Chapter 144: Slapping with Joy

In the interrogation room, Dr. Gao Ming repeatedly emphasized, “This is absolutely absurd! Why would I kill Du Ting? We had such a good relationship. How could I possibly kill her?”

Lin Dongxue asked, “What were you doing in your office at 4 a.m., the time of the incident?”

“Chatting!”

“Chatting to the point where she started crying?”

Dr. Gao frustratingly scratched his head. “She’s just a girl who cries easily. What does that have to do with me?”

“Tell us exactly what you two talked about. Recount everything in detail.”

“Alright, alright. About a week ago, she jokingly said, ‘Why don’t you be my boyfriend?’ I had a surgery to prepare for and thought she was kidding. We joke like that all the time, so I just said, ‘Get out of here.’ I didn’t take it seriously. Later, other nurses told me she was crying in the office, and that’s when I realized she was serious about her feelings. Officer, don’t be fooled by my age. I’ve barely dated because I spent over twenty years in school! Honestly, I liked her too. I thought about it for a few days and decided to accept her feelings. So, on the night of the incident, I called her to my office during her night shift, took out a small gift I prepared, and hoped to start a relationship with her. She was so happy she started crying.”

“Is that all?”

“Why would I lie to you?” Dr. Gao was exasperated.

Lin Dongxue received an internal call from Peng Sijue, who asked her to pick up the DNA report. She sent Xu Xiaodong to fetch it.

Xu Xiaodong arrived at the forensic department, where everyone had left for the day except for Peng Sijue, who was sipping coffee with a document on his desk. “The DNA under the victim’s fingernail matches the suspect,” Peng Sijue said.

Xu Xiaodong was elated, “So it’s really him!”

“Where’s Old Chen?”

“He’s investigating the elderly man’s death at a funeral.”

“He left in such a hurry this morning that he forgot something. Besides the marks on the front of the pillow, there are also marks on the back.”

“Fingerprints?”

“I took a photo.”

Peng Sijue handed him a freshly developed photo. Xu Xiaodong was stunned. It showed two overlapping handprints: a man’s hand underneath and a woman’s hand on top.

“Is this enough evidence?” Xu Xiaodong asked.

“Not quite. For instance, if I were to press a pillow on your face now, it would have both your facial imprint and my fingerprints. But it wouldn’t prove I killed you. The autopsy records are the crucial evidence.”

Xu Xiaodong felt a twinge of frustration. They knew the elderly man had been murdered but couldn’t prove it. He wondered how Brother Chen would turn this around but believed that Chen Shi would find a flaw.

Xu Xiaodong delivered the DNA results to Lin Dongxue, who read them and was thrilled. She walked up to Dr. Gao with Xu Xiaodong following. Dr. Gao nervously retreated, “What are you doing? Hitting me?”

“Roll up your sleeves.”

“Fine.”

Dr. Gao rolled up his sleeves. His skin showed no injuries. Lin Dongxue asked him to roll up the other sleeve, still nothing.

Xu Xiaodong noticed something. “Turn your face.”

“What now?” Although complaining, Dr. Gao complied.

“Look here!”

Xu Xiaodong pointed to a spot between Dr. Gao’s ear and jaw, where the skin was indeed damaged.

Lin Dongxue said, “The victim’s fingernails contain your DNA, and you have an injury on your face. How do you explain that?”

Dr. Gao shouted, “You police are being ridiculous! What does that prove?”

“It proves you killed her!”

“Nonsense.”

“Then give us a reasonable explanation.”

“I remember now. She slapped me.”

“Made up on the spot?”

“You’re infuriating. Are you trying to pin the murder on me because you can’t catch the real killer?”

“You said you proposed to her, and she cried with joy. Why would she slap you?”

“I don’t know! Maybe she was ‘slapping with joy!'”

“What exactly did you say? If you don’t tell the truth, I really can’t help you.”

Dr. Gao cried in frustration. “Alright, I admit. I was being a bit handsy. I thought since I gave her a gift and she agreed to be my girlfriend, I had the right to be a little physical, like touching or pinching. Don’t look at me like that. I’m just explaining my thoughts at the time. Then she slapped me and ran off crying. I really don’t understand women!”

Lin Dongxue looked at him with disdain. “She’s dead, and you don’t seem the least bit sad.”

“I admit I wanted to play around. She was so pretty. What’s wrong with having bad thoughts? But how could I date a nurse? My father would kill me. You police enjoy forcing out everyone’s dirty secrets, don’t you? Happy now?”

Lin Dongxue wasn’t sure if this was another lie. She looked at Xu Xiaodong, who said, “I think he’s telling the truth.”

Dr. Gao, feeling understood, said excitedly, “Finally, someone who gets it.”

Lin Dongxue called for someone to detain him. As he was led away, Dr. Gao kept shouting, “I’m not the killer! I really am not the killer!”

Lin Dongxue was undecided. She couldn’t release him just yet, so she detained him for 24 hours. If no progress was made, they would have to let him go.

She called Chen Shi, who seemed to be in a noisy place. After a while, it quieted down, probably because he stepped outside. Lin Dongxue said, “We found Dr. Gao’s DNA under the victim’s nails. He claims he was slapped for being too forward. It doesn’t seem like he’s the killer. How are things on your end?”

“Still at the meal, no progress. Are you working late?”

“I’ll go back to the hospital with Xiaodong to find more evidence.”

“Can you swing by my place? Tao Yueyue is home alone and probably hasn’t eaten.”

“That would take too long. I’m afraid I can’t.”

“Looks like she’ll have instant noodles again tonight.”

At the restaurant, Xue Chengyi was giving a thank-you speech to the guests, including business partners. Chen Shi felt disappointed at the lack of new information.

Xue Chengyi might have smothered his father to avoid medical expenses, making it a spur-of-the-moment murder. There wouldn’t be evidence here.

But Chen Shi’s intuition told him there would be other discoveries.

His eyes scanned the guests and suddenly noticed a familiar face. Xue Chengyi’s mistress was also there…