpower me. Your hands are tied by your sister. Will you help me Or should I just abandon her? "
" Did your sister never asked about your pregnancy? "asked Lian.
" She asked. And I said yes. Not because I was pregnant. But because that bastard played two cards. On one side he said that to my sister on the other side, he said to me that my sister would only agree to our marriage if I said that I was pregnant. And I, an idiot agreed to him. He must be thinking of how foolish I am and laughing at me, right? "
"Then after she gave her paintings, what happened? " Asked Ming in a low voice.
"After that my marriage ceremony took place. We twins were famous throughout the town so many guests came. But you know what the irony was. After the ceremony took place something which I never imagined. "
Feng Jia was unable to say anything further and started crying. After a few minutes, she resumed while Ning was jotting down all her statements in her book.
" My sis-sister was sex-sexually ass-assaulted on the day of my marriage. Lin Xin and Han Jun assaulted her as she was not drawing any paintings for them. Han Jun also profited from this. He used to sell at triple the price and then divide it between himself and Lin. Those bastards did not spare her. While here I was feeling elated thinking about my future life with my lover she was abused by them. The next month was all okay. Lin Xin also treated me very well. One day I went to meet my sister. The house that me and my sister built was taken by Lin Xin. And my idiotic mind never doubted this even once. Sister said that she wanted to give me this house. She has built another house just like this and I believed my sister's income was much more than a minister's. What I did not know was that all the money was going into Lin Xin's pocket.
When I went inside the small house, I was met with the worst dreams of mine. I found my sister's body hanging from the ceiling. She was DEAD! I dragged myself towards her while my eyesight was getting blurry. I lowered her body from the rope and cleaned her face with my dress. I can't believe that she would kill herself. I saw a few papers lying down on the floor. I collected the papers and saw that they were letters written by my sister filled with ink and tears. I came to know all about Lin Xin and Han Jun from her letters. I hated myself to the core. I could not bear to separate from my sister. My first instinct was to kill myself but how can I let Lin Xin live peacefully after what he had done? I planned and killed him when he was very drunk. And then hanged him on the bell tower. And then I gave poison to Han Jun which killed him. I accept that I killed those two bastards. But thankfully, I don't regret it. "
Feng Jia looked down and cried but with a smile. Lian and Ning had tears in their eyes and the three boys also had moist tears. Suddenly Feng Jia vomited blood. And she was still smiling.
" Are you okay? "
" Yes, I am. I took this poison last year. It feels like ants are biting you every night. I wanted to feel the pain. I am crazy but I wanted to feel even one percent of the pain that my sister had. And it's my last time. I have one request. Bury me beside my sister and convert this house into an orphanage. I have money in the locker. And this painting is the last that my sister drew. Hang it here in orphanage. Please that's my first and last request. " Said Feng Jia weakly.
The painting was of a tiger and deer playing in clouds.
"This tiger represent my sister and deer me. I hope we two can meet again and be together in our next life" Saying Feng Jia fainted.
Ning hurried to call a doctor but it was too late when the doctor arrived. Feng Jia was dead. Ning made the last statement and did all that Feng Jia said. It was three days since the incident occurred. Everything was back to normal
" I am impressed by Feng Jia. She made use of the '5th cloud' named flower to make the words suddenly appear on the painting of twin flowers" Said Ming still stuck in that case.
" Hmm. The 5th cloud flower when made paste is transparent. But when it dries up, it turns red. "Said Lian.
Like this the daily scenario of Ming idealling around while Xiaobo was doing work continued. Plus, Lian also gets distracted due to Ming. While they were talking, two people entered the shop. When Xiaobo saw them he gave a bright smile.
" Sister!! And Yuze! I missed you two"
A delicate-looking fair girl with big puppy eyes along with a man with a sharp jawline and dragon eyes entered the shop. Who is the identity of Xiaobo- the one who disrespected the third prince??....