The small town of Haussia clearly shows signs of its former prosperity. The central square of the town is quite large. Today, there are still many pigeons walking around the square looking for food, but the scene of many people coming to feed them in the past has disappeared.
Although the square is large, the red bricks are mottled and turned upside down in many places. Some little boys and girls wearing patched clothes are playing barefoot in the square. However, compared with the poor children in the south and north regions, their clothes are indeed more decent. They are all ready-made clothes such as jackets and skirts, but they are also covered in dirt.
Due to decades of tradition, they would not catch those pigeons. As for the idea of catching them for meat, it is estimated that they would never even think of it. After all, although this is the poorest area on the peninsula, these children should be able to eat meat occasionally, and bread and the like should be able to barely fill their stomachs. At least they will not starve to death. The peninsula authorities still provide relief here.
Moreover, although the economy here is ruined, all businesses are depressed, and most people have moved away, most of the families who remain can still make a living.
The town's police station is next to the church in the square.
It was afternoon, around three o'clock, when the two cars stopped in front of the police station. The sun was shining brightly, making people feel drowsy.
The police station is located in a Baroque-style two-story brick building complex in the alley. It is very conspicuous. The brick building is painted blue, including the wooden door, which means peace and security. The other brick buildings are not in disrepair, but they are all gray, which is in sharp contrast to the new paint of the police station.
The police station is very small. According to information provided by the Hausville Police Department, this police station only has one sheriff and one patrolman, both of whom are old men. It is completely different from the time when the coal mines were not exhausted and the town was prosperous.
Lu Ming and others got out of the car. "I'll come in to ask some questions." Lu Ming called out to Han Annie and others who were walking over from the car behind.
Several girls nodded.
The blue wooden door of the police station was open. Inside was a wooden floor that creaked. The door should be the reporting room, but there was no one behind the wooden platform.
"Is Sheriff DiMaio here?" Lu Ming raised his voice, and a female attendant interpreted.
After a long time, I heard some noise upstairs, and an old man with a hooked nose and wearing a black police uniform came down the creaking wooden stairs.
Lu Ming felt his pocket and realized that he didn't bring the letter of appointment. He was used to having people like Heitou Yuluan carry it. He coughed and said to a female attendant beside him, "Show him the certificate."
The old man with the hooked nose looked at the uniforms of Han Annie and several female attendants, and a strange color flashed in his eyes. When the female attendant took out her FBI ID, he nodded and said, "I am Zuo Fu, the police officer here. May I ask why you are here...?"
I had already seen the profiles of the two police officers in this small town with photos. The old man with the hooked nose was indeed Detective Zuo Fu, but he looked a little older than in the photo.
"Where is Sheriff DiMaio?" Lu Ming asked.
"I've been on sick leave these days." The old man with the hooked nose turned his gaze back to Lu Ming.
"Seven days ago, the Hausville Police Department faxed the photos of the three suspects. Have you seen them?"
The old man with the hooked nose nodded: "I saw them, but I really don't know those three people. I also distributed photos to the residents of this town, but no one knew those three people."
Lu Ming looked at him and stretched out his hand. The female escort handed him three photos. Lu Ming showed them to the old police officer with the hooked nose and said, "Does anyone in this town recognize these three people?"
The hook-nosed man was stunned for a moment, looking at the three photos, and suddenly a look of surprise appeared on his face, "Hey, the photos that were faxed over are not of these three people?! Did the fax get it wrong? This new technology just doesn't work!"
Lu Ming nodded and said, "Please make some copies of these three photos and distribute them to the residents in the area to see if anyone knows them. Also, please help us find a temporary place to stay."
"Okay, okay, no problem." Zuo Fu took the photo and agreed quickly.
…
Zuo Fu tried his best to help find a place to stay. Since there were no hotels in the town, he suggested that his wife's relative had moved to the city a long time ago and his wife had been taking care of the house, so the agents could stay there temporarily.
Lu Ming and others went to see it and found it was a two-story small courtyard. It was cleaned tidyly and had water and electricity. Mr. Zuo also asked his wife to bring some new sheets, mattresses, etc.
Yin Shabel's entourage drove the car over with a camping tent in the car. It seemed that Yin Shabel would set up the tent in the yard.
Zuo Fu was busy for a while, and when he came in from outside, he found Lu Ming and talked a lot. Lu Ming couldn't understand what he said, but soon one of Yin Shabel's followers came over and translated for the two of them.
"Mr. Lu, it turns out that these three people are from nearby villages. They are all quite famous and often ride around on horseback. I have an impression of them after listening to them. They also come to town often!" Zuo Fu was talking in a surprised manner, but Lu Ming didn't understand and his expression was wasted. Now when he said it for the second time, the surprised look on his face was a little embarrassed.
The female attendants beside them all rolled their eyes.
In fact, Mr. Lu made a surprise attack. He first asked whether the fax had been received, and confirmed that the other party had also sent the photos, but there was no response, so he directly took out the photos.
Everything caught the other party off guard, so it was difficult to cover up the lie.
All parties involved, including Zuo Fu, are tacitly aware of this. Now it just depends on whether someone will break the window paper.
"Okay, you do some research on the detailed information of these people, including the people they often come into contact with. I hope it can be delivered to me before I go to bed tonight." Lu Ming smiled at Zuo Fu.
"Okay, I'll do it right away!" Zuo Fu went there hurriedly.
Han Annie came over at this time and asked, "How is it?"
"Let's see if the information he gives us later is thick or thin!" Lu Ming smiled. "If it's thick, it means he is at most a sympathizer, or out of local thinking, he instinctively provides shelter for these People's Party members. Now he knows he can't hide it anymore. In order to protect himself, he must confess everything he knows. Otherwise, he will be the next one in handcuffs."
"If the evidence we have is very thin, he is either very stupid or he is deeply involved and determined to fight the authorities."
"So, we'll wait and see."
"Oh, Annie, as you know, someone has been trying to get rid of me, and even chased me to the East China Sea to assassinate me. Now that my two guards are gone, can you sleep in the same room with me tonight to protect me?"
Han Annie had been nodding her head as she listened to Lu Ming's words, but when she heard the last sentence, she immediately frowned, "Don't talk nonsense all the time. If Yin Shabel hears it, how sad will she be?"
Lu Ming was stunned, and suddenly he felt that the title of "stepfather" was not so good. When joking with others, did he have to be careful not to destroy his image in the eyes of his little stepfather
Seeing Yin Shabel coming over, Han Annie nodded to her and turned away.
"Teacher, do you think there is any connection between Zuo Fu and the assassination of Frey?" Yin Shabel asked.
Seeing Yin Shabel asking for advice seriously, Lu Ming coughed and said, "I don't think there is a direct relationship. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dealt with us by saying that the fax machine was broken or something like that. He must have had a plan for how to deal with it if his superiors found out, instead of blurting out a lie that was so obvious and full of loopholes."
"That's what the teacher said." Yin Shabel nodded slightly.
Looking at this gentle, elegant, quiet and lovely beautiful girl, Lu Ming wondered in his heart, Chris, how could you have such a cold relationship with such a good daughter
Moreover, being addressed "teacher" with great respect by her, he felt that he should have a more noble vision. It seemed that if he continued to talk nonsense, it would not be in line with the image of his stepfather, a very learned one.