Investigation
It was the wee hours of the following morning by the time the case meeting was over, but the police made a lot of progress. Looking at the three cases, the murderer had to be a local of City A. Moreover, the trajectory of his life should be very complicated such that he could come into contact with people from different walks of life.
As the second victim was only six years old and had a narrower field of movement, the police thought that they could start with the boy. The murderer should not be far from the boy’s house or had direct or indirect conflict with the boy.
“Sigh, I’ve stayed up all night again. When can we close the case?” Bai Luo stretched her sore arms and complained to Yin Tao and Xia Jin beside her.
“It won’t be long.” Xia Jin looked exhausted too.
“It’s really not easy for you detectives.” Yin Tao looked at the haggard duo and couldn’t help but sigh.
“It takes one to know one. It’s not any more relaxing for you forensic doctors either.” Xia Jin glanced at Yin Tao and found that she was still very energetic. He was a little impressed and said, “Sister Xiaotao, why don’t you look tired at all? Didn’t you just rush over from the autopsy lab?”
“It’s alright. The autopsy was quite interesting.” Yin Tao’s tone was calm, but Bai Luo and Xia Jin’s faces were filled with disbelief.
“Sister Xiaotao, you forensic doctors are definitely all warriors. I’m impressed!” Xia Jin looked at the cute baby-faced girl in front of him and thought of her calmly dissecting a corpse. He felt that the contrast was a little strange.
“But of course. When I was in university, I was close to a senior from our school’s forensics faculty. During the holidays, we went to the haunted house at the amusement park in the suburbs with her. I’m considered bold among girls, but that senior of mine…”
Bai Luo seemed to have thought of something funny and continued, “She almost frightened the NPCs of the haunted house to tears. They said that in all their years of working in the haunted house, they had never seen a girl laugh at a realistic corpse prop. They thought she was possessed.”
“Was your senior trying to scare the staff on purpose?” Xia Jin said with a smile.
“I think it’s because the props in the haunted house looked too fake.” After Yin Tao finished speaking, she saw that Bai Luo’s eyes widened in surprise.
“That’s right! I’ve told you forensic doctors are wired differently from us ordinary people!” Bai Luo looked at Xia Jin and continued to explain, “My senior said that the livor mortis on the corpse was too fake. Even if the corpse had been frozen at low temperature, it’s impossible for the livor mortis on the corpse to remain bright red.”
“Sister Xiaotao, Bai Luo and I are going to the mall in the new city district tomorrow afternoon to investigate the surveillance footage of the third victim. Do you want to come with us?” Xia Jin looked sincere. He felt that the investigation work would go smoother if Yin Tao was willing to help.
“Sure, since I don’t have anything to do tomorrow, I’ll follow up on the case. It’ll also be helpful in the forensic assessment of the corpse.” Yin Tao was very attentive to this serial murder case. The city area she lived in before she transmigrated was very safe, so she didn’t have any opportunity to come into contact with such a vile serial murder case.
The three of them agreed on a time to meet the following afternoon at the entrance of the mall.
“Bai Luo! Sister Xiaotao!” Xia Jin was wearing a gray sports suit and looked no different from an ordinary university student.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you in plain clothes. You look much younger than usual,” said Yin Tao.
Xia Jin scratched his head in embarrassment and said to her, “Look who’s talking. Sister Xiaotao, you look much younger than Bai Luo even though you’re the same age as her.”
“Hey, I just realized that you call Xiaotao ‘elder sister’.” Bai Luo tiptoed and pulled Xia Jin’s ear. “Don’t I look older than Xiaotao? Why don’t you call me ‘elder sister’!” Bai Luo griped.
“That’s an honorific!” Xia Jin broke free from Bai Luo and hid behind Yin Tao. “If you are capable, go and dissect a corpse too. I’ll call you elder sister too!”
“That’s because I’m not a professional in this field!” Bai Luo wanted to grab Xia Jin, but Yin Tao blocked her and said, “Alright, stop fooling around. Don’t forget that we have serious business here.”
Yin Tao walked into the mall, turned around, and said to Bai Luo and Xia Jin, “Good luck! If you find evidence, I’ll treat you to a meal!”
Bai Luo and Xia Jin looked at each other and smiled. Inexplicably, they see some semblance of Captain Chen in Yin Tao.
The three of them first went to the place where the deceased worked. It was a branded clothing store. The manager welcomed them warmly after they identified themselves.
“What is your impression of the deceased Zhang Wei?” Yin Tao said as she sized up the store manager in front of her.
The store manager was a middle-aged woman in her thirties. She was dressed exquisitely and had decent facial features. From the moment Yin Tao and the others entered the store, she had a plastic commercial smile on her face.