Chapter 92: Disposing of the Body
After temporarily leaving the car with the body in the neighborhood, Chen Shi tossed the car keys to the security guard, instructing him to give them to the other officers when they arrived. Then, he and Tao Yueyue walked out of the neighborhood on foot.
Tao Yueyue asked, “Why aren’t we driving?”
“Take a guess.”
“Hm… The box is so big, carrying it would be exhausting. The body dumpers must live nearby.”
“Let me correct you. They might not be the murderers, just the ones who disposed of the body. What if they came by car? Is that possible?”
Tao Yueyue shook her head. “If they had a car, they’d have driven right in like we did. No need to carry a big box.”
“Smart girl!” Chen Shi patted her head.
Tao Yueyue smelled the aroma of egg pancakes from a nearby stall. “Uncle Chen, I’m hungry.”
“Didn’t you just eat a cucumber?”
“Cucumbers aren’t filling. I’m still growing, you know.”
“Alright, alright!” Chen Shi approached the egg pancake vendor and ordered two. He casually asked the vendor, “Are there any places around here that only open at night?”
The vendor, a middle-aged woman, eyed Chen Shi suspiciously. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m investigating a case. I’m a police officer.”
“A cop with a kid… The place you’re looking for is around the corner on the left.”
“What kind of place is it?”
“You’ll see when you get there… Here are your pancakes.”
Eating the egg pancakes, Tao Yueyue said, “Pretending to be a cop is fun.”
“I’m not pretending, I am a cop!”
“Liar, your nose will grow.”
“I’ll tell you a secret. I’m actually an undercover cop.”
Tao Yueyue scrutinized him. “Liar, you’re not handsome enough.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“In movies, undercover cops are always handsome.”
“Stop watching violent movies.”
“You adults always pull rank when you lose an argument.”
“Alright, alright, you win. Happy?”
“Wow, look at the hamsters!”
Tao Yueyue ran over to a stall selling hamsters and crouched down, smiling at the little creatures running in their cage. The vendor said, “Why don’t you buy one for your daughter? She seems to like them.”
“He’s not my dad!” “She’s not my daughter!” They both said simultaneously.
The vendor, embarrassed, tried to guess their relationship.
Tao Yueyue gave Chen Shi a pleading look. Chen Shi said, “If you score above 80 on your finals, I’ll buy you one.”
“Tricky. I haven’t even agreed to go back to school yet. Your condition is like giving me two conditions.”
“No more excuses. You’re going to school.”
Tao Yueyue pouted, and Chen Shi dragged her away, explaining as they walked, “Without an education, you’ll end up like that guy, selling hamsters on the street.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“School is like leveling up in a game. If you don’t level up, your equipment and stats will be poor. Others will one-shot you.”
“Is that why the man was killed? Because he didn’t go to school?”
Tao Yueyue’s question stumped Chen Shi. “If you go to school, I’ll let you keep a hamster.”
“I want four!”
“Okay, four.”
“Five!”
“No, only four.”
Tao Yueyue smirked, “Then I’ll make them have four hundred babies.”
They arrived at a street lined with questionable hair salons, their neon lights casting a suggestive glow. Chen Shi entered one, and a woman inside said, “Bringing a kid to a place like this, you’re brave.”
“I’m just here to ask some questions. When do you usually open?”
“Looking to do business? We open at 2 PM and close at 4 AM.”
“Is it the same for all of you?”
“Yes, no point in opening earlier. No customers.”
“Thanks.”
As they left, Tao Yueyue asked, “Is that lady a prostitute?”
“Yes. Don’t ask about it.”
Tao Yueyue’s expression grew somber. Chen Shi asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Thinking about my mom. Is she a prostitute too?”
Chen Shi knew he couldn’t hide the truth from her. Tao Yueyue was an exceptionally bright child, with an IQ of 143.
He patted her head, “Yes, your mom does this job, but her job doesn’t define her character.”
“Uncle Chen, you don’t have to comfort me. I know my mom isn’t a good person.”
“Let’s keep investigating.”
“Okay!”
At the end of the street was a nightclub, the kind of place one would expect in such an area. Instead of going in, Chen Shi examined the surroundings. The street was lined with trees, the old streetlights casting a dim glow. The east wall was covered in graffiti.
The nightclub’s first floor was empty, filled with dusty bicycles and trash. An elevator led to the second floor.
Chen Shi inspected the ground and used his phone’s flashlight. Tao Yueyue pointed, “Uncle Chen, look there.”
“It’s too narrow for me. Can you help?”
Tao Yueyue squeezed through the gap and retrieved a ceramic tooth. Chen Shi compared it to a photo of the victim, confirming it was missing a molar.
Chen Shi continued investigating, using Tao Yueyue’s new high-resolution phone to take a photo of a patch of ground. Tao Yueyue asked, “Was the body dumped here?”
“The dust is disturbed, and there’s a water stain. Seems like it.”
“So the man was killed, dumped here, and then moved to the trash bin?”
“Exactly.”
“Poor man.”
“Let’s go ask inside.”
The nightclub wasn’t open yet. A staff member asked what they were doing. Chen Shi flashed his “badge,” and the staff quickly said, “Officer, we operate legally here.”
“We’re not investigating that. Does the nightclub have any performances at night?”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“We have a small-time rock band performing every night.”
“Let me see their equipment.”
Thinking it was about the band, the staff was happy to show them. They were taken to a room filled with musical instruments. Tao Yueyue pointed to a large box, “That’s it.”
The staff looked puzzled. Chen Shi said, “Please get your manager.”
“Sure…”
Once the staff left, Chen Shi inspected the boxes. One was noticeably cleaner. He sniffed it, then had Tao Yueyue do the same. She said, “It smells like detergent and rotten fish.”
“This is evidence. We’re taking it.”
“Can cops just take things like that?”
“Yes.”
“Being a cop is great.”