Chapter 16: The Schizophrenic Executioner – 5
“Haven’t you noticed?”
“What’s a guy doing holding his pinky out like that?” she laughed, swatting his hand away.
“No, not that! The pinky ring! You should know what it means to wear a pinky ring on your left hand, right?”
Jinglin had gotten a clear look at that ring when she was at her apartment. Besides the crystal diamonds, it also had a small, cute key attached to it.
“I know what it means, but…”
“So there you have it. Believe me, she’s exactly as I said,” he declared with absolute certainty.
“Wow! So Cai Yuwei isn’t just meticulous, he’s a love expert too!” Jinglin nudged him with her elbow, a teasing smile on her face. “Who would have thought?”
“You’re making me blush…” The two of them were closer now, and as Cai Yuwei gazed at her, he actually started to blush.
**
She and the male officer sitting next to her seem to be on good terms, don’t they?
Pushing up her glasses, Tang Yingli forced herself to focus on the file. After a careful review, she began typing up her complete profile of the suspect and emailed it to Fang Zijun for his reference.
“Teacher Tang… are you busy? Excuse me.”
It was Tao Qianya. “I just finished. It’s fine.”
“Regarding the question you raised, the answer is yes!” He flashed a charming smile. “As long as we use gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we can test for anything, whether it’s drugs or less common medications.”
Tang Yingli’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s a relief. I’m not that familiar with forensic testing yet.”
“However…” He tilted his head, his smile a little apologetic. “Although we can test for it, I have to mention a rather discouraging prerequisite. Drug and medication testing is expensive and time-consuming. Everywhere is trying to cut costs these days. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, they usually won’t send it for analysis.”
“I see…”
“Could it be that you’ve encountered something suspicious, Teacher?”
Tang Yingli nodded. “I went to the hospital yesterday…”
“The hospital!” he exclaimed, then quickly covered his mouth. “Sorry… What happened, Teacher?”
“It wasn’t me. I was visiting a patient.” She gave a wry smile. “Should I call it bad luck? I can’t even climb a flight of stairs without someone falling down them.”
“What happened? Did someone push him?”
“If I had seen a potential suspect, I wouldn’t be asking you if you could test a body for blood pressure medication.”
“Haha, true.” He chuckled, then his expression turned serious again. “I see. You suspect the dizziness was caused by a medication overdose?”
“Yes, but there’s one strange thing… I know the nursing staff administers medication with every meal, and the dosage is controlled within a safe range. How could an overdose leading to an accident happen?” She pursed her lips. “But if it was caused by human factors, then it’s not an accident, but a murder.”
“Using such a strong word already!” Tao Qianya’s eyes gleamed with interest. “But who would be the killer? And for what reason would they want to murder that patient?”
“That’s what I want to investigate.” She recalled the old man’s staggering, disoriented state as he went up the stairs. It was too far-fetched to say it was just dizziness from high blood pressure. “In any case, I’m going to the hospital again today.”
“Mm. Keep investigating.” He shrugged, bringing the topic to a close. “Have you eaten, Teacher?”
“Not yet.”
“Me neither. I can’t get used to the bento boxes here. Why don’t we go out to eat? I found a conveyor belt sushi place nearby with pretty good reviews.”
“Conveyor belt sushi… alright.” She stood up, and as they walked toward the door, they unexpectedly ran into Zhou Jinglin.
“Making tea, Little Zhou?” He took a deep sniff. “Jasmine tea!”
“Uh, yeah.” Looking up, her eyes met Tang Yingli’s.
But they didn’t even exchange a greeting, not even a smile. Jinglin just silently slipped past her, the atmosphere turning a bit stiff.
“What’s going on?” Tao Qianya keenly sensed the abnormality. “Teacher and Little Zhou… aren’t they on good terms?” They had been quite close ever since the serial child murder case was solved.
“Just a small difference of opinion…” Tang Yingli’s smile was light and breezy. “We don’t have much time for a break. Let’s hurry and eat.”
“Oh, okay. What kind of sushi do you like, Teacher? I love sea urchin…”
Behind them, unnoticed, Jinglin deliberately turned her head, her gaze fixed on that slender, tall back for a long moment, until they disappeared from view.
**
At five-thirty in the evening, Ge Ruxuan was sucking on a fruit candy, happily playing with building blocks with another girl her age.
“…She even had her dad bring her sticker book, said she wanted to trade stickers with the other kids!” Mrs. Ge watched her daughter with a smile. “The weather was nice today, so I took her outside to play on the playground equipment. She’s also started asking for my phone to play games… The doctor said she can be discharged by next weekend at the latest!”
“Really? That’s great.”
“Officer Zhou, you’re so busy, yet you come to see her every day and even bring her candy. Thank you so much! By the way, it was because of Ruxuan’s hospitalization that I found out something…”
Jinglin raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
She motioned for Jinglin to lean in. “I’m pregnant again! It’s not even been three months, but I wanted to tell you, Officer Zhou.”
Jinglin looked down at Mrs. Ge’s belly. “Really? Congratulations, truly.”
“Thank you! She’s been nagging me for a little brother or sister, and now her wish is finally coming true.” Mrs. Ge gently patted her abdomen. “Forgive me for asking… are you married, Officer Zhou?”
“Uh, not yet.”
“I knew it! It was my husband, he kept saying you probably had kids already, and that you must be a great mom… I just thought, you’re so young, how could that be… I’m so sorry!” She blushed crimson with embarrassment, and even Jinglin felt awkward.
“I’m only twenty-five! And I’m not seeing anyone…”
To dispel the awkwardness, Mrs. Ge quickly changed the subject. “Oh, right, Miss Tang also came to say hello to Ruxuan last night. That’s when I found out she and the attending physician are siblings! But… I thought she would have come with you, Officer Zhou?”
Looking surprised, she automatically ignored the question at the end. “Oh? When did she come…”
“Around nine, just before visiting hours were over. She was with a handsome man I’d never seen before! They were both very tall and looked so good together! I wonder if he’s her boyfriend…”
She frowned fiercely. “No! He’s not her boyfriend!”
Mrs. Ge was taken aback. “I’m sorry! I was just guessing… Huh? You know that man too, Officer Zhou?”
Realizing her tone had been too aggressive, she covered her mouth slightly. “Um… yes. As far as I know, Teacher Tang doesn’t have a boyfriend…”
“Oh, is that so?”
Playtime ended before they knew it. Ge Ruxuan came back drenched in sweat, and Mrs. Ge quickly wiped her down with a towel.
“Do you want to see, Big Sister? The stickers I just traded for!” She held out her sticker book like a treasure.
“Sure, I’d love to.”
She walked the mother and daughter back to their room. As they got out of the elevator, they ran into an elegantly dressed old woman. “Ah, Grandma, are you going to buy a salad again?”
The old woman had a well-proportioned figure. Not wearing a hospital gown, she was not only fashionably dressed but also wearing makeup. “Yes, the doctor told me to eat light… You’re eating candy again! Be careful, too much sugar will give you cavities and make you ugly.” She even shot a deliberate glance at Mrs. Ge.
Smiling, she held out the tin of candy. “Would you like some, Grandma?”
“No, thank you. That kind of candy is just food coloring and artificial flavors. You can have it.” She turned and walked into the elevator.
Ge Ruxuan turned back. “Mommy, what are food coloring and artificial flavors?”
“Uh, they’re things that make food look pretty and smell nice…”
“Huh? Does this have that?” She shook the tin.
Mrs. Ge glanced at Jinglin and quickly laughed it off. “Eh… Ah! Grandma Gao was just joking with you. This is made with fruit juice, fruit juice!”
After finally getting her daughter back to the room, Mrs. Ge said she was going to buy dinner, leaving her alone for a while.
“That old lady just now, the way she talks is a bit…” Jinglin couldn’t help but frown.
“Harsh, right?” Mrs. Ge gave a wry smile. “I heard she used to be an actress when she was young, was famous for a while. Pretty, but has a bad temper. Even the nurses can’t stand her.”
“But Ruxuan doesn’t seem to mind?”
“That’s her good point! As long as there’s candy, she’s all smiles with everyone. At least Ms. Gao talks to Ruxuan. Other people just ignore her. The nurses even ask Ruxuan how she manages to chat with her.”
“Ruxuan is so popular.” Looking at Mrs. Ge’s smile, Jinglin was inexplicably reminded of the little girls who had died in the previous case.
If they were still alive, perhaps they would be as lively and cute as Ge Ruxuan, and their parents would be just as proud as she was now, talking about their daughters.
Arriving at the first-floor lobby, Mrs. Ge waved goodbye to her. “Drive safe, Officer Zhou! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome! Goodbye.”
She walked toward the lobby and unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure. It was Tang Yingli.
She came again today? Before Jinglin could think further, Tang Yingli was walking straight toward her.
Flustered, she quickly hid behind a pillar.
“What on earth am I doing?” she muttered to herself. Tang Yingli didn’t seem to have noticed her, her hands in her jacket pockets as she walked toward the elevators.
What is she here for?
Although Mrs. Ge had said she would visit Ruxuan, given her personality, she wouldn’t be coming to the hospital every day like this unless it was for something else.
Could she still be investigating the old man’s death? Jinglin stared at her back, guessing, until she stepped into the elevator.
“She’s going to the fifth floor, as expected…” Realizing she was practically stalking her, Jinglin couldn’t help but bite her lip. “Tsk! Why do I care so much about her?” She glared at the floor number where the elevator had stopped, pursed her lips, and spun on her heel.
