Chapter 25

The first night of the New Year was windless and rainless. Chu Wanning and Nie Fanxin took turns resting during the stakeout. Early in the morning, they obtained Qiao Liyi’s hair samples through legal procedures. His statement was that appreciating beautiful women was nothing to be ashamed of, but as for killing someone, he wouldn’t dare even with a hundred times the courage.

At noon, the evidence samples were processed and sent to the lab. The results came back quickly: the DNA in the blood from Liu Xiaorou’s abdomen didn’t belong to Li Yunsheng or Qiao Liyi. In other words, their two days of investigation had been wasted effort. Wrong direction meant every step was wrong.

Chen Anyou slurped his noodles and guessed: “Could it have been a contract killing?”

Standing by the window, Chu Wanning shook her head helplessly: “Unlikely. Contract killings usually happen in areas where the victim regularly moves about.”

Nie Fanxin, who had been re-reading the statements all morning, furrowed her brow slightly: “It was clearly a premeditated murder. According to the neighbors’ recollections, Liu Xiaorou went upstairs willingly, so the killer was someone she knew or was familiar with.”

“We’ve neglected investigating the hospital.” Chu Wanning shifted slightly and continued, “Remember the neighbor mentioning Liu Xiaorou once argued with someone?”

Nie Fanxin blurted out: “Transplants. Surgical protocol violations.”

Chen Anyou set down his bowl, pulled out a tissue, and said while wiping his mouth: “Liu Xiaorou worked in cardiac surgery at the hospital. Besides assisting Li Yunsheng in surgeries, she would have worked with other doctors too.”

Chu Wanning leaned over her computer screen, staring intently: “Focus on the transplant surgeries Liu Xiaorou participated in during the first quarter of last year.”

The Affiliated Hospital had a long-standing cooperation with the police. Nie Fanxin made a phone call, and within ten minutes, all the records arrived. In the first quarter, as a surgical nurse, Liu Xiaorou had participated in six transplant surgeries, all with Li Yunsheng as lead surgeon. The procedures went smoothly, and patient outcomes were good. As for surgeries led by other doctors, Liu Xiaorou naturally had no authority to look into them.

It circled back to Li Yunsheng again.

As Nie Fanxin scrolled further down, she spotted something unusual: “Sister Wanning, this patient named Yang, their donor information is incomplete.”

Chen Anyou said carelessly: “Anonymous donors. Wasn’t there a 12-year-old girl recently who was brain-dead after a car accident and donated her kidneys, heart, and liver? The media didn’t report her name, said the family didn’t think it was necessary.”

Nie Fanxin agreed: “That’s true.”

Chu Wanning said cautiously: “Let’s still go to the hospital and ask around.”

Nie Fanxin volunteered: “I’ll go. The hospital’s close to home.”

Chu Wanning stepped back and stood straight: “Mhm. Xiao Chen, go with Fanxin. At the 5 o’clock meeting, sign in and then head over. If there’s no useful information, you don’t need to come back. Take your leave and wait for further notice.”

Nie Fanxin nodded. Chen Anyou grinned and replied: “Got it.”

The 5 o’clock meeting was presided over by Bureau Chief Zhu Fang. Nie Fanxin and Chen Anyou signed their names and slipped out the back door. They had just packed up and headed downstairs when Wan Yi’s call came in.

“Fanxin, do you have time after work? I want to visit the crime scene.”

Nie Fanxin was puzzled: “What for?”

“Director Cao from Trace Evidence and I both agree that no matter how thoroughly evidence is destroyed, some trace always remains.”

Nie Fanxin couldn’t get away just yet, so she asked: “What about Director Cao? Why isn’t she going with you?”

“She went back to Changyun for a birthday celebration. Her father turned 60.”

Nie Fanxin glanced at her watch: “Is it urgent? If not, come with me to the hospital first. After business is done, I’ll go with you.”

“Fine. Wait for me outside the Research Institute.”

With Wan Yi picked up, the three of them sped toward the hospital. Chen Anyou had called ahead to the cardiac surgery head nurse, and someone was waiting at the administrative records room.

The room housed patient medical records for the cardiac surgery department from the past ten years.

The records room staff member was a retired pharmacist, 72 years old and still sprightly. He stretched out his arm to turn on the light and introduced: “They’re all in these three rows. The situation you described has been increasing in recent years. Do good deeds, leave no name, that sort of thing.”

Nie Fanxin thanked him, and Chen Anyou went in to search. March 26, 2049. He located the name and pulled out the file precisely.

Donor: Male, surname Chen. At 5:13 a.m. on March 26, 2049, he was brought to the hospital after a car accident. At 6:32 a.m., he was declared brain-dead at Tianyou Hospital. The heart was preserved and transported using ULiSSES equipment and successfully transplanted at 4:27 p.m. on March 26, 2049. The family declined to disclose further information.

Chen Anyou put the file back: “Told you. Captain Chu is probably overthinking this.”

The staff member said: “Technology has advanced. The ULiSSES device can keep a heart beating outside the body for 24 hours. The newly developed immunosuppressants can extend survival periods. So many patients with severe heart disease, as long as they have medical insurance and their family can afford it, will queue up for transplants.”

Wan Yi raised a professional concern: “Most provinces and cities in the country face donor shortages. This patient queued in February and had surgery in March?”

The staff member opened the file: “The patient probably just got lucky, blessed by the bodhisattva, and happened to have a tissue match. Look, the patient has Rh-negative ‘panda’ blood, and so did the car accident victim.”

Chen Anyou clicked his tongue: “That’s no ordinary luck.”

“Mhm, indeed.” Wan Yi furrowed her brow, deep in thought.

Leaving the hospital, Chen Anyou got a call from home urging him to come back for a matchmaking meeting. He waved down a taxi and left first.

Nie Fanxin pulled out of the parking lot and noticed Wan Yi lost in thought. She asked, “What’s wrong? Feel something’s off?”

Wan Yi tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand as she looked out the window: “No. It’s just that too many coincidences make one suspicious. Maybe I’m overthinking it.”

Nie Fanxin made a U-turn onto the main road and tapped the steering wheel lightly with her nimble fingers: “Let’s go to the crime scene first.”

“Okay.”

Before long, Nie Fanxin’s stomach started growling intermittently.

Wan Yi heard it clearly. Setting aside her earlier mood, she smiled and asked: “Hungry?”

“Yeah. Didn’t eat much at lunch.”

Wan Yi pointed at a convenience store in the distance, one of the few still open, and suggested: “There’s a convenience store over there. Pull over.”

Nie Fanxin rejected the idea outright: “Let’s just finish up quickly and go home to eat my aunt’s cooking.”

Wan Yi pressed the red button on the left side, unbuckled her seatbelt, and said gently: “Two people examining the scene means we won’t be fast. Besides, I’m hungry too.”

“Fine.” Nie Fanxin merged right and gradually left the main road. As soon as they stopped, Wan Yi got out and closed the door briskly. Five minutes later, she was back in the passenger seat.

“Switch to autonomous driving. Eat first.” Wan Yi carefully peeled open the wrapper of the rice ball.

Nie Fanxin’s playful side emerged, and she grinned brightly: “No auto mode. You feed me.”

Wan Yi visibly paused for a moment, then brought the rice ball to her lips.

Ah. Nie Fanxin leaned down and took a bite, exclaiming how good it was. At the red light ahead, she slowed the car gradually, took another bite, and chewed gleefully, her peripheral vision unconsciously drifting to the car beside her. A girl was feeding potato chips to a boy. Seizing the stop, the boy stretched his neck and planted a kiss on the girl’s lips.

Eww, so mushy. And thinking about my own situation, it’s kind of weird too. Her face instantly flushed red. Nie Fanxin quickly switched to autonomous mode and murmured, “I’ll just eat by myself.”

What she didn’t notice was the person beside her, whose eyes held a gentle smile flowing quietly beneath the surface.

The crime scene community had a chronic problem with illegally parked cars. Nie Fanxin had difficulty finding a spot. She grabbed two masks and glanced at the darkening sky outside: “There’s no lighting at the scene. Bring the flashlight.”

“It’s in the kit.” Forensic examiners carry two types of cases to a scene: one for biological examination and one for scene and body examination. Tonight, Wan Yi carried the latter, so a flashlight was naturally included.

The community was built 30 years ago in the old city. With elevators installed, the two could hear the machinery humming loudly as they stood inside. They finally reached the third floor; the elevator doors had barely closed when Nie Fanxin slipped out, pulling Wan Yi with her.

“Why the rush?”

Nie Fanxin grumbled: “What if the elevator suddenly loses power? During the New Year, where would we find a repairman?”

Wan Yi was noncommittal. As they passed the stairwell, she suggested: “Let’s take the stairs later.”

“It’s settled.”

The property management kept a spare key to the apartment. Nie Fanxin had gotten it in advance. She turned the lock and gently pushed the door open.

The familiar foul stench hit them. Wan Yi handed Nie Fanxin a mask, gloves, and shoe covers. They put on the gear and stepped inside. The flashlight beam fell on the white walls, now tinged greenish from dampness. Peeling wall plaster stuck to their shoe covers with a scraping sound. Nie Fanxin held the flashlight and followed closely behind Wan Yi.

At the bedroom doorway was a large pool of dried blood. White chalk marked where the body had lain.

Wan Yi analyzed: “The blood stain from the lower body covers the widest area, followed by the neck. After death, as hemoglobin in the blood decreases and combines with carbon dioxide, the color gradually darkens. So the killer’s sequence was probably: first smother Liu Xiaorou from behind, causing the baby to be expelled prematurely. Then scissors were used to cut the infant’s umbilical cord, abandoning it. Finally, the head was severed.”

Nie Fanxin observed: “That’s why the blood from the neck was dark red. The killer didn’t plan to dispose of the body or the blood, just took the murder weapon. They probably didn’t stay at the scene long.”

Wan Yi called to her: “Fanxin, don’t move.”

“What is it?”

“At your feet.” Wan Yi knelt down and reached to touch the pale ash near the bedpost.

Nie Fanxin also bent down: “What is this?”

Wan Yi pinched it lightly and brought it close to her nose: “Cigarette ash. Very fine texture. Probably a premium brand.”

“You don’t even smoke. How do you know all that?” Nie Fanxin carefully swept the ash into an evidence bag.

Wan Yi didn’t respond. She stood and looked around. Nie Fanxin understood and raised her flashlight too. They left no stone unturned, practically digging up the floor, but found nothing.

Nie Fanxin was frustrated: “Was the killer careful enough to even take the cigarette butt?”

Wan Yi came out of the bathroom: “Not necessarily. It could be ash left by the previous tenant.”

Nie Fanxin stood by the window, thinking of the previous tenant’s statement, and countered: “The previous tenant had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and didn’t smoke, unless it was someone else in their household.”

Wan Yi nodded: “Let’s search more thoroughly.”

“I’ve already crawled under the bed and searched. Where else…” She suddenly fell silent. The next second, she rolled up her sleeves, leaned over the windowsill, and stretched her arm down as far as she could. “Wan Xiaoyu, hold onto me!” Before she finished speaking, her left hand was already firmly grasped.

“No, it’s still too short.” Nie Fanxin straightened up and made as if to climb through the window. One foot was already on the windowsill when she heard Wan Yi’s commanding voice: “Get down.”

The tone was urgent, the emotion one of worry…