Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

Twenty feet from the door of Gina's apartment, there was a bend in the hallway.I didn't let go of Fang Lvdai's wrist, and led her down the aisle, turning this corner. Why?She asked: Tell me why? Hush!I told her not to speak: wait here. There were footsteps on the stairs. If it is a person, I whispered, we wait here.If it's two people, we'll slip away. It was two people, they came up the aisle, their feet hit the ground, and we heard them knocking on the door of Geina's apartment. I sneaked a look into the aisle and saw two broad figures from behind.Ge Yina's pale face only flashed at the door, and the two men pushed her away and rushed in.I waited until the door was closed, and took Fang Ludai back to the aisle.

She followed me down the aisle. At the top of the stairs, she asked: Why is there only one person here, and we just wait? The police are dispatched in teams of two. If one person comes up, the other must be waiting in the car.Since the two came up together, they should have slipped out.At least hope to sneak out. We went down the stairs.I opened the door and let her go out first.There was a police car parked outside the gate, but there was no one in the car. let's go!I said. We hit the street. not too fast.I said. I feel like someone is chasing me and I want to run away. Don't run, look at me, with a smile on your face, and slow down.Let's take a look at what the store is selling.

Let's see stop and go, and I take her to the corner of the street. Do you have other relatives and friends here?I asked. No. I said: OK, let's find a place to eat, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? No, we wanted to go out for dinner when you came, and Yina just finished taking a shower. We walk casually on the street.From time to time she wants to ask me questions, and I ask her to wait.We found a nice looking restaurant with box seats.We walked in and took a trunk seat far from the door.I ordered two cocktails when the waiter brought the menu. The waiter leaves. I said: speak softly, tell me, how much do you know about Yi Na's little tricks?

Didn't know a thing, she said, everything happened like you dug it up, except I didn't know she was waiting for someone to serve a subpoena. Why is Paul Qu staring at you? She said: He likes me.But no appetite for me. You certainly don't want to move out of your apartment and change your entire lifestyle just because a man you don't like pursues you. Of course not entirely for this reason. What is that for? I don't want to mention these. You can't help but mention it. She said: To be honest, the main reason is that I am tired of this kind of life.I do not have a job.I was paid to live in an apartment under a name.Get up at eleven or twelve every day.I went out to eat, took a walk, bought magazines, and had nothing to do when I went back. I went out to eat again at seven o'clock.After taking a bath, I spend a lot of time grooming myself, just to pass the time.There's nowhere else to go but bars at night, but New Orleans isn't like any other city.Single girls are more likely to be approached by men in bars.Men in other cities have to study her identity first.New Orleans is New Orleans.

The waiter brings cocktails, we clink glasses and taste wine. Waiters stood at the table, silently waiting to order. Have a big plate of oysters in your best sauce, lots of amaranth and lemon.I said: The salt and pepper shrimp for two can be paired with wine.Then we have onion soup.Steak should be three inches thick, medium rare, fried onion rings, potato chips.The garlic bread requires a lot of butter, not much garlic, and a little burnt.Choose a bottle of champagne and chill it in the ice cube first.Finally, ice cream and hot coffee.Don't forget about the bill. The waiter listened to the order without blinking.No mistake, sir, I'll handle it just fine.

I asked Lu Dai: How are you?If you don't like it, you can change it yourself. I totally agree. I nodded to the waiter, and the waiter withdrew and put down a thin bamboo curtain. I suddenly asked Lu Dai: Where are you at 2:30 on Tuesday morning? She said: "I tell you what happened that night and you won't believe it. Things are that bad? Yes. You can talk about it. She said: I tried to avoid lawyer Qu, he even thought I had left New Orleans.Then he found me.You happened to be at my apartment when you found me.You heard what he said.It was the first time seeing him in two years.I don't want to make a fool of yourself in front of you. The last time I saw him, he was overly fascinated with me and was very jealous.Jealousy is one of the reasons why I don't like him.Every time I want to treat others a little better, he doesn't want to.He's a very smart and capable guy, but completely emotionally unstable.Whoever wants to marry him will be unlucky.He wouldn't even let the milkman in the house.

That's why you pulled him out of the aisle to negotiate when I was in your room that day, isn't it? Yes, I know he has a pistol.Afraid that he would do something dangerous.He saw you in my apartment and almost came out with a gun.I push him out of the aisle.He is irrationally jealous of you.I told him that the first time I met you was to discuss something.He didn't believe it, and insisted that you are a privileged boyfriend to enter the house.He said he was going to shoot me and kill himself.It is completely an old problem and then moved out.I had no choice but to tell him that the reason why I left without saying goodbye and not traveling with him was mainly because of his bad temper.If he puts the gun back in his pocket and doesn't fret, I can have dinner with him and maybe a drink with him.

He asked me everything? of course. What did you tell him? I told him the truth.She said: I said you are a detective, you are looking for a man surnamed Wang, for a fortune. Did he ask you who your surname is Wang? Of course, as long as I mention a man's name, he will investigate his eighteen generations of ancestors.I told him that Mr. Wang is Yi Na's friend. How could he ask so many questions in that little time in the aisle? Not all asked in the aisle, I told him that I don't want to argue with him in the aisle, if I want to have dinner with him, I will send you away first, so he agreed to wait.

This is a question that interests me.I said: where is he waiting? He said he was waiting outside and would come back when you left. I left and he came back? Yes. He comes back as soon as you leave. Less than a minute. She saw the expression on my face, and she said: What's wrong?Why are you frowning? I was thinking back, I said, that apartment house had a corridor that went all the way to the end, without turning, and there were apartment rooms on both sides of the corridor.Is it right? right. Can't hide a big man in the aisle? Can't hide. I didn't see him when I went out.

He may have gone quite a distance, watching you go out from the shadows on street corners.That's how he behaves, mysterious and easy to pry into people's privacy.When I lived in the corporate district, you'd think I was an enemy spy and he was an FBI guy.He stalked me and peered through my window through binoculars.When I go out with others, he will guard the door to see when I come back.I dare not take my boyfriend home. The waiter brought the food on trays.We start our meal. After a while, she said: Do you want to hear the following story? after dinner.I said: I only care about eating now, I am hungry.

We ate quietly, and I could see her lighten up.Wine and food built our friendships. Let me tell you something, Don Nuo. What's up? I think I can trust you.I'll tell you the whole truth. As it should be. She pushed the plate forward, took a cigarette in her hand, leaned her upper body forward to let me light it for her, and clasped my hand holding the match with both hands.Her hands were warm, soft, and her skin was soft.She said: Paul and I went out to eat later, and went to the bar to drink, and he still wanted to kill you. He got drunk and became very jealous again.Asked a lot of your questions.Don't believe you're a detective.In the end, I couldn't bear it anymore, and told him that he hadn't changed at all in the past two years. I was nice to him last time, so I left without saying goodbye.This time I will teach him a lesson, and I will never talk to him again.If he bothers me again, I will call the police. How did he react? He did something that terrified and amuses me at the same time. What's up? He snatched my purse. Why?To keep you out of money? I thought so too at the time, but later I realized the real reason. You mean he wants your key? Yes. Where were you when he took your purse? Master Jia's bar in the legal person area, his old place. How does he do it? She said: "I'm counting and saying he's disgusting to me.I will never talk to him again. The bar was packed, and I was sure there would be a lot of people stopping him if he pulled out his gun.Even if no one stopped him, I would admit it, because I was so terrified of him.Everything was fine with him before he loved me. Did Yina introduce you to each other? Yes. What is his attitude towards Ina? I thought he might be playing tricks.I think he caught Yi Na at Master Jia's bar.They played together for a while, and he also came up with the whole trick during that time.It must be like this, I can gradually connect it when I think about it slowly. Ina never told you about the plan? No.She never trusted me.Didn't tell me why I was living in that apartment under her name.She just said some plausible reasons like she did to you at first.She didn't tell me where she went either.Lawyer Qu Baoluo was the only one who knew her whereabouts, but he also pretended not to know.My living expenses were also given to me by Qu Baobao, rent, clothes, meals, jewelry and so on. Did you get a subpoena for Paul? No, I tried giving it to him, but he wouldn't touch it.He said he had no rights.He said that he just authorized him to give me living expenses from Ina.He stressed that he did not know where she was and could not contact her.He said that she gave him a sum of money to give me every month, and the money was almost used up. Okay, you show him your cards, and he snatches your purse, so what? Without saying a word, he walked out. Did you pay the bill? There is no bill at the Master Jia Hotel, they have already collected the money when they come to drink. He walks out and leaves you inside alone? Um. what would you do? I sat for a while, two cheerful sailors flirted with me, and I thought why not?They'll be setting sail soon anyway, and should have a little fun time, too.So I sat them down and it was a great time.Those two young men were good kids, totally new to New Orleans, coming from Milwaukee for the first time that day.I took them around, saw some special places, told them stories about the corporate district, and didn't leave until they were about to set sail. And after that? I walked back to the apartment, walking back on two feet. You didn't find a car? No, I don't have a purse, I don't have a dime. You don't have a key, how are you going to get into the apartment? I have the key. I thought you said he took your keys. There's nothing wrong with that, but I have a spare key in the bottom of my mailbox.I always keep it in that old place just in case.The apartment door uses a spring lock, and sometimes it will be closed accidentally when you come out in a hurry. Every family has a key and put it in a place where others don't know. What time did you leave the sailors? I think it was two o'clock, not too far off. You walked back. Yes. What time did you arrive? Twenty past two, absolutely accurate. I said: why so sure.Did you hear a gunshot? No. What did you hear? I didn't hear it, I saw it. what did you see? My friend Wang Yaqi. I thought about it and said: wait a minute, you can't see him that night, he's in New York. She smiled and said: I saw him clearly. what did he say to youWhat are you talking about? I didn't talk to him, I saw him, he didn't see me. Where did you meet him? Right in front of my apartment building. What time? Like I told you, two twenty. Please go on. She said: I was almost walking to the apartment when he suddenly arrived in a taxi.He asked the taxi to drop him off in front of the apartment, ran up the three steps to the sidewalk, and rang my apartment doorbell. Can you be sure it's your apartment doorbell? It can be roughly determined.I saw where his fingers were.Of course I can't see which button.But it must be my bell. What will he do when he finds out that you are not at home? I have no idea. Why?Did he turn around and find you behind him? No. what does he do He went in. You said he entered the apartment house? Yes. How can he get in? Someone pushed the button in my apartment and opened the door for him. what would you do? Until then, I always thought that Qu Baobao took my purse and made me poor and unable to go home early.He can search my apartment for diaries, letters, and let him know if I have close friends. I nodded, keeping my eyes on her: what do you think when you hear the door beep? I didn't really know why he took my purse, he wanted my key and entered my apartment, the purpose is to wait for me to go back. Apologizing for being considerate? Not necessarily, she said, maybe only partly.Another reason is that he blamed me all night for being intimate with other men.You know, my sudden departure from him gave him that idea.He also tried really hard to find me, and even put a classified ad in the newspaper for two years. I know, I see it. Naturally, he thought I was running away with someone.I know that one day I will run into him in the street, but I hope that in time he will fall in love with someone else and forget about me.But he is another type, he only pursues what he can't get.You know there are such people. I nod. That's him, she said bitterly, in my apartment, gun in hand, maybe eighty drunk, sitting on my bed, waiting for me to go back and see if I have a boyfriend close enough to take back to the apartment.In fact, he thinks I told you to leave first, you can come back later, you understand? You said that Wang Yaqi walked into this special situation by ringing your doorbell at 2:20 in the middle of the night? Yes, he must have walked straight into this embarrassing and dangerous situation. Of course, Wang Yaqi thought that you must be at home at such a time, and you must be the one who opened the door? He must have thought that I was at home, but if he went to ring the doorbell at 2:20 in the middle of the night, he should have thought that the owner would ask who was coming. Did you hear the gunshots? No. Someone shoots, do you hear it? Cover it with a pillow and you may not be able to hear it. What do you do? I cross the street, I try to look at my apartment from the window, I can't see anything, my curtains are thick. And after that? I walked back to the city again. when? It should be two thirty.When I reached the corner, Mary Wen and the others came back.There were two other friends in her car, a man and a woman. do you know her Oh, I know who she is, we'll have a chat in the lobby.Her apartment is almost directly across from mine. Please go on.what would you do. I found a less obvious hotel in the corporate district and rented a room under a false name, because I was afraid that Qu Paulo would call hotel after hotel. What about after that? It was almost nine o'clock and I walked back to the apartment.I hope to get my purse, banknotes, cosmetics back and take a taxi back to the hotel.I saw a lot of people and cars at the door, and someone told me that there was a murder inside.Some people say that a lawyer was killed in a woman's apartment and the woman disappeared, and that the police are looking for her. what would you do? Like a big fool, I should have gone to the police before everything can be explained, but I'm scared.I fled back to the hotel and sent a telegram to Yi Na, asking her to wire money immediately to give me the registered pseudonym. You telegraphed? Yes. You just said that you are making long-distance calls and the caller pays. Also played. Connected? No, she didn't answer. She answered your telegram? that afternoon.I cashed out the hotel and took the train to Snow Harbor. The waiter came to clear away the used plates and brought ice cream and coffee. Can you trust Ina?I asked. I always thought I could trust it, but now I might not.she said uncomfortably. I said: After Paul Qu was killed, it was too beneficial to Yi Na's lawsuit. Yes, I can see that now. It could also be a motive for murder. You said Yina might kill him?she asked. The police might think so. But she is in Snow Harbor City. Was she not there when you called? Well maybe, maybe not. It was the afternoon of the next day, quite late, before she sent you the money, didn't she? Yes. We ran out of ice cream and sat smoking and sipping coffee slowly, neither of us talking, both deep in thought. what do i do nowshe asked. Do you have money around? There is still a little left from Yina.Tell me, Tang Nuo, what should I do, should I go to the police station and tell the truth. Not yet, let alone now. Why? It's too late.You missed the chance by not catching the first bus. i can always explain No, not at the moment. Why? I said: You didn't kill him, did you? She looked at me and shook her head frankly. I said: Even if you didn't, someone else killed him anyway.That other person would most like the police to put this on you. If I go now, can I prevent them from putting this matter on me? I don't think so. Why? If you don't get found by them for a while, the real murderer will lose his composure and start arranging false evidence, giving false testimony and other wrong actions.Of course we also have the chance to find out who he is.Let's lengthen the line and see if we can tie up the real murderer. Don't tie myself down I hope. I looked her in the eyes, raised my coffee cup, and I said: let's hope. I paid the bill and asked if the restaurant had a public phone booth.I locked myself in a phone booth and dialed the New Orleans airport. It was Detective Lai calling from Snow Harbor City.I said.I was afraid they would ask me if I was a police detective or a private eye, so I quickly went on: You have a passenger from New York at noon on Wednesday.The passenger had just left for New York and flew back immediately.His name is High Mole. A voice on the other side of the phone said: Please wait a moment, I will check the records. I waited for almost a minute, and I could hear the sound of paper being turned while waiting.The man said: Yes, a Mr. Highmore, New York and back. You don't know what he looks like, I mean it's impossible to describe his appearance? No, I don't remember him, wait a minute. I heard him say: Who remembers selling a ticket to New York on Wednesday to a Mr. Hay?Snow Harbor City Police Department is inquiring Sorry, no one here remembers him. This kind of propeller plane that has to stop at every stop, you have to measure the weight of the passengers before boarding the plane, right? Wait a minute, the record is here, let's see the weight of this passenger, one hundred and forty-six pounds. I thanked him and hung up the phone. Highmore at least two hundred pounds. I step out of the phone booth. what is itFang Ludai asked: Bad news? Are you going to California?I asked. It will be all right. I think we can charter a car to Fort Worth. There should be a plane from Fort Worth to Los Angeles early tomorrow morning. Why go to California? Because the state is too hot for you. Isn't it obvious that the two of us are walking together? Yes, the more visible the better. How do you say that? I say: People get curious about a couple they don't know.So the best way is to let them know us.We talk to everyone, from the driver of the chartered car to every passenger on the plane.We are a couple and we left LA to head east for our honeymoon.We received a telegram saying that your mother had a heart attack, so we rushed back to see her.It was an interrupted honeymoon.People will sympathize with us and remember who we are.If the police tracker described your appearance as a murderer, of course no one would be with a poor little bride. When will we start our honeymoon? Wait until I find the chartered car by phone.I said and went back into the phone booth.