"Is this guy mentally challenged?" he muttered, watching the receding figure.
If arson had occurred in the old days, catching the culprit would have been difficult unless witnessed directly. But in this society, cameras were everywhere, especially in public places like hotels and restaurants where people congregated. The number of cameras was so overwhelming that even rooms were often equipped with them. Trying to escape after committing arson would be harder than climbing to heaven.
However, to be safe, I signaled Huang San, asking him to follow and apprehend the person if possible.
Huang San nodded, turned, and followed. I quickly took out my phone, first calling the fire department, then the hotel owner to report the fire.
Before long, the fire trucks arrived. The rescue was swift. By the time the owner rushed over from home, the fire trucks were preparing to leave, awaiting the owner's statement.
"I... I went home and gave the key to Mr. Song, who was staying here. As for why it caught fire, I have no idea! My hotel's fire safety is inspected every year." The owner, flustered by the questions, pushed me forward.
Seeing no way to escape, I stepped forward and explained the situation to the firefighters.
"You're saying someone deliberately set the fire? Did you see what the person looked like?" Upon hearing about deliberate arson, the fire captain became serious. He instructed his colleagues to contact the police, as intentional arson was a grave matter that could not be taken lightly.
The police arrived quickly, even faster than the fire department. The fire was confined to the second floor, where my rooms were located, so the statements were taken in a first-floor room.
"Did you see the arsonist's face?"
I shook my head, saying I hadn't seen the front of their face, only a back. I was eating at the time and only saw a figure run out of the hotel, then heard the fire alarm. I answered truthfully, then described the physical characteristics of the man I had dealt with earlier that day.
After recording my statement, the police handed it to me for review. If there were no errors, I was to sign it.
As I finished signing and prepared to leave, I heard a knock on the door.
"Old Li... come out here for a moment." The officer who entered called out, glanced at me, then pulled him outside, leaving me in the room. He was gone for only two or three minutes before returning, the same officer who had taken my statement earlier, with a grim expression.
"I didn't expect you to be such a good actor. You set the fire yourself, and now you're acting like nothing happened. You're not leaving today. You're coming with me to the police station!" Officer Li, his demeanor completely changed, looked at me with coldness, even a hint of disgust. He reached for handcuffs, preparing to cuff me.
I frowned, instinctively dodging to the side, and said sternly, "Officer Li, you need proof to catch a thief, and evidence to catch an adulterer. You have no evidence, so why are you accusing me of starting the fire? As I said, I was eating at the restaurant across from the hotel when the fire started. You can ask the restaurant owner if you don't believe me."
Officer Li clearly hadn't expected me to dodge, so he missed. He then reached behind his waist, and a gleaming baton appeared in his hand.
"I advise you not to resist. You can't escape. We'll talk more at the police station."
I watched him impassively, my frustration immense.
Seeing my expressionless face, Officer Li opened the door and called in the colleague who had reported earlier.
"Old Chen, show this kid the evidence." Old Chen took out a tablet computer, swiped it a couple of times, and held it out to me.
The image on the screen was somewhat dark, but it was clear that it was footage from the camera at the hotel entrance.
The video paused for about ten seconds, then showed me leaving the hotel entrance. Two minutes later, a person of similar build to me, wearing a baseball cap, entered furtively.
Then, they quickly ran upstairs, and the alarm sounded. Shortly after, the figure reappeared within the camera's view. Whether intentionally or not, the figure looked up at the camera before quickly running out of the hotel.
"How is this possible?"
The camera footage wasn't perfectly clear, but I could still recognize the face as my own. My hand trembled, and I almost dropped the tablet. Fortunately, Old Chen was quick and caught it.
"Do you have anything else to say? I suggest you cooperate and come to the police station to explain yourself." He again reached for the handcuffs to cuff me.
This time, I didn't resist, allowing him to handcuff both my hands before being put into the police car.
In the car, my mind kept replaying the person in the video. How could they look so much like me? It was as if we were carved from the same mold. If I didn't know I was an only child with no siblings, I would have suspected a twin brother.
Their build, their appearance, even their clothing, were all similar to mine. It was uncanny.
Ghost?
Suddenly, I felt like I had grasped something, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. I then looked at Officer Li and asked if I could see the video again. He flatly refused, saying I could watch it at the police station to avoid me tampering with evidence.
When I thought of ghosts, I suddenly remembered that I had left with Huang San. Why wasn't Huang San in the video? If that was the case, then the person who set the fire at the hotel was likely a malevolent spirit or a ghost.
Only then could I explain why someone who looked exactly like me appeared. Otherwise, I couldn't explain this situation even with ten mouths.
Upon arriving at the police station, I was immediately taken to the interrogation room. The number of questioners increased from one to two.
"Tell us everything. Why did you set the fire? Fortunately, the fire wasn't large, and there were no guests in the hotel, otherwise, you'd be looking at at least ten years."
"Officer Li, I am being framed. I have no enmity with the owner, so why would I set the fire? Besides, I was eating at the restaurant across from the hotel when the fire broke out. You can ask the owner there if you don't believe me."
"Hmph! You think we haven't asked? This is the statement we just obtained. They said they never saw you." Officer Li sneered, tossing the statement he had just placed on the table towards me.
Indeed, the statement clearly recorded the restaurant owner's words, stating that I had not been seen there. It was signed and fingerprinted, and a photo of me was attached.
I couldn't help but admire the person who framed me. They had calculated my every move, and their methods were impressive. However, even with their omnipotence, there were things they couldn't account for, such as my payment records from the restaurant.