thefictionvixens Chapter 42 A Telegram
Chapter 42 A Telegram
The person blocking Luo Qiu's way was a receptionist from the Investigation Bureau. Her weight of over 200 pounds completely blocked the corridor connecting the office hall to the external exit.
Then, she said to herself:
"It's a telegram from the Morton town branch office."
"This telegram was forwarded an hour ago. After the supervisor reviewed it, he asked me to hand it over to you two for processing. Detective Luo Qiu, you two decide, so I can reply to the telegram..."
Because Luo Qiu was nearby, the letter with the telegram written on it was forcibly stuffed into his hands.
Now, Luo Qiu couldn't escape it.
Meeting the probing gazes of Clyde and Smith beside him, he could only hold the letter up to his eyes and examine it closely:
[To the Chongqing Municipal Administration of Civil Aviation:]
This afternoon, our bureau received a report from a hotel operator that four guests staying at a hotel in the town were suspicious. They arrived in two black sedans at midnight on the 4th. Yesterday, nearby guests heard what sounded like cries for help, raising suspicions of a kidnapping.
[Due to the inexperience of the officers in the investigation unit, we urgently request that officers be dispatched to assist in the investigation to prevent the case from being transferred.]
—Detective Inspector Harris, Morton Town Precinct.
Luo Qiu's gaze lingered on the words "4th" and "kidnapping" for a few seconds.
From this, he understood why he had given them the telegram.
However, Luo Qiu felt that something was wrong with the telegram.
I met Alicia in the morning and received a telegram in the afternoon. It seemed to be a kidnapping case; the other party had checked in on the evening of the 4th, and was still in Morton, a town 40 kilometers east of Chongqing…
But upon closer analysis, Luo Qiu couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong.
Thanks to the development of the telephone and telegraph industries, and the current lack of strong bank regulation, kidnappers no longer need to foolishly send letters. A single phone call or telegram can send a bank transfer to the victim thousands of miles away.
This simple, quick, and safe way to make money has seen rapid growth since its emergence. According to past records, an average of 2.5 such incidents occur per month around the city of Chongqing.
And targeting those out-of-towners who left after the concert seems perfectly reasonable.
Surely the people kidnapped this time aren't the "superhumans" they're investigating.
"Luo Qiu, what did the telegram say? Is there some kind of problem?"
On the other side, Clyde also had doubts when he saw Roche staring at the telegram for a long time without saying a word.
He stepped forward, took the letter from Luo Qiu's hand, and began to read it curiously.
One minute later.
"What do you think?" Clyde asked.
"According to the usual extortion process, it takes one day to send a telegram, one day to negotiate terms and raise funds, and the money should be received on the third day. Today is April 6th, and if a kidnapping really happens, tomorrow morning will probably be the deadline." Luo Qiu did not answer directly.
"That means if I want to participate, I have to go there tonight... If I'm quick, I can get there by 12 p.m., finish the investigation and set up the operation by 10 p.m., and be back to sleep by midnight." Clyde was rehearsing his plan, and as he spoke, his eyes lit up, clearly showing his interest.
"I'll go," Luo Qiu suddenly declared. "Clyde, you stay in Fog City. There's still a lot of work here that requires your decisions."
Luo Qiu made up her mind.
After meeting Alicia, he wanted to escape the Foggy City, and this was his chance. Under the guise of a business trip, he could create an accident and slip away, greatly reducing the likelihood of him being suspected.
Moreover, although the purpose of Alicia's visit today is unclear, the probability that it is related to this telegram is very low.
As for his unease, it was probably due to some fragile emotion within human nature misleading him.
He cannot be fooled.
Without hesitation, Clyde replied, "Okay, how many men?"
"Smith will come with me, along with two patrol agents as backup. Too many people will make a lot of noise and could easily cause trouble." Luo Qiu glanced at the clock on the wall. "Also, as you said, leave at six and arrive at eight."
……
Outside the Bureau of Investigation, the vintage car set off.
Smith remained in the driver's seat, now dressed in casual clothes and carrying a canvas bag containing several files and a flashlight. Luo Qiu sat in the passenger seat, wearing a trench coat.
As the old engine chugled on and on, the scenery outside the window began to change.
From buildings to fields, the sky changed from gray-blue to dark blue, and then from dark blue to pitch black.
It wasn't until the headlights came on and the carriage became extremely bumpy that Smith started a conversation to distract himself and alleviate his fatigue.
"Senior, is the kidnapping case mentioned in that telegram true? Could Mr. Winslow be there?"
Smith also read the telegram and suddenly requested to set off. He was determined to solve the kidnapping case he was dealing with for the first time, and it was understandable that he was curious.
Luo Qiu was happy to explain this.
"The likelihood of a kidnapping is high. First, the kidnappers need to make a deal, so there should be telegraph, telephone, and bank facilities nearby, and ideally, it should be an area with poor transportation and a weak investigation bureau."
"I remember reading a report last year that said Morton has a resident population of over 800, but our Bureau of Investigation only has 12 people there. That's a good place to hold hostages."
"If they really are kidnappers, wouldn't they have guns?"
"...It depends on the situation. Most people who commit kidnappings will carry a gun, but it won't be very powerful. Those who are willing to buy two guns are more likely to try their luck at a bank."
"..."
At 8:10 p.m., the vintage car drove into Morton town.
The town is small, with only one main street. Most of the shops on both sides are closed, except for one small tavern that is still lit up, from which comes a cacophony of voices and the loud clinking of glasses.
The entire town of Morton was built around a railway station. The railway opened at seven in the morning and five in the evening every day, transporting some coal to the Fog City and, incidentally, carrying a group of workers willing to work in the mines.
The workers gathered here, and as a result, the town also absorbed a rough and rugged atmosphere.
Smith parked his car in front of a secluded two-story building. A brass plaque on the wall read "Morton Town Police Station." Lights were on inside, and shadowy figures could be vaguely seen in the windows.
As soon as the two got out of the car, a middle-aged man in a dark gray trench coat came out to greet them from the door.
"Detective Luo Qiu?" He extended his hand. "Harris, the local precinct detective. I received a call back this afternoon saying you'd be arriving around eight o'clock, so I specially prepared some bread and roast meat."
"Rocha, this is Smith." Rocha shook hands, his gesture concise. "We haven't had dinner yet, but let's get to the details of the case first."
"Of course." Harris nodded and led them inside.
The branch office wasn't large; the first floor housed a reception room and offices, with several desks side by side, piled high with documents and coffee cups. Two young detectives, sitting in a corner, stood up and nodded when they saw them enter.
Harris led the group to his desk, pulled out chairs for Luo Qiu and the others to sit down, and then began to get busy.
A moment later, a stack of photos along with a report were spread out on the table.
……