Chapter 675: Ma Xiang’s Identity

Chen Shi was startled by the detail. In the darkness, with the body covered in blood and quickly bagged and taken away by the police, he hadn’t noticed.

Chen Shi continued, “When did he get this injury?”

Shu Shifang answered, “A few years ago. I asked him about it, and he said he got his hand caught in a machine while visiting a friend’s factory. He said the doctors reattached his thumb and it would heal soon, but I noticed the reattached thumb didn’t quite look like his original one.”

“Was it ten years ago?”

“Seems about right.”

Ten years ago was when Chang Juan’s parents were murdered. Could Ma Xiang’s injury be related to that incident? Or could Ma Xiang be the fugitive involved in the case?

“May I ask you some personal questions?” Chen Shi inquired.

“Hmm… As long as it’s related to the case, go ahead,” Shu Shifang replied cooperatively.

“Does Ma Xiang have any injuries on his genitals?”

Shu Shifang spat out her tea, wiped her mouth, and glanced at Lin Dongxue and Chen Shi. “Mr. Chen, isn’t that too personal? But no, he’s normal down there… Though, we haven’t seen each other naked in years since we divorced.”

Both Lin Dongxue and Chen Shi felt the need to examine Ma Xiang’s body personally.

After asking a few more questions, Chen Shi thanked Shu Shifang. She mentioned she would stay overnight and leave the next afternoon. Before leaving, Chen Shi suddenly thought of something. “I’m curious, how did you know Chang Juan was here?”

Shu Shifang’s eyes showed a moment of vigilance before calming down. “I installed a tracking app on her phone. It’s not a problem, is it? Chang Juan is like a daughter to me, and I just wanted to ensure her safety.”

“I understand.”

After Shu Shifang left, the two went to check the body. Ma Xiang’s genitals were intact, which made Lin Dongxue uncomfortable during the examination, so Chen Shi helped put the pants back on the corpse.

Chen Shi then examined the right hand, noticing a scar around the thumb’s base, and the thumb’s skin tone slightly differed from the rest of the hand.

Lin Dongxue speculated, “We’ve been assuming the perpetrator’s genitals were mutilated. Maybe he didn’t have any physical deficiencies and simply had erectile dysfunction, using a prosthetic for the assaults.”

Chen Shi pondered, “That makes sense, but here’s a question: was Ma Xiang orchestrating all this himself? Providing clues to catch himself and setting traps to lure himself out? He might as well have just surrendered.”

Lin Dongxue fell silent, trying to find an explanation. “Split personality?”

“I don’t think so. Even with a split personality, the biological instinct for self-preservation would prevent one personality from harming the body they share. The conflict is usually over control of the body.”

“So what do you think?”

“The case involving Chang Juan’s parents is different from the subsequent murders. Her parents seemed to be ‘finished off’ and the scene staged to look like a robbery, suggesting meticulous planning. Later cases were more sloppy. I suspect two people were present during her parents’ murder, Ma Xiang being one of them, and the other being his partner, let’s call him Perpetrator A. Perpetrator A continued committing crimes, while Ma Xiang perhaps reformed and wanted to make amends to Chang Juan without exposing himself, using her to guide us.”

“There’s another issue. Shu Shifang said Ma Xiang barely worked but had money. Rape and murder don’t pay, and if he had stolen from victims, the police would have traced it. I think Chang Juan’s parents’ deaths were a hit job, and the rape was an impulse. Because of this, both perpetrators were punished.”

Lin Dongxue pointed to her thumb, “Perpetrator A might have had his genitals mutilated too, fueling his rage and leading to further assaults.”

“Interesting theory!” Chen Shi nodded approvingly. “Ma Xiang’s unexplained income does stand out. He seemed to have a steady, substantial source of money in his younger years, perhaps as a hitman.”

“What about Chang Juan’s parents then?”

“They were just researchers in genetically modified crops. Would they need to be silenced? Or were they involved in something else… We’ll investigate that later. Our current priority is finding Perpetrator A.”

“Should we revisit the scene?” Lin Dongxue suggested.

“No need. We wouldn’t find anything new. Let’s wait for Peng Sijue to come with his team tomorrow for a professional examination.”

That night, Lin Dongxue tossed and turned, thinking about the case. The next morning, Peng Sijue and his team arrived and thoroughly inspected the scene.

Returning during daylight, the abandoned resort lacked its eerie night atmosphere. Located half a kilometer outside the town, it was frequented by stray cats and dogs. The search revealed signs of recent habitation: packaged food, an electric stove, a kettle, and toiletries.

Footprints at the scene suggested a woman had been there, with similar prints found on the first floor and a window frame, indicating someone had lingered and then exited through the window.

Chen Shi recalled seeing a flash of light from the window, perhaps a reflection as someone escaped.

Peng Sijue found only Chang Juan’s fingerprints and Ma Xiang’s blood on the weapon, disappointing Lin Dongxue, who hoped Chang Juan wasn’t the killer.

Since the town’s police lacked forensic facilities, Peng Sijue took the body for an autopsy. Though Lin Dongxue was eager for results, Chen Shi convinced her to stay and continue investigating.

They spent the day around the crime scene, looking for witnesses or missed evidence but found nothing.

After dark, Peng Sijue called, “Preliminary autopsy results are in. The cause of death was a stab to the liver. Oddly, the wound doesn’t match the weapon found. The fatal stab came from another weapon, and all other injuries were postmortem.”

Chen Shi was surprised. “So someone killed Ma Xiang, and Chang Juan stabbed the corpse in front of us?”

“I can’t be sure, but the autopsy shows the fatal wound was the deepest, while other wounds were shallow, indicating the assailant was either weak or holding back.”

“Thanks, this is crucial information.”

Chen Shi relayed the news to Lin Dongxue. Relieved to learn there was another perpetrator, she said, “I knew it wasn’t that simple.”

“Seems like you were hoping Chang Juan wasn’t the killer.”

“Yeah!” Lin Dongxue smiled. “She’s already had a tough life. If she were wrongly accused, it would be worse… Does this affect our objectivity?”

“It’s fine. We’re human too. But seriously, stabbing a corpse in front of the police—she really did it. If the autopsy hadn’t been thorough, she’d be charged with murder!”

“Good thing we have Captain Peng,” Lin Dongxue said.