Chapter 373: Blind Killer

On June 13, Chen Shi was called to the station early in the morning. Before the special case meeting began, Lin Dongxue threw a stack of documents at him. After reading them, Chen Shi asked, “What did I miss in the past two days? How did we end up with three victims?”

“Wang Dong, the victim you found, is one. The second victim, Li Xing, was originally a case for the Third Team. The methods were very similar. The Third Team has been investigating for two weeks without finding any suspects, so Lin took over. The third victim, Song Jicheng, was found by us while checking missing person reports. We found him in his refrigerator. The case has now been classified as a serial murder.”

“The methods are indeed similar. The killer seems like a man shopping for clothes, going in, killing, cleaning up, and leaving without any personal emotion involved.”

“And each victim had a hawthorn berry in their mouth. I don’t know why the killer would leave such a sour thing.” Lin Dongxue shivered at the thought of the taste.

Soon after, Lin Qiupu arrived, and everyone began discussing the serial murder case.

The killer’s methods and weapon were consistent, and hiding the bodies in refrigerators seemed intended to delay discovery, making it hard to determine the exact time of death. Liver temperatures were unmeasurable, but they estimated Wang Dong died about a month ago, Song Jicheng three weeks ago, and Li Xing two weeks ago.

All three had been dead for over a week, so any surveillance footage was long overwritten. When they questioned residents and property management, no one remembered anything.

As for the victims’ backgrounds, Wang Dong was a mid-level manager, Song Jicheng was unemployed, and Li Xing was a forum blogger. Aside from being single, living alone, and male, they had no commonalities and lived far apart.

Peng Sijue reexamined Wang Dong’s crime scene on the 11th and found vomit in the toilet, but the killer had poured a large amount of disinfectant, making it impossible to extract DNA.

Footprints and fingerprints were disguised, but the footprints suggested the killer was a woman about 5’5″ tall and weighing around 110 pounds.

Interestingly, the largest victim, Song Jicheng, had fought back before dying. His fingers had traces of the killer’s skin and substances like paraffin and dye, possibly from lip balm or lipstick, indicating the killer might have had an injury on her lips.

Additionally, all three victims had downloaded a voice chat app. The killer seemed to use it but registered a new account after each murder. The app required only minimal registration to attract users.

Almost everyone in the task force had downloaded the app, hoping to lure the killer out.

Chen Shi raised his hand, “What about the clue I mentioned about the killer’s eyesight?”

Lin Qiupu replied, “Residents in the community had no clear recollections. I had people check ophthalmology departments at various hospitals, and about thirty individuals matched the description. Today’s main task is to follow up on this!”

“I have a question. Did the victims have cars?”

“Except for Song Jicheng, the other two did.”

“Oh.”

“You got any insights?”

“The killer’s method suggests a behavior-focused killer, only caring about achieving the goal without concern for the process. Female serial killers are rare and usually target specific types of victims, but this killer seems indiscriminate. Excluding sexual, thrill, and power-oriented motivations, what’s left is a profit-driven killer. I noticed her killing cycle is regular, about a week apart. As someone with vision impairment, killing must be difficult. She must gain something significant from her victims to repeatedly take such risks.”

“Profit? There was no missing valuable property at the scenes. I don’t see what she gains unless it’s some kind of thrill from killing,” Lin Qiupu said. “You didn’t mention utilitarian motives. I think she intended to kill one of the three, with the other two as decoys to mislead the investigation.”

“That’s your opinion. I think understanding the motive is key to this case. I’ve replayed the crime in my head, but the killer’s motive remains puzzling.”

“If the killer’s cooling-off period is a week, I’ll ask the chief for more time to solve this. Today, let’s start with the hospitals. Meeting adjourned!”

Chen Shi glanced at the files again, thinking the last victim died seven days ago. There could be another victim soon, but for now, the investigation must proceed.

The officers coordinated, and Chen Shi chose a blind massage parlor in the city, driving there with Lin Dongxue. They arrived around 9 AM, and the owner, hearing their footsteps, asked, “Massage for two?”

Chen Shi replied, “Master, your hearing is sharp.”

The owner smiled, “I can tell it’s a man and a woman, and it’s your first time here. Your footsteps are unfamiliar.”

Lin Dongxue showed her badge, “Feel this.”

The owner touched the embossed letters, “Police officers? What can I do for you?”

“We’re investigating a case and suspect the perpetrator has vision problems. Can you call out all your employees? We’d like to see them.”

“Blind perpetrator, huh? Are you sure you’ve got it right?”

“You’ve heard of blind burglars, right?”

“I have. You’re investigating a burglary? I assure you, my workers are clean.”

“This is just a preliminary check. No suspicion on you.”

The owner called out his employees, including two women, but they didn’t match the height and weight estimates, nor did they have any visible injuries on their lips. Chen Shi saw no need to ask further questions.

As they prepared to leave, the owner offered, “Since you’re here, how about a massage?”

Chen Shi gave Lin Dongxue a questioning look, and she whispered, “We still have work to do!”

“It won’t take long. You’ve looked stressed lately. Relax a bit.”

Reluctantly, Lin Dongxue agreed. As they lay on the massage beds, Chen Shi watched the blind workers move around effortlessly, seemingly unaffected by their vision loss.

Chen Shi asked, “Do you find it convenient to go out?”

The owner laughed, “Not as convenient as you sighted folks. I’ve been hit by cars a few times, but you get used to it. Now with mobile navigation, it’s easier… The hardest part is crossing streets.”

“I understand!”

“Officer, since you’re here, I have a suggestion… You need to address the issue of blocked tactile paving. It’s really inconvenient for us.”