Chapter 8: The Killer Is a Woman

Lin Dongxue was shocked. “It’s not the same person… Wait, her phone shows she was in your car. Are you messing with me?”

Chen Shi shook his head. “Miss Lin, if you still think I’m the killer, we can’t continue this conversation. Just because someone had her phone doesn’t mean it was her.”

“So you’re saying the person with the victim’s phone in your car that night is the killer? But it was a woman!”

“I just told you, the rape was staged.”

“A woman? Do you remember what she looked like?”

Chen Shi motioned for her to sit down. “Don’t jump to conclusions. The woman in my car might not be the killer. Let’s keep analyzing.”

Chen Shi flipped through the crime scene photos on his phone and noticed a detail: the victim’s right hand had a circular imprint with some patterns, though it was blurry.

Chen Shi asked, “Did you find what the victim was holding at the scene?”

“No! We searched thoroughly.”

“I wish I could see it myself.”

“The scene is being re-examined. I can’t take you there.”

“Just saying. Did you notice that the scene is a dried-up rocky area with high friction? The victim’s clothes are thin and torn in many places. If she had really been raped, there should be extensive pre-death abrasions on her body. But there aren’t any, unless…”

“Unless what?”

Chen Shi smiled. “Unless the killer hung her up while doing it.”

“Bastard!” Lin Dongxue threw a cup of tea at him.

“Hey, hey!” Chen Shi complained, wiping himself with a tissue.

Lin Dongxue asked, “Any other discoveries?”

“That’s all I can tell for now, unless I see the body myself.”

“Hmph, you’d probably throw up.”

“You think I’m you?”

Chen Shi handed back the materials and phone. His analysis created a more comprehensive theory of the crime, tying together all the details. Lin Dongxue couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you, really?”

“A cab driver who loves Hong Kong cop films. Satisfied?”

“No way, I don’t believe you!” Lin Dongxue stared into his eyes.

Chen Shi lit a cigarette. “So, you’re willing to cooperate with me?”

“Answer my question first. I don’t work with people I don’t know.”

“Sorry, I can’t tell you that. Just consider me an expert consultant. Once we know each other better, I’ll tell you who I am!” Chen Shi said with a mischievous grin.

“Who wants to get to know you!” Lin Dongxue raised her fist, ready to hit him.

“Hey, hey!” Chen Shi quickly backed down. When Lin Dongxue calmed down, he said, “Let’s set some ground rules for our cooperation.”

“Go ahead.”

“First, stop asking about my identity. I need some privacy. Second, keep this matter confidential for now. I’ll help you strategize, and you get all the credit. Whether you share the reward with me is up to you. Lastly, you need to trust me completely.”

Lin Dongxue couldn’t believe it. A civilian expert offering to help her solve a case without taking the credit? She asked, “What’s in it for you?”

“I enjoy it!”

Lin Dongxue blushed. “What nonsense are you talking about!”

“I mean I enjoy solving cases. And I can’t stand seeing your brother going in the wrong direction. I have a strong sense of justice and a need to intervene.”

“You’re that noble?” Lin Dongxue was skeptical.

“I’ve said it before, nobility and selflessness are different. I expect a reward afterward. You owe me a meal!”

Lin Dongxue bit her lip. This man was enigmatic, but he seemed capable of solving cases. And she desperately wanted to prove herself.

“Deal!”

Chen Shi extended his hand. Lin Dongxue cautiously asked, “What are you doing?”

“A handshake to seal our partnership!”

“Is that necessary?”

“Absolutely.”

Lin Dongxue extended her hand, and they shook. Chen Shi’s hand was smooth and warm, not what she expected from a cab driver.

They went to the Fengzhi Lin Hotel. Chen Shi told the receptionist, “I said I forgot my ID earlier. Now I’ve brought a real cop. Believe me now?”

Chen Shi gave Lin Dongxue a look, and she took out her badge. “We’re investigating a case. We need your cooperation.”

The receptionist glanced suspiciously at Chen Shi. “What do you need?”

“The check-in records from September 10th to 11th,” Chen Shi said.

The receptionist pulled up the records. Chen Shi glanced at the list and asked Lin Dongxue, “What’s the name of the victim’s boyfriend?”

“Shen Jun!”

“It appears he didn’t check in here. Have you interviewed him?”

“Uh…”

“You’ve been too focused on me!” Chen Shi turned to the receptionist. “Do you have a parking lot?”

“Yes, it’s right next to the hotel.”

Chen Shi looked out the door and saw several cars. “Is there surveillance in the parking lot?”

“Yes.”

They went to the surveillance room and pulled up the footage. Chen Shi watched at eight times speed, eyes glued to the screen. At 2 AM, he paused the video, pointing to a beam of light on the right side of the screen. “That’s my car!”

“Are you sure?” Lin Dongxue was skeptical.

“I know my own car. The passenger did ask me to park here.”

The footage showed a woman in an A-line dress walking into the parking lot. It was dark, and she moved quickly, so her face wasn’t clear.

“She didn’t drive, but she went into the parking lot,” Chen Shi murmured.

They continued watching, looking for when she left. Several cars drove off, and Lin Dongxue noted down the license plates.

“No need to write those down. She’s not in any of those cars,” Chen Shi said.

“How do you know?”

Chen Shi rewound the footage to a black sedan passing by. He played it frame by frame, stopping at a frame showing high heels peeking out from beneath the car.

“She used the car as cover, playing a magic trick on us,” Chen Shi said with a smile. “She must have noticed the cameras and deliberately avoided them.”

“Definitely suspicious!” Lin Dongxue finally believed there was another suspect.

“Let me test you. What’s your next move?”