Chapter 288: A Perfect Tribute

Tao Yueyue ran to the kitchen and tinkered for a while before bringing out a drink. Chen Shi was deep in thought about the case and took a sip, only to spit it out. “I’ve got it! I’ve got it! Yueyue, lock the door and don’t go anywhere!”

Chen Shi grabbed his coat and rushed out. Before leaving, he asked, “What did you make? It’s both sweet and salty.”

“Milk tea!” she replied.

“That’s not how you make milk tea. You don’t put salt in it.”

As the door closed behind him, Tao Yueyue took a sip of the remaining tea, smacking her lips. “It is too salty.”

In the car, Chen Shi called Lin Dongxue and asked where she was. “I’m out eating,” she replied.

“Send me your location. Don’t go anywhere. I’m coming to get you!”

“Okay… Is it something important?”

“I’ll be there soon.”

Half an hour later, Chen Shi found the small restaurant where the task force was having dinner. He picked up Lin Dongxue and drove her to the station. She asked, “What’s going on? Why the serious face?”

“You’re staying at my place for a while.”

“What? But my things…”

“I’ll go to your place later. From now on, you don’t go out alone. I’ll take you to and from work.”

“Staying at your place is fine, but I need to know why.”

“To protect you!”

Lin Dongxue thought he was joking and laughed, but then she noticed he was serious.

At the station, Chen Shi pulled Lin Dongxue into the forensic team’s office. Peng Sijue was still working at his computer. Chen Shi demanded, “The bottles! The bottles!”

“What bottles?” Peng Sijue asked.

“The plastic bottles from the previous cases. Test them for saliva enzymes. See if they match the victims.”

Though Peng Sijue wanted to complain about Chen Shi’s abruptness, he sensed it was urgent and went to work without a word.

Twenty minutes later, the results came in. Peng Sijue reported, “In the migrant worker case, the bottle matches the worker’s saliva enzymes. The same for the family of three and the loner… But for the driver, there are no enzymes on the bottle.”

“What does this mean?” Lin Dongxue asked, looking at Chen Shi.

Chen Shi’s suspicions were confirmed. “Today’s ride-share murder gave me an idea. Why would the killer choose such a complicated method? His rules are just a smokescreen. He has a preselected hit list!”

“Explain,” Peng Sijue said, still not understanding.

“We assumed whoever got the bottle cap would die. That’s true for the first three cases. But starting with the fourth, he just killed who he wanted and left a half-drunk bottle at the scene.”

“So we’d think the victim died because of the ‘prize’?” Peng Sijue asked.

“Exactly. We can’t prevent it. His targets will die regardless. He doesn’t poison the drinks because the bottle caps are easier to manipulate. It’s another hidden-in-plain-sight murder, a perfect tribute to the case from ten years ago.”

Lin Dongxue struggled to keep up. “So the serial killings are fake, and it’s actually multiple targeted murders?”

“Exactly! He’s hitching a ride on his own scheme.”

“But why kill a driver who didn’t drink the beverage? What did he do to deserve this?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“We need to investigate,” Chen Shi said.

“Everyone’s gone home. Tomorrow,” Peng Sijue suggested.

“Dongxue, get me a glass of water,” Chen Shi asked.

Lin Dongxue reached for a nearby cup. Chen Shi said, “I want tea from your brother’s office.”

“You’re just trying to get rid of me, aren’t you?” Lin Dongxue laughed. “I’ll wait outside.”

After she left, Chen Shi turned to Peng Sijue. “I’m worried he might target Yueyue or Dongxue. The person who sent the photos was him. Today, he called me ‘Officer Song.’”

“Really? You arrested his brother. You think this is revenge?” Peng Sijue asked.

“Yes,” Chen Shi said gloomily. “If my identity is exposed, it could affect you too…”

“I’ll be fine,” Peng Sijue interrupted. “Be careful and protect Dongxue. I’ve always said, if you’re going to live incognito, don’t get involved with the police.”

“Maybe it’s fate,” Chen Shi sighed.

As he left, Peng Sijue called after him, “Have you thought of a plan? If Wang Sunxu is caught, he might expose you. Captain Lin has long suspected you; he just hasn’t pressed the issue. Once he has a lead, he’ll figure you out in no time.”

Chen Shi shook his head. “One step at a time.”

Back in the car, Lin Dongxue asked, “What did you and Peng Sijue talk about?”

Chen Shi looked at her. When Lin Qiupu found out who he was, his time with Lin Dongxue would be over. Lies always get exposed, but he didn’t expect it to be so soon.

Thinking about it pained him. He wanted to do many happy things with her.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Lin Dongxue said, “What’s up with you today? You’re acting strange. Hiding something from me?”

“No, just look at my honest face…”

“Honest? I don’t even know your past. Care to share now?”

“When someone doesn’t talk about their past, it’s either because they have secrets or nothing to say. Which do you think I am?”

“Secrets!” Lin Dongxue poked his chest, laughing.

“You knew and still asked,” Chen Shi laughed too.

They went to Lin Dongxue’s place to get some essentials. She said, “This doesn’t count as moving in. Once Wang Sunxu is caught, I’m moving back.”

“Don’t worry. You’ve stayed at my place before, and Yueyue’s there too.”

“Haha, I wonder what Yueyue thinks about that.”

At Chen Shi’s home, Yueyue was happy to see Lin Dongxue and hugged her. Lin Dongxue said, “You’ve grown since I last saw you!”

“Really? I still feel like a kid,” Chen Shi said while hanging up their coats.

“That’s because you see her every day.”

“How long will you stay, Sister Lin?” Yueyue asked.

“Until we catch the bad guy,” Lin Dongxue replied.

“Oh, I hope the bad guy never gets caught then.”

“Haha, I wouldn’t be able to sleep well if that happened,” Lin Dongxue teased, tapping Yueyue’s nose.