Without a doubt, the man who took the manager and the two technicians away was the stranger who spied on us near the dog breeding compound the other day.
Xiaotao rapped her knuckles on the table, "We’d like to ask you about something!"
"Go ahead,” nodded the receptionist. “But don't take anyone away this time."
When we described the appearance of the four suspects, the receptionist had a vague impression of them, though she couldn’t recall their names because of the sheer amount of clients she saw daily.
I asked to see their technicians, but upon questioning, none of them admitted to ever seeing our suspects.
I whispered to Xiaotao, “The two technicians and the manager were the only ones who can lead us to the suspects, yet they’ve been taken away by this mysterious man. He’s cleaning up the murderers again!"
Bereft of speech, Xiaotao bit her lower lip.
Before we left, the receptionist inquired about the manager's whereabouts once again. Since we couldn't divulge the truth, we assured her we would look for him.
After heading out of the spa center, Xiaotao solemnly acknowledged, "We underestimated this man. He may be the one who arranged the disappearance of the owner of the breeding compound, cutting off our lead. From the first case, he had begun cleaning after the murderers. What do you think is his motive?"
My intuition told me this was an affluent man with possible connections to the organization. Wasn't the Jiangbei Daggers best at harboring criminals? But at this point, this was merely a conjecture, so I kept mum about it.
On the way back to the station, we were both too upset by the turn of events to speak.
The murderers left so many clues which led me to believe their arrest was close at hand. But out popped this mysterious man to intercept our investigations, thwarting our efforts to catch our suspects.
"What about using the most brainless method, that is, investigating the rich kids of Nanjiang City one by one?" I suggested.
"I'm afraid that would prove very difficult,” admitted Xiaotao. “Knowing the temper and arrogance of the rich, they won’t cooperate with the investigation."
I spent some time contemplating any clues we might have missed when I was suddenly struck with an idea. "I got it!” I cried. “Whatever he’s covered up is exactly what he doesn’t want us to know–the victims’ identities! If we can determine that, we’ll be able to move forward with our investigation."
"Anything that can be tested has been sent to the lab. What else are we supposed to do?” said Xiaotao. “Unless we wait for the missing reports of each district, and that will take at least two days."
"No, that’s too long,” I shook my head. “I'm afraid there’ll be more victims by then. Let's use the Thrice Steaming Bone Test and see if there are any clues we missed! Could you call Bingxin? If this doesn't work, we’ll have to dissect the bodies."
“Let’s pick her up now!"
As soon as we were seated in the car, Xiaotao ordered an officer to send the bodies to the Necropsy Workshop while I called Bingxin. Her voice sounded muffled, as if she were speaking from under a blanket. I could faintly hear Sun Tiger's thunderous snoring.
"My dad is at home,” whispered Bingxin. “I won’t be able to go out.”
"Nevermind then!" I said.
"No, no! I'll try to sneak out."
"Don’t…”
Bingxin hung up the call before I could finish speaking. Five minutes later, she phoned back, "Hey, I made it out! Freedom finally! I’ll wait for you downstairs of my apartment building!"
"That silly little girl," chuckled Xiaotao.
After picking up Bingxin, we headed back to the station. Upon seeing the bodies, Bingxin exclaimed in shock and asked about the case. I roughly summed it up, omitting the cruel details.
All the tools I needed were already prepared in the Necropsy Workshop. I placed a layer of charcoal in the trench on the ground and ignited it, waiting for the flames to rise enough before pouring white vinegar onto the charcoal. The fumes had Bingxin choking and sneezing. With her help, I transferred the bodies into the trench and spread a straw mat.
From the first test, I only found some wounds that had been previously ignored, though they were of little significance. For the second, I used alkaline water and discovered an old, horizontal wound on the side of the victim’s ribs which appeared to have been caused by a blade.
"This part might have been operated on before!" I pointed out.
"The wound is rather narrow which suggests it was an operation to remove a polyp or tumor.”
Excited by the little progress we made, I continued to examine the female victim. Her nose bridge had been operated on so it seemed she had undergone rhinoplasty.
Xiaotao snapped her fingers, "That’s great! These two clues are enough for us to determine the victims’ identities."
"I didn’t manage to help at all. Do you want to dissect the bodies?" asked Bingxin.
"No, we'll take you home now!" I replied.
Upon arriving home, Bingxin was forced to sneak back into her room. If Sun Tiger ever discovered she went out at night, what awaited her was a long dressing-down.
Xiaotao temporarily halted all other investigations and focused all of the team’s efforts on determining the victims’ identities. The next day, she phoned to inform me of the police’s discovery. By visiting major hospitals and cosmetic surgery clinics in Nanjiang City, they managed to zoom in on the victims.
I hailed a cab and tore hell for leather to the scene where officers were still collecting evidence. A quick examination revealed that the murderers used the same trick as last, knocking out the victims with ether spray and then kidnapping them.
The scene was neater than the last one. Through some of the victims’ personal belongings, we learned of their identities. The man worked in a state-owned enterprise while the woman was a specialist at a cosmetics counter in the supermarket. They had been in a relationship for a long time and were considering marriage.
"The female victim worked at the Golden Age Department Store and came into contact with countless people every day,” remarked Xiaotao. “Perhaps the murderers bumped into her there and followed her home?"
“Is there anything missing from the scene?" I queried.
Xiaotao checked with the officers on scene who reported missing a cell phone.
"The Golden Age Departmental Store is quite far from here and the victim has to switch buses midway. All four of the murderers are new at this. I doubt they would be able to track her all the way back. I think it’s more likely they found her through the internet!"
The murderers previously sent a fake lottery through the forum–a safe, effective and concealed method of locating their prey. It was highly unlikely they would abandon such useful means. This time, perhaps they obtained the victims’ address by sending a fake lottery to her cell phone.
Through WeChat, anyone could check for people nearby and peep on their moments. They could find nearby people and also see the photos in their friends’ circle. Perhaps it was via this channel the murderers found their prey!
I asked for the victim’s phone number and searched on WeChat. Numerous affectionate photos featuring the victim and her boyfriend popped up.
"You’re right," blurted Xiaotao.
"The purpose of hiding their identities must be this. The murderers probably live nearby. Xiaotao, can you investigate the rich kids who live in the area?"
After a moment’s contemplation, Xiaotao said, "I’ll have to go through my dad!"
She called Mr. Huang who immediately asked why she hadn’t brought her boyfriend home for dinner. Arching her eyebrows, she handed me the phone.
"Uncle Huang, when we solve this case, I will definitely visit!” came my awkward reply.
The old man said in surprise, "Are you working? Alright then, I won't bother you two. Be sure to drop by soon! Don’t worry, I very much support free love between you young people."
Xiaotao soon got down to business, asking the old man for a little favor, to which he agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Moments is a function of the smartphone app WeChat which allows users to share and get access to accepted WeChat friends' information, creating an intimate and private communication circle within the users' choice of close friends.