I removed the doll from the glass cabinet and studied it. The hair on the doll was black and shiny. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that its thickness resembled human hair, and from the length and curvature, it almost appeared to be…
I asked for Bingxin’s opinion. After studying it for a considerable amount of time, she ventured, "Is this... pubic hair?"
"What?" Xiaotao stared in consternation.
"We’ll have to test it to be certain."
Eyes dancing across the dolls in the cabinet, I thought, That would be a shocking “hobby.”
The sound of cloth tearing suddenly reverberated around the room. I turned back to see Song Xingchen tearing the sheets with his bare hands. Xiaotao asked what he was doing but Song Xingchen speechlessly threw out the torn inner lining onto the bed. One look at the bed was like taking a bat to the head.
The lining of the bed sheet was sewn together from women's underwear, the bright colors almost too dazzling for the eye. For a moment, we were lost for words.
"I'm afraid this man has a fetish,” I mused.
“Could this be why he fled?" Bingxin couldn’t fight the smile that rose to her lips.
"We can't jump to conclusions,” I said. “By the way, Xiaotao, could you call those on duty in the store and warehouse? I’d like to verify some information."
While we waited, Wang Yuanchao shared his discovery–a roll of negatives that had fallen under the table. It was rare to find anyone using old cameras these days.
Unrolling the film, I looked at it under the light. The contents shocked me to my core. They were all photos of naked women.
"Get someone to develop this!" I handed the negatives to Xiaotao.
"We must be careful not to leak the photos since it may involve the privacy of others. I'll ask Captain Tang for help later!"
There was a knock on the door. A timid man walked in and asked us what we wanted.
"What is your boss like?" I began.
"He’s very nice. Whenever our neighbors are in trouble, he’ll be the first to help. He’s usually very good to us and has never missed a salary. At the end of each year, he rewards us with a decent bonus as well. God knows who he offended. He just ran away all of a sudden!" sighed the shop assistant.
"When did he disappear? What happened that day?" I asked.
"September 11th!” the man recalled. “On that day, a colleague showed him a post on Weibo about a body that was found somewhere. The boss paid our wages that afternoon and then disappeared. Later, the police came to the door inquiring about this and that. I think it had something to do with the clothes."
"As far as you know, what are your boss's hobbies?" I added.
“None that I can think of. He’s usually very busy with work. How would he have the time to... Oh, that’s right, he’s got a thing for lolis."
"What?!”
"No, no, don't get me wrong! I mean those in comics. He likes watching anime with lolis. What did he say again? That’s right, there are three things he likes about lolis–they’re delicate, soft and easy to pin down!" The shop assistant awkwardly rubbed his head.
"Thanks for answering my questions. By the way, we’d like to confirm the inventory and check what’s missing."
"Okay!"
The shop assistant opened the closet and removed the robes one by one as he checked the books. Finally, he reported seven missing Hanfu, two women’s dresses and five men's robes. Xiaotao and I exchanged a look of consternation. Judging from this, the murderer had four more victims on his kill list.
After the shop assistant left, Captain Tang called to inform us of a new discovery–the police found a restaurant that recently hosted a reunion dinner and a waiter might have witnessed something.
Hanging up, Xiaotao turned to Bingxin, "Well, looks like our travel plans for today are ruined."
Bingxin spread her hands, "Solving the case comes first."
At the restaurant, the reservation records showed that a man named Zhang Wei booked a large private room on September 7th and made a large banner with the words "10th Anniversary Reunion of Class of 16’.” When asked what the man looked like, the waiter couldn’t recall due to the sheer amount of customers he served every day. He only remembered that he looked ferocious, much like a member of the mafia, and had a scorpion tattooed on his arm.
"One of the waiters also witnessed a dispute between a couple and a man in front of the parking garage after the banquet,” reported Captain Tang. “We suspect they’re the victims."
"I’d like to speak to the waiter," I said.
During his shift, the waiter went out to dispose of the trash and chanced upon a couple quarreling with a man in glasses. Behind them was a black SUV and a bicycle. Perhaps the couple's car had accidentally hit the man's bicycle.
Although the waiter couldn't remember the content of their quarrel, a particular sentence made a deep impression on him. The woman pointed at Glasses and ridiculed, "I hate teachers the most! You’re all so poor but you think you’re so great. It’s fucking disgusting!"
Then, the man pulled out a wad of cash from his car–almost ten thousand yuan–and tossed it to Glasses. "Fine, I’ll pay for your medical expenses. Now get out of here, we still have business to do!"
Glasses stared venomously as the two climbed into the car, rooted to the spot for a long time.
This was a very important clue. Judging from the content of their conversation, the man in glasses was probably the murderer, and this minor accident as well as the humiliation from his classmates were very likely to be the trigger for the murders.
However, due to the distance at the time, the waiter didn't get a good look at them. Captain Tang spoke to the rest of the waiters but none of them recalled having seen a humble-looking man in glasses out of the numerous guests that day.
After thanking the waiter, we left the restaurant. As I walked out the door, I noticed two waiters hanging red lanterns painted with Chang’e on the tree in front.
"Mid-Autumn Festival is on the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month!" I remarked. "Is that today?"
"Are you craving mooncakes?” Xiaotao laughed. “It’s tomorrow.”
"Damn it, the murders just have to happen now! All units get three days off during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But the next body may appear any time from tonight to tomorrow night. The public holiday will definitely delay our investigation."
Captain Tang nervously picked up his phone, "I’ll send more officers to patrol the streets at once!"
"According to the murderer’s pattern, he’ll orchestrate something along the lines of an ancient poem. The body is likely to be abandoned in a certain scenic spot. Send the officers to monitor these scenic spots."
"Are there any interesting attractions near the hotel?" asked Xiaotao.
Captain Tang replied without a second thought. "Lotus Pond Park."
"Alright then, we’ll cover Lotus Pond Park so you don’t have to send any officers there."
When Captain Tang left, I turned to Xiaotao, "You’re thinking of sightseeing, aren’t you?"
Xiaotao giggled, "There’s nothing wrong with mixing business and pleasure. Do you have an opinion about that?"