Li Guolou and Vasizzo walked quickly towards the Porter Hotel, which was two streets away, followed closely by two police officers with pigtails.
Vasizo said: "Let me first tell you the general situation of the case."
"Okay, I'm listening." Li Guolou lowered the brim of his hat, covering most of his face, and walked quickly with his head lowered.
"A middle-aged American man named Sugra was shot dead in Room 202 of the Porter Hotel at ten o'clock last night. He was shot once in the head. However, there was no pistol left at the scene and no suicide note. We did not have anyone at the scene.
There were signs of entry and exit. The windows were not closed, but there were no footprints left on the ground in the courtyard. People in the hotel lobby swore that no one ran out from the second floor. Originally, we were prepared to treat it as a homicide, but this morning, people from American Friendship Insurance Company
Here, their sales manager Reagan said that Sugra bought a life insurance with accident insurance from Friendship Insurance Company ten days ago. It cost a total of 150 US dollars and the insured amount was 10,000 US dollars. Reagan asked me
After further investigation, in any case, the nature of this case cannot be determined by homicide, otherwise he will also kill someone. It's not easy for me to handle, so I thought of you." Vasizzo spread his hands helplessly, and he was in the world.
There are always times when he owes a favor, and he also wants to repay the favor to the American Reagan.
Li Guolou lowered his head and asked, "How many days has it been since Sugla stayed at the Porter Hotel?"
Vasizo replied: "Sugra originally lived in the American Concession. He stayed at the Porter Hotel for two days. No one came to see him. I think he came to watch your game. Do you understand?"
"Oh, ten thousand US dollars. You can buy ten killers with this money." Li Guolou changed the subject. How many people wanted him to lose, but he just won, which surprised the foreigner.
Erluo. Thinking about the murder case, it is very likely that the deceased Sugra committed suicide or hired a murderer to defraud the Friendship Insurance Company of 10,000 US dollars.
"Hey, Mike, I don't know how many people couldn't figure it out last night. Several of my colleagues were scolding you. I didn't say I would place my bet with you. Please keep a low profile for me later. Only discuss business matters, don't talk about 10,000 yuan."
U.S. dollars," Vasiso warned.
"Okay! Vasizzo, let's buy two cups of hot coffee and hot dogs. We won't have time for lunch later." Li Guolou saw a hot dog shop, smelled the aroma of coffee, and stopped with an appetite.
pace.
"I'll do it!" Vasizzo generously took out his wallet.
The four of them stood on the street eating hot dogs and drinking hot coffee, finishing their lunch in less than five minutes.
Li Guolou and Vasizzo arrived at the Porter Hotel before eleven o'clock. Reagan, the sales manager of Friendship Insurance Company, was waiting for them in the lobby.
After the introduction between the two parties, Reagan, a tall and handsome white man, said sternly: "Mike Li, although you are from the Qing Dynasty, you have a passport. Buy an insurance policy from me later, and I will let Vasizuo be the guarantor."
Li Guolou said: "I bought life insurance in the UK."
"Hey - Mike and Li, their values are different. You must buy a new insurance from me. This is called double insurance. Let's have dinner together in the evening and introduce your family members to me. Don't let the wealth go to others.
." The first time Reagan met Li Guolou, he knew that he was sure to get rid of this Qing Dynasty man who was dragging his tail and arguing. His old friend Vasizuo would stand up for him and make Li Guolou bleed like two fingers pinching a snail.
Just as simple.
Li Guolou glanced sideways at Vasizzo, "What the hell? Did you ask him to buy insurance?"
Vasizo pretended not to see it, pointed with his big hand, and ordered: "Let's go to room 202, and we'll talk about it in the evening if we have anything to do."
In Room 202 of the Porter Hotel, there was a guard standing at the door. Li Guolou entered the room second. The room was more than ten square meters, with a large bed, a small round table and two chairs with backrests. The deceased Sugra
Lying on the ground, covered with a white sheet, blood seeped into the sheet, a pool of bright red blood, like a blooming red peony.
The coroner Yousufa opened the bed sheet, revealing the dignity of the deceased Sugra, pointed at the head of the deceased, and said: "Mike, please see that it was a headshot with a flintlock gun, and it was fired at a very close distance.
There were burnt marks on the temples of the deceased. The deceased was killed while sitting on this stool. At the time of death at 11:15 last night, someone heard the gunfire."
Li Guolou took a pair of gloves, put them on, and squatted on the ground to check the wounds of the deceased. Although the lead bullet could not be seen, it must still be in the head of the deceased Sugra. There were obvious burns on the skin next to the right temple.
The traces were indeed a headshot.
Li Guolou raised the deceased's right hand and smelled it with his nose. It had been too long and there was no smell on the deceased's hand. Li Guolou raised his head and looked at the coroner You Sufa.
Yousufa said awkwardly: "The deceased had been dead for more than three hours when I came, and I couldn't smell anything."
"Is the neighbor next door suspicious?" Li Guolou stood up and looked at the door.
Vasizo raised his voice and said: "Mike, the baggage on the door was fastened by the waiter on the second floor."
Li Guolou ignored Vasizzo's words and still looked at the rugs and damage on the door. Then Li Guolou opened the unlocked south window. The cold wind blew into the room. Li Guolou squinted his eyes habitually, seeing the sunlight.
The light shone on his face, and he couldn't help but think deeply.
The bottom floors of Western buildings are at least four to five meters high. Li Guolou was lying on the window frame and looking down, the ground was covered with unmelted snow and large patches of ice.
Vasizo said loudly: "Mike, don't go down and look. There are so many of us checking the ground outside together. If someone walks by, there will definitely be footprints."
"You promise." Li Guolou refused.
"I swear to God, so many people have checked together. The deceased is an American and I don't know him. Now you just need to show me whether the deceased committed suicide or was a homicide? If it was a homicide, where is the short-barreled flintlock gun?"
Vasizzo became impatient without writing. He glanced sideways at Li Guolou and almost scolded him.
"Oh!" Li Guolou leaned over and took out a leather box from the bottom of the bed, put it on the bed and opened it. This was the leather box that the deceased carried with him.
"Mr. Yousufa, do you have a magnifying glass?" Li Guolou suddenly asked something strange.
"Yes!" Coroner You Sufa showed a delighted expression. Detective Mike Li of the Qing Dynasty must have made a new discovery.
Li Guolou held a magnifying glass and looked down at every item in the suitcase. He stared at the box carefully. No one else knew what they were looking at?
"Vasizuo, what do you think this is?" Li Guolou was extremely happy and suddenly shouted.
"What?" Vasizzo lowered his head, still not seeing what Li Guolou was referring to.
"Take a magnifying glass and look at it." Li Guolou handed the magnifying glass to Vasizzo.
Coroner You Sufa also came over to take a look and saw two tiny black hairs in Li Guolou's palm.
Vasizo finally managed to see clearly the two black hairs in Li Guolou's hand, and asked suspiciously: "Mike, what does this mean?"
Li Guolou rolled his eyes and said: "Detective Vasiso, there is a black cat hidden in the box. Do you understand? It was this black cat that took the short-barreled flintlock gun away from the scene."
"Mike, how do you take him away?" Yousufa couldn't hold it any longer, broke the casserole and asked.
Li Guolou smiled and said: "The deceased committed suicide. He tied a rope to the body of the short-barreled flintlock gun, and tied the other end around the black cat's neck. He opened the window and deliberately placed a stool under the window.
Just let the black cat jump out of the window and escape after hearing the gunshot. This black cat must like to jump at high altitudes. A distance of four to five meters is a piece of cake for a cat. The hair in my hand is the ironclad evidence of the secret room suicide case!"
"Can you find the gun?" Vasizuo jumped up excitedly and hugged Li Guolou.
Li Guolou hurriedly clenched his fists to prevent the two hairs from flying away, and said with a smile: "Vasizuo, don't be so excited. The black cat must have bitten the rope in the bushes when he escaped from the scene. Send someone to check that gun quickly."
There will definitely be a rope tied to it."
"Cat, cat, cat! That black cat is also irrefutable evidence." Reagan, the sales manager of Friendship Insurance Company, who was standing at the door, also began to order Inspector Vasizo.
Vasizo shouted to the four patrolmen at the door: "Go to the bushes to the south to find the gun, and then ask the manager of the Porter Hotel to try to catch the black cat with the rope around its neck."
The four patrolmen obeyed the order and left, bowing to Li Guolou before leaving. They were expatriates, but they still had the blood of Qing people in their hearts, and they admired Li Guolou from the bottom of their hearts.
Li Guolou solemnly put the two black hairs into the evidence bag, cautiously, fearing that the two black hairs would fly off.
"Hmph! Sugra also wants to defraud our Friendship Insurance Company of the insurance money and embarrass us Americans." Reagan looked at the dead body on the ground angrily and almost spat on the dead body's face.
"Manager Reagan, I saved your company 10,000 U.S. dollars, can you please stop trying to take advantage of me?" Li Guolou closed the windows so that the cold wind could no longer enter the room.
Reagan raised his voice and said: "Mike, one thing comes to another. My friendship with you started with a black cat. Next time I will give your daughter a Russian black cat. Where will your family have dinner at night?"
Double chopsticks, Jelia also needs to buy an insurance, um - and that British girl, who else in your family has a passport?"
Li Guolou learned what it meant to chase and fight fiercely. Reagan didn't understand rejection, so he had to have dinner with Li Guolou's family to make Li Guolou understand that this is how people from insurance companies insure insurance.
Li Guolou and others sat in the lobby drinking hot coffee and waited for more than an hour. The flintlock gun with a rope tied to it was found, but the black cat disappeared without a trace. Li Guolou stroked and watched the gun.
A small flintlock gun made in the United States, I was happy to admire myself. Boxing did not leave many sequelae, and the detective's mind was still clear.
Li Guolou returned the gun to Vasizzo and said with a casual smile: "Vasizuo, that black cat is your business. I can't care about it. It's time for me to leave. We'll see you in the evening."
Reagan interjected: "Mike, it's settled. I'll prepare two insurance policies tonight. You and Jelia just sign their names. Money is not an issue for you. The insurance policies reflect your worth. Don't disgrace the Qing Empire."
.”
Vasizo hurriedly smoothed things over and said: "Mike, just agree to Reagan for my sake. They Americans like to make friends. There will be more ways for you to visit the American Concession in the future."
"Americans are traitors and have betrayed the British. I hate Americans most for not being trustworthy. But for the sake of Vasizo's face, I have made you a personal friend, so I don't want to go to American soil." Li Guo
Lou said firmly that the British Empire became weak after independence from the United States. From the bottom of his heart, Li Guolou hated the Americans for betraying their trust and betraying their British masters.
"Dual nationality, Mike, from now on you will treat me as a Frenchman. I have a French passport. The friendship between China and France will last forever. Amen!"
No one could match Reagan's ability to climb the ladder. Dual nationality was his double insurance.