Chapter 29
It was a warmly decorated studio.
Although it was a small space, the walls were painted light yellow, and the white ceiling had stars and fish hand-painted on it. There was not much furniture. The bookshelf was composed of irregularly arranged wooden square boxes mounted on the wall, which had a charming effect. A square table of unvarnished wood, a few brightly coloured chairs. No carpeting, but light wood-coloured mats had been laid on the floor, giving everything a soft and relaxed atmosphere.
However, at that moment, the studio was in some disarray. Miscellaneous items and props were piled haphazardly in a corner. Books, papers and fast food takeaway boxes were scattered over the table. The mats were no longer bright and had obviously not been cleaned for some time.
Bo Jinyan ran his fingers along a window sill, and came away with dust.
A team of forensic investigators was already busy working on the room, while Fang Qing stood at the doorway, carefully inspecting the door lock and door frame. Jian Yao, like Bo Jinyan, was also methodically looking into every corner of the room.
Xu Sheng, Jiang Xueran and Wen Xiaohua stood outside the studio, accompanied by a criminal investigator. It was difficult to make out their faces in the twilight, but they were silent and exuded a melancholic air.
“What’s this?” Jian Yao asked as she indicated some faint traces on the wall. In some areas, the colour of the paint was significantly fresher and cleaner than its surroundings.
“A photo wall,” Bo Jinyan answered. “Go and ask them where the photographs have gone.”
“The last time we cleaned up, we threw them away,” Jiang Xueran said. Beside him, Xu Sheng and Wen Xiaohua were silent.