"I asked my sister-in-law, and her confession was the same as what you said. However, people with brain problems are really indifferent. After my repeated questioning, she may have been confused and said something inexplicable. ”

"So, the coal stove is really placed next to the door?" The owner of the liquor shop asked from Cheng Mingxiang's standpoint.

"That's right. She said that she could not remember very well, and she may have put the coal stove far away from the door, or she may have been negligent and placed it next to the door and went back. ”

"I said, Mr. Policeman, this situation is very common." The owner of the liquor store said, "Once you get into the habit, sometimes you can't remember exactly where you put things. Especially when she was suddenly questioned by the police, it was no wonder that the woman was so frightened that she was incoherent. ”

"Maybe." The police did not refute, but looked at Cheng Mingxiang, "When the fire broke out, it goes without saying that you must be in the 'Fangxian Hotel', right?" ”

His expression didn't look like he was investigating a suspect, but like talking. The sun darkened, and the cold wind added to the chill.

"Yes." Cheng Mingxiang nodded clearly, "I'm working." ”

"Did the neighbor find out about the fire at one o'clock in the morning?" The police asked the owner of the liquor store.

"That's right. The neighbor's uncle said that when he woke up in the middle of the night to go to the side of the road to relieve himself, he suddenly saw a fire under the eaves of her house. ”

"That's right...... A fire broke out under the eaves at about one o'clock in the morning, so it is assumed that the flames of the coal stove may have begun to burn to the wooden door twenty minutes ago. Police Fu Heng muttered to himself.

Cheng Mingxiang was taken aback because she was worried that she might be negligent. There is a time gap between the flames of the coal stove slowly burning along the wooden door, and the sudden explosion of gasoline splashing. After Cheng Mingxiang poured gasoline, it should have been less than five or six minutes until the fire broke out under the eaves. She remembers stuffing the coal stove with toilet paper, pouring gasoline, and walking out the door after all her movements, and the house suddenly lit up like day, and it was only two or three minutes. And it shouldn't take more than a few minutes for the flames in the house to spread under the eaves......

Police officer Fu Heng scratched his head vigorously and was silent, as if he was thinking. Perhaps he was calculating how long the flames of the coal stove would burn to the wooden door. Cheng Mingxiang's heart couldn't help beating faster, but then again, it was impossible to determine whether it was arson based on that situation alone, after all, when the first witnesses found it, there was already a sea of fire under the eaves. And before that, what Cheng Mingxiang did, no one knew except herself.

After the fire broke out, the fire brigade and the criminal police detachment immediately sent an identification team to investigate the fire. It is said that they could tell from the charred material at the scene whether it was an accident or arson. Cheng Mingxiang thought that she had not left any suspicious clues, the gasoline bottle had been taken away by her on the return trip, and nothing was left at the scene of the fire.

However, on the way back, Cheng Mingxiang could not find a proper place to dispose of the bottle, so he had to smash it near the "Fangxian Hotel" and then kick the pieces to an inconspicuous place on the side of the road, so it was impossible to leave any suspicious glass shards at the fire scene, and the toilet paper stuffed in the coal stove had already been burned to ashes.

"I take the liberty of asking you," Hao Dong, a criminal police officer of the criminal police detachment, asked Cheng Mingxiang, "Last night, did the waitress of the 'Fangxian Hotel' know that you were working?" ”

Cheng Mingxiang calmed down and answered the expected question: "Yes." Because the late shift colleagues don't go to bed until 4 a.m., they are all on duty before that. ”

Just answer like this, there is no need to specifically report Xiao Long's name. Cheng Mingxiang staying in Xiao Long's guest room is also one of his jobs, if he rashly says Xiao Long's name, it will attract doubts, and it is more natural to think that he is an ordinary tenant.

"Really...... Well, I see. Detective Hao Dong smiled, wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. By the way, madam, I'm sorry to disturb you when you're sad, would it be convenient for you to come to our criminal police detachment? ”

“……”

"Our captain wants to meet with you, so please go and ask you to go."

"Okay."

"Please don't worry, the fire has been judged to be an accidental fire, you just need to repeat what you just said in front of the captain."

"Do I need to go?" The owner of the liquor store asked the detective.

"You can go back first. This lady has to wait a while, can you go back alone? ”

"Ahh With a somewhat shy look, the owner of the wine shop said that he would take a step first, and bowed to the criminal police and Cheng Mingxiang and left.

"Please go this way."

The criminal police did not go around to the outside, but took her directly to the criminal police detachment in a police car.

You have to stay calm, you have to hold on! As long as you make a statement in front of this criminal policeman, you will have no problem. Cheng Mingxiang followed behind the criminal police and walked into the office building of the criminal police detachment.

There was nothing special about Tian Chunda, the captain of the criminal police detachment, as Hao Dong said, he just changed a formulaic tone of inquiry. The captain had a thin face and a serious face, but his voice was very soft, and he looked at Cheng Mingxiang in front of him unceremoniously, just nodding "um, um" from beginning to end, in response to Cheng Mingxiang's statement. Cheng Mingxiang repeated it again according to the answer in front of the criminal police officer Hao Dong.

"Didn't the family buy insurance for your husband?" Captain Tian asked.

"Yes......"

"What a pity. In this way, your situation will be very different. ”

Cheng Mingxiang thought to herself, no insurance claim is beneficial to herself. Captain Tian did not ask Cheng Mingxiang about the details of staying at the "Fangxian Hotel" at the time, and the police did not seem to think that this was an arson case. Cheng Mingxiang's alibi was roughly questioned, and there were no more doubts.

"Thank you for your hard work, please take care!" Captain Tian said, and easily let Cheng Mingxiang go.

Cheng Mingxiang stepped out of the criminal police detachment, and Hao Dong followed up again. When Captain Tian asked her just now, Criminal Police Hao Dong sat aside and kept recording.

"Do you want to go straight back?" He asked in a stern tone.

"Yes."

"Then I'll walk with you for a while, and I'll just drop by."

"Thank you......"

Cheng Mingxiang did not refuse. The atmosphere at the moment is a bit weird, why did this criminal policeman take the initiative to accompany her to the bus stop? Just now, he also said that the forensic team had determined that the fire was an accident, could it be that he was deliberately speaking, intending to track down the cause of this nameless fire?

"It seems that all the belongings have been burned down, and none of them have been rescued?" Detective Hao Dong asked as he walked.

"yes...... Actually, my house didn't have anything of value in the first place, at most a broken wardrobe and an old quilt. ”

"That's a lot of stuff, there's always some clothes in the closet, right?"

"There are a few pieces of clothes, but most of them are pawned, and usually the closet is empty, which is a shame to say, there is no one of value in it, it is all old clothes."

"Ah, I really want to have a cup of tea."

The detective suddenly muttered to himself. To Cheng Mingxiang's ears, the other party seemed to be asking if he could invite him to a cup of tea.

"I happen to be very thirsty, so let's go to the teahouse over there." She offered to invite.

It was a humble teahouse. Since it was daylight, the silence in the store was clearly visible. A scruffyly dressed woman came over with a teapot.

"I also know someone from the fire brigade, if it's not convenient for you to speak, I can ask for you."

Hao Dong said in the posture of a criminal policeman, and the other party had the broad shoulders of a wrestler, a full forehead, and a pair of eyes with deep sunken eye sockets. However, the lines at the corners of his eyes when he smiled made him look particularly kind.

"Thank you," Cheng Mingxiang nodded lightly in thanks, "I've never encountered this kind of thing, I don't understand anything, and I ask you for more advice." ”

"The so-called fire ......" the criminal policeman leaned over, rested his elbows on the table, lowered his head slightly and looked down at Cheng Mingxiang and said, "If you really want to pick bones in eggs, you can find fault with any search." Moreover, if the investigation is carried out in accordance with the regulations, it is endless. In fact, how to determine depends on what the undertaker thinks. That said, try to make a good impression on you from the receptionist. ”

"Huh?"

"Even if the undertaker doesn't like what he says, just apologize. In other words, you have to win the sympathy of the other party. However, some people like to make things difficult, and such a bitter ploy may not work, and when the time comes, I will say something good for you. ”

"Thank you."