躺着看小说 > 玄幻小说 > 妖颜惑众(悬疑,奇幻,18R) > Victimo.3:Quasimodo-5
    Theiigationwaswindingdown.

    Thebodyhadbeentransportedbacktothestationho.Preliminaryinterviewswithparkstaffandwitnesseswereplete.Thehauntedhousestoodsealedoncemore—thistimewithheavierbarricades,itspnnedrenovationsindefinitelysuspended.

    Luorderedhisteamtopackup,yethelingered,uoshakethegnawiwistinginhisgut.

    Reyawasmissing.

    Hecaughttheamusementparkmanagermid-rant,themanmoppinghisbrowashemutteredaboutruinedbusinessandbadpublicity.

    "StillnosignofReya?"Lu.

    Themanagerexhaledsharply."Isentpeoplelooking.Whoknowswhereshewanderedoffto?She''''''''sneverbeenamodelemployee.Doeswhatevershewants,neverlistens.Juststweek,shegotintoascreamingmatchwithsomekid."Heshookhishead."Damnshamethishadtohappenonmywatch."

    Lu''''''''sjawtightened.

    Ashadowflickeredacrossthemanager''''''''sface."Wait—youdon''''''''tthinkshedidit?Killedthatguyandran?"

    Lusaidnothing.Withacurtwave,hedismissedthemanandstrodeoutofthemakeshiftaer—thepark''''''''sstaffcafeteria,stillheavywiththesmellofstalecoffeeandfriedfood.

    Logically,heknewheshouldn''''''''tdismissReyaasasuspectht.Butleapingtoclusionsnowwouldbejustasreckless.

    HecursedMoxiunderhisbreath.

    Ifonlyshehadn''''''''tindulgedReya''''''''sstubbornrefusaltocarryaphone.Whatkindofpersondidn''''''''thaveohesedays?Eventheelderly,evevendors,evenkidsbarelyoldenoughtoread.Everyonewasreachable,traceable,tetheredtothegrid.

    Butnother.Neverher.

    Lustoodalohedesertedamusementpark,thedistanthumofidlemaerytheonlysoundiillnightair.Hisgazedriftedupward,followingtheskeletallinesofpowercablesagainstthedarkskybeforesettlingonanearbyutilitypole.

    "Youhavesurveilncehere?"heaskedabruptly,asiftofirm,turningtothemarailingbehindhim.

    Themanagerwipedhisglisteningforeheadwithahandkerchief."Yeah,indoorandoutdoor.Youknowhowitis—nocameras,noproof.Ahingsg,guesswhoendsupfootingthebill?"

    Lushothimasharplook.Themanquicklyswallowedtherestofhispints.

    "Yourteamalreadypulledallthefootage,"headdedhastily.

    Ignhim,Luresumedwalking,hisbootsscuffingagainstthewindingpathwaysthatcoiledbetweeridesandshutteredgamestalls.Hiseyesflickedupwardeveryfewsteps,singforsecuritycameras.Soonenough,hefoundhimselfbaearthehauntedhouse.

    Thepolicetapefppedinafaintbreeze,abrightyellowbarrieragainstthegrimsewithin.Nearby,thefadedgrayfacadeofthecastleattraloomed,itsfaux-stonewallschippedahered.

    Lu''''''''sattentionshiftedtoanarrowalleywedgedbetweewostructures,barelymorethanagapinthearchitecture,half-swallowedbyshadows.

    "Doessurveilncecoverthat?"Hepointed.

    Themanageredhisneck,squinting."Hardtosay."

    Hegesturedtowardastreetmpacrosstheway."There''''''''sacameraonthatpole,but..."

    Lutookastepforward.Thealleyexhaledadamp,metallicchill,untouchedbythesicklyglowoftheoverheadlights.Hewasabouttomovedeeperwhenhisphonebuzzedviolentlyinhispocket.

    Moxi''''''''snamefshedonthes.

    Becauseofthesuspiciousnatureofthedeath,thebodyhadbeeotheforensicsbearly.WhileLuhadbeentiedupwithback-to-baterviews,preliminaryresultswerealreadyingin.

    "...Theleginjuriesaresistentwithpressionfractures.Biteraltibiandcalealbreaks,whichalignwiththeinitiassumptionthathendedfeet-first."

    Luwasstillindoubt,"Fallingfromthesedfloorcouldbreaklegs,sure.Buttodiefromit?That''''''''sastretch.Didhehithishead?"

    "Noialheme,noskullfractures,nocervicalfractures.Spiact.Causeofdeathwascardiacarrest,butmyocardiumshowsnoischemiaorstructuraldefects.Itlookslike...suddencardiacdeathduetoaprimaryarrhythmia."

    Lu''''''''sgazedarkened."Youmean...hewasalreadydeadbeforehehittheground?"

    "''''''''truleitout.It''''''''spossiblethecardiacarresthappehatsplitsed.Lossofsciousness,posturalcolpse—hefallsfeet-first,theimpactcrushesthelegs.Thelivormortispatternandbloodpoolingalsosupportthissequence."

    "Hewasyoung.Anyknowditions?"

    "Couldbeanundiagnosedarrhythmicdisorder,likeBrugadaSyndrome.I''''''''mstillwaitingonthegeiel."

    Luabsorbedtheinformatioedsilence.

    Moxitihere''''''''sevidenceofretsexuactivity.Seminalfluidihraandprostate—ejacutionlikelyoccurredwithiwominutesofdeath."

    Lu''''''''svoicedroppedlow."Sameastheothers?Extremesexualeuphoria?"

    "ly."Moxihesitated."Wefoundtraceresiduesoalmucosa,butthepositiondoesn''''''''tmatchthewaxysubstanthedoublehomicide.Bloodworkshowsanabnormadrenalinespike—high,buthalunless..."

    Sheexhaled."Unlesspreexistingcardiaerabilitytriggeredfatarrhythmiaduringclimax."

    Lufrowned.

    "Theproblemis,forehathauntedhousetoptobottom.Nosignsofsexuactivityanywhere.Unlesshefinishedandthencasuallywanderedovertohisdeathspotbeforedroppingdead."

    "Strahingshavehappened."

    Luwasalreadymoving,hiscoatsnappingbehindhimashehestrodetowardtheparkgates.

    "I''''''''mheadingback.Let''''''''sseewhatthecamerascaught."

    ***

    Theamusementpark''''''''ssurveilchy—maybesevebest,withblindspotseverywhere.

    Thevictim,JulianChow,seemedtohaveahabitofavoidingcrowds.Afterslippinginthroughthestaffentrance,hevanishedfromthecamerasentirely,onlytoreappearonthefeedoppositethegraycastle.

    Hewasdressedingrey,slightlyhunched,ahebackgroundlikeashadow,pletelyunremarkable.

    Foranunnervinglylongtime,hestoodperfectlystill,staringatsomething—orsomeone—justbeyondthecamera''''''''sframe.

    "What''''''''soverthere?"Luasked,tappingthes.

    Briangnceddownattheparkmapspreadacrossthetable."There''''''''sanemployeebreakroominthatdire."

    "Breakroom?"Luechoed.

    Ons,Juliansuddenlyflinched,asifzappedbyalivewire.Hisleftlegtwitched,buthedidn''''''''tmoveaway.

    Achildranpasthim,hermothertrailingbehind.ThelittlegirlgJulianandabruptlyburstintotears.HermotherscoopedherupandsaidsomethingtoJulianbeforewalkingaway.

    "weIDthemotherandchild?"Luasked."MaybetheysawwhatJulianwaslookingat."

    "Shouldbepossible."Onadifferentmonitor,Damonpulleduptheentraageandstartedfacialreitionalgorithms.

    Onthemains,Julianslowlywalkedoutofframe.

    Damohefootage.Abouthalfanhourter,Julianreappeared.

    Thistime,hewasrunning.Hismovementswereerratic,stumbling.Hepausedforasplitsedieroftheframe,thenveeredsharplytowardthehauntedhouse—andvanishedagain.

    "Expandtheseardow,"Luordered."Lookforanyoneelsemovingtowardorawayfromthatareabeforeorafter."

    Damonfast-forwardedthroughthefootage.Parkvisitorsstreamedpast,urningtowardthebreakroom.ThenherewoundtoJulian''''''''sfirstappearandscrolledbackward.

    Notlongafter,abrownfigureflickeredpasttheedgeoftheframe.

    Lu''''''''sstomachdropped."Pause.Rewindthat."

    Itwassomeoneinamase.Eventhoughthefigurewasheedgeoftheshot,itwasunmistakable:theewasabear.

    Reya.