Chapter 287: The Ride-Share Killer

The crime scene was within Wang Sunxu’s activity area. When Lin Qiupu and his team arrived, Peng Sijue was already there, leading the forensics team.

“What’s the situation?” Chen Shi asked.

Lin Qiupu shot an annoyed glance at the intrusive Chen Shi. “Captain Peng, please brief us.”

Peng Sijue reported, “The victim is the lady of the house, killed around noon. She was stabbed to death while taking a nap. Her husband and child were out at the time and discovered her body when they returned at 4 PM… We found a half-consumed drink and one of those bottle caps at the scene.”

Lin Qiupu picked up the half-drunk bottle on the coffee table and inspected it. Underneath the table was a cookie box containing various receipts, including one from a supermarket proving they had purchased that brand of drink.

In the bedroom, the victim lay on the bed in her pajamas, her death similar to Wang Sunxu’s known methods.

Outside, the husband was weeping, surrounded by neighbors offering comfort.

Lin Qiupu called the husband in for questioning. He waved his hands frantically, saying, “I can’t go in there. Just seeing her like that…,” he choked, tears streaming down his face again.

Lin Qiupu decided to question him outside.

Chen Shi noticed a set of footprints on the living room floor, clearly a woman’s bare feet, with only the front part visible, as if she had tiptoed to the door and back.

Chen Shi entered the bedroom, bypassing the body to study a pair of plush slippers. One was near the bed, the other kicked under it.

Chen Shi mused, “She must have opened the door barefoot because she couldn’t find her slippers. But if a stranger came in, the return footprints wouldn’t be so neat.”

Lin Dongxue whispered, “Do you think it’s a ride-share killing?”

“Captain Peng, do you think this is Wang Sunxu’s work?” Chen Shi asked.

“The method is similar. We haven’t done a thorough autopsy yet, so it’s hard to say.”

“Check the kitchen knives,” Chen Shi suggested.

The three of them went to the kitchen and sprayed the knives with reagent, finding no traces of blood.

Chen Shi pointed to the sink. “Check here.”

The sink was also clean.

Next, they checked the toilet, which had a strong smell of disinfectant. There were no traces of blood, but Peng Sijue’s experience told him it had been vigorously cleaned.

Lin Dongxue frowned. “Do we really need to be so suspicious? The husband reported it; now we suspect him?”

“It’s not suspicion, it’s due diligence,” Chen Shi replied, moving to the fridge. He found a row of drinks, each previously opened and resealed. “Look, these bottles have been tampered with. If the wife did this, it doesn’t make sense. Why open all the bottles, drink the one with the killer cap, and leave it out as if summoning Wang Sunxu?”

Peng Sijue suggested, “Let’s test who drank from this bottle.”

“Good idea!” Chen Shi agreed.

Comparing the dead woman’s saliva enzymes to the bottle’s, they didn’t match. Peng Sijue then approached the husband outside, who was recounting the day’s events to Lin Qiupu.

“Open your mouth,” Peng Sijue instructed.

“What for?” the husband asked.

Lin Qiupu explained, “We need DNA samples to rule you out.”

“Oh, I see. Go ahead,” the husband replied.

Peng Sijue’s quick test revealed a match. “It’s likely his.”

Chen Shi said, “The wife was killed, and the husband calmly drinks half a bottle of soda and then calls the police? This doesn’t add up. It’s a ride-share killing.”

“What a scumbag!” Lin Dongxue said in disgust.

The three of them confronted the husband. Lin Dongxue whispered to Lin Qiupu, who nodded. Sensing something was wrong, the husband’s expression changed.

“What’s your name?” Lin Qiupu asked.

“Liu.”

“Mr. Liu, we need you to come with us to assist with the investigation.”

“Assist with the investigation?” Liu raised his voice, looking at the neighbors. “Why can’t we talk here? My family just experienced this tragedy, and you want to take me away? What will people think?”

“Please cooperate,” Lin Qiupu insisted.

“Are you suspecting me? You police are just toying with citizens. I told you, my son and I were out for a walk.”

Chen Shi said, “You understand what ‘assist with the investigation’ means. If you’re innocent, cooperate. Don’t make a scene.”

“I don’t understand…” Liu began to sweat profusely, then suddenly bolted for the stairs but tripped and fell.

The police quickly restrained him.

Chen Shi smirked. “What did I say?”

Lin Qiupu gave him a cold look. “If the suspect got hurt, it’s on you.”

Chen Shi shrugged. “I’m done here for today. See you tomorrow.”

Amid the neighbors’ murmurs, the husband was taken away. In the interrogation room, under Lin Qiupu’s psychological tactics, he quickly confessed.

He had long wanted to kill his wife but couldn’t find a way. When the serial killings began, he saw it as a perfect opportunity. He bought a bunch of the tainted drinks, hoping to get one of the killer caps.

Knowing his wife napped at noon, he took his son for a walk. While his son played in the park, he rushed home, stabbed his wife, drank half a bottle, and placed it on the table. He disposed of his bloody clothes and the knife, then returned to play with his son, finally “discovering” the body at 4 PM and calling the police.

What he thought was a flawless plan was full of holes under police scrutiny.

At 8 PM, Chen Shi received a text from Lin Dongxue: “The ride-share killer has been apprehended.”

Ride-share killings are the most unreliable. In a series of similar cases, a fake stands out quickly. Also, the police don’t disclose all details, known only to them and the killer, not outsiders.

Chen Shi considered explaining but decided against it. He replied simply, “You worked hard today. Get some rest and be careful on your way home.”

“Thanks, see you tomorrow,” Lin Dongxue’s reply, though simple, carried a touch of warmth.

At home, Tao Yueyue was doing homework. Chen Shi, exhausted, made some noodles. Tao Yueyue asked, “Did they catch the bad guy?”

“Not yet. Be sure to walk home with friends these days.”

“Is it that person?”

“No.”

“Uncle Chen, let me make you a drink,” Tao Yueyue said, secretly taking out a small packet from her pocket…