The Brain Science Case 29

Chapter 29: The Ulysses Contract – 5

Forced by her parents to attend another dinner party, Tang Yingli deliberately styled her hair with gel and wore a stiff, high-collared jacket over her dress, as if she were wearing a suit of armor.

“…Our Liqun really admires a woman with taste like Yingli,” said some aunt from across the table, smiling at her while nudging her son.

“Besides leading a band, what other leisure activities does Liqun do? Why don’t you tell Yingli about them?” Shao Wanjuan tried to create a topic of conversation for the two young people.

The guy smiled shyly. “My usual leisure activities are playing survival games with my friends. A woman like Yingli probably wouldn’t be into that…”

“No, you’re right. I played with real guns in the States. BB guns are for teenagers. I don’t play with them.”

The shot was too direct, and an awkward silence fell over the table. Only she, the young lady, was unconcerned, taking a small sip of her wine.

“Ah, haha! Well, the laws are different in every country.” After a moment of silence, he sat up straight and tried again. “So, what kind of leisure activities do you do in Taiwan?”

“Oh.” She picked up her spoon and said in a light, casual tone, “Nothing much. When I want to kill time, I look at autopsy reports and photo files, occasionally go to a murder scene to collect evidence, and finally, I write up a criminal profile for the police to use as a reference.”

The table fell silent again. Shao Wanjuan shot her a warning glare, but she just continued to drink her soup.

Her phone suddenly rang. Yingli let out a discreet sigh of relief. “Excuse me for a moment.” She left the table with her phone.

The aunt from who-knows-where immediately scowled. “Wanjuan, I have to say, your daughter is really…”

Shao Wanjuan forced a smile. “Oh, she’s young. And she just got back from abroad, so she’s a little less formal… don’t mind her, don’t mind her…”

It wasn’t until she was a good distance from the table that Yingli answered her phone. “Brother, didn’t I tell you to call at seven sharp…” It had already been over ten minutes.

There was a brief moment of confusion on the other end, then a familiar female voice. ‘Uh, Teacher?’

It was only then that she glared at the screen. “Officer Zhou?”

‘Yes, it’s me. Why do you sound so angry, Teacher? Did you ask your brother to call you at seven?’

She cleared her throat. “Ahem. No, it’s just… some annoying trivial matters. What can I do for you?”

‘I wanted to report on the progress of the case…’ Zhou Jinglin roughly recounted the contents of today’s interrogation. ‘Also, I’ve confirmed that between two and four in the afternoon, the time of the incident, he was in a presentation meeting at the company. Everyone who attended can testify to that.’

So his alibi was solid? “Have you investigated his and the victim’s marital status?”

‘Yes. Although they weren’t separated or sleeping in separate rooms, their relationship wasn’t as good as he described in his testimony.’

From the fact that he wasn’t clear about the victim’s social circle and had lightly dismissed her daily life as “simple,” it seemed that the couple’s estrangement was a fact.

“Their relationship wasn’t that good…” Her index finger on her glasses, a glint of light flashed in Yingli’s eyes.

‘Teacher, you said the killer must be related to her husband. Could it be that her husband hired someone…’

Yingli smiled and shook her head. “The victim was just an ordinary housewife. Don’t you think hiring a hitman is a bit of an overreaction? Have you contacted the security company?”

‘Ah, speaking of which, I did. The security system at the entrance was disarmed once after two o’clock.’

“That must have been when the killer entered.” She could faintly hear the sound of an engine. “Are you still outside?”

“Yes.” Zhou Jinglin adjusted her earpiece and stopped at an intersection. “Because you were so sure that the killer was related to her husband, I specifically investigated his social circle.”

‘Oh? Not bad.’ Yingli whistled with a smile. ‘Did you find anything?’

“He seems to have an unusual relationship with his personal secretary. The two of them have been on a few dates alone, but they’re very careful, and not many people know. I think this secretary is a prime suspect.”

‘Mm, the possibility of the killer being a woman is indeed high. Just considering how to freely enter and exit the house is a problem. If the killer is the husband’s mistress, everything makes sense.’ It would be much easier to get or copy a key during an intimate moment.

“Did you think of this yesterday, Teacher?”

‘Mm…’ There was a long, thoughtful hum on the other end of the line. ‘Let’s put it this way. My first suspect was her husband. Since it’s not him, the chances of the killer being a woman have greatly increased. Don’t forget, the rape and murder was just a facade.’

“I really want to see what his secretary looks like now.” To be able to stage a scene after killing someone. “By the way, I’m on my way to her house now. She took the day off.”

‘She might have taken the day off to dispose of the weapon and the stolen goods… I wonder if you’ll be in time if you go now.’

“How will I know if I don’t try? That’s all for now. I think I hear someone calling you on your end.” Zhou Jinglin frowned slightly, and Yingli let out a heavy sigh. “Teacher?”

‘Yes. That’s all for now. I have to go back to my ‘blind date’.’ Yingli said, and then hung up.

“A blind date? You?” Zhou Jinglin shouted into the phone. As she stepped on the gas, she couldn’t help but think of the words she had blurted out when she answered.

“Could it be… that’s the real reason you moved out?”

**

Tying the garbage bag tightly, Tu Yanqing let out a big breath. She looked up at the clock, estimating the time the garbage truck would arrive at the community entrance. Just as she was about to change her slippers, the phone suddenly rang.

She jumped like a startled bird. “You’re only calling me now!” she shouted, her delicate voice filled with an emotion that was on the verge of breaking.

The man on the other end sounded tired. ‘It was busy at the company today… the girl who was filling in for you was completely useless, messing everything up. By the way, are you okay over there?’

She sneered. “Okay? With everything that’s happened, what could possibly be okay?”

‘Didn’t you go home today? Is everything okay at home?’

“It’s fine. They kept asking, and I just said I wasn’t feeling well… I’ve been at it since two. I’m going to throw it out later.” Looking at the garbage by the door, Tu Yanqing wished she could just sweep it out the door.

‘Did you wash it?’

She pulled at her hair. “Very, very thoroughly. How are things on your end?”

‘I went to the station for questioning at noon. For now, they still think it’s a rape and murder case. It’s fine, they won’t suspect you.’

“For now? For. Now! Shen Shiyang, I’m telling you, if this whole thing comes out, I will not let you off easy.”

‘Is this the time to be saying that?’ The man’s voice also turned stern. ‘Yanqing, I know you’re under a lot of stress. Don’t worry. As long as you get rid of the evidence, no one will know it was us. I have the key and the card, don’t I? I had you contact clients in the office during the meeting. We’ve been together for so long, and there’s no gossip at the company. It’s fine.’

Tu Yanqing couldn’t help but choke back a sob. “I’m sorry…” The man continued to comfort her through the phone until she had calmed down a little.

‘Come back to the company tomorrow as if nothing happened, and we’ll talk. I can’t talk anymore. That’s all for now.’

“Okay… I should go take out the trash.” After hanging up, Tu Yanqing could faintly hear the music of the garbage truck in the distance. She wiped away her tears, put her hair up, and changed into a pair of sandals. Just as she reached the door, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Who could it be at this time? She looked through the peephole. It was a strange young woman. She didn’t unlatch the chain, opening the door a crack to confirm. “May I ask who you are…”

“My name is Zhou Jinglin, a detective from the Taipei Criminal Investigation Division.” The woman outside showed her ID. “You are Miss Tu Yanqing, right? May I have a few minutes of your time? I have something to ask you.”

Tu Yanqing’s face turned pale. She glanced at the garbage bag at her feet and discreetly kicked it further into the house. “Oh.” She unlatched the chain and opened the door to the female detective standing outside. “Please come in.”

“Excuse me.”