The Brain Science Case 42

Chapter 42: The Body That Vanished in a Bloody Foam – 8

“I found out. On the day of the incident, Cui Jiajia did come.”

“Mm,” she said, her smile fading. “And?”

The service staff had a strong impression of Cui Jiajia and said that she had been there four or five times in recent months. Because she was beautiful and stylish, she had received a lot of attention.

“She used to always request the same chef when she came before. A lot of people testified that they were laughing and talking, and he even paid for her meals.”

“Was he a client?”

“I haven’t checked the list yet, but it’s very likely.” Jinglin circled the name in her notebook. “He’s a sushi chef.”

She looked closely. “Qian Daxin… but some people don’t use their real names when they go to clubs.”

“He has a phone number.” Jinglin winked at her with a smile. “But…”

“What’s wrong?”

“He suddenly quit last month.”

“The reason?”

“It seems a debt collector came looking for him, and the owner finally couldn’t take it anymore and fired him.” Jinglin let out a “tsk.” “It seems it wasn’t the first time. He was living beyond his means.”

“Although he quit, the victim still ate at the restaurant. And he’s a man…”

“I was just thinking that. The gender doesn’t fit.” The identity fits, but he’s not the killer.

She rested her chin on her hand in thought. “What about Officer Cai?” He had gone to investigate the victim’s residence.

“Oh, he found some class notes in her apartment and also contacted her university classmates. Only a very few people knew she was working as a hostess.”

After all, it wasn’t a job to be proud of. “Not surprising.”

“And Ah Wei found this business card.” Jinglin handed her the phone. “It seems to be a makeup and styling studio she often went to. Weren’t you very concerned about that? The nail art and all.”

Tang Yingli looked at it carefully, and her mind flashed back to the nail art on Cui Jiajia’s and the suspected killer’s hands.

Penny Makeup and Styling Studio.

“Mm,” she silently memorized the information on the business card. “It’s worth a trip.”

**

Opening the empty freezer, Li Yuejiao unhesitatingly stuffed in two large vacuum-sealed bags.

She pressed a hand to her still-aching wound, poured a glass of warm water, and took the painkillers she had gotten from the hospital.

‘The wound is a little inflamed. We’ll have to schedule another surgery…’ the doctor had told her at her follow-up appointment.

Sigh. She had been so reckless when she was young, and now that she was older, her body was finally starting to fight back. Li Yuejiao laughed at herself and drank the warm water in the glass.

Unexpectedly, the phone rang.

The number was a little unfamiliar. “Who is it… hello?”

The person on the other end hesitated for a moment, but when she heard the man’s voice, her body instantly tensed.

The door was suddenly unlocked. Li Yuejiao turned abruptly. “I’m back.” Zhou Jinglin kicked off her leather shoes and stepped inside. “Mom, you’re home… what’s wrong?”

She paused, covering the mouthpiece slightly. “Are you on the phone?” Jinglin pointed to the phone in her left hand.

“Ah, it’s just a boring scam call.” She immediately hung up. “You’re back? You’re early today.”

“It’s not early, it’s already eight.” Jinglin took off her suit jacket and pointed to her neck. “Your scarf is very nice. Did you have dinner with a friend today?”

“An old colleague, one of the few sisters I could really confide in. It’s been a long time.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Surprised?”

She had thought her mother was on a date with a man. “No, you’ve never mentioned it before. A sister…”

Li Yuejiao shrugged with a smile and untied her scarf. “There are still some vegetables in the fridge. Are you hungry? I can make some vegetable soup with noodles.”

“No, thanks. I had a light meal with the teacher on my way back.”

“You were investigating a case until just now?”

“Yes, I went to two or three places today.”

Li Yuejiao couldn’t help but think of what Xu Shanni had told her at noon.

‘Your precious daughter is here to investigate a case.’ Xu Shanni’s expression had been very wary. ‘One of the hostesses at our club was murdered…’

“It’s funny,” Jinglin said, walking into the kitchen and pouring a glass of water, “I almost arrested the wrong person today. Oh, not almost, I had already cuffed her…”

‘Do you remember Little Lily, Sister… at the beginning of the year, she died under the elevated highway… the police still haven’t caught the person.’

She bit her lip. “Ah, is that so?”

“It was so funny. I only found out later that the killer was a woman. And she’s committed more than one crime.”

‘Targeting hostesses…’

“But with the teacher’s meticulous investigation, she’ll definitely be caught soon.”

‘The same killer…’

“Mom… are you okay?” Her arm was suddenly grabbed, and Li Yuejiao grabbed her back. When she looked up, she met Jinglin’s worried face. “Mom?”

“Ah… huh?”

“You don’t look well. What are you thinking about?” Jinglin gave a small, questioning smile. “Oh, your hands are so cold and sweaty.”

Li Yuejiao gave a weak smile. “It’s nothing. It’s just that you’ve never told me about your work before.”

“Well, we have regulations. We’re not supposed to casually reveal details of an investigation to outsiders… I’m not saying you’re an outsider, Mom. Just non-police personnel…”

“I know what you mean.” She interrupted with a smile. “I’ve had my fair share of dealings with the police before. I’m quite familiar with your rules.”

Jinglin nodded, and for some reason, she let out a small laugh.

Li Yuejiao asked, “What are you laughing at?”

“Pfft… nothing. I was just thinking, we, mother and daughter, don’t seem to be very familiar with each other’s work.” Her smile faded slightly. “And I don’t even know which of your friends you’re still in contact with. It feels… strange.”

To be fair, Li Yuejiao had only been retired for less than two years. Although she had not only given up her ownership of the club but had also moved to Taoyuan, and her retirement life had been peaceful, from the fact that she had come to Taipei for medical treatment and had been receiving invitations since her discharge, her network in Taipei must still be quite extensive.

She chuckled. “Are you uneasy? That you don’t know your mother’s background.”

“Well… you could say that.”

Li Yuejiao suddenly fell silent. “Mom?” She cupped Jinglin’s face in her hands. “What’s wrong?”

“There are some things… I’ve been thinking about whether I should tell you or not.”

Jinglin looked at her suspiciously. “Like what?”

“A lot of things, including some of the news I heard at work, why I was able to run this club, and most importantly…” Li Yuejiao’s lips parted, and on this face that was so similar to her own, she silently found the shadow of another man.

“Most importantly? Oh… you’re making me nervous.” The phone rang. Li Yuejiao pursed her lips and let the phone ring. Jinglin took her hand. “If you don’t know how to say it, don’t worry about it for now. We have plenty of time. Your phone?”

She glanced at the screen and hung up again.

“You’re not going to answer?”

“No caller ID… probably another scam call.” She gave a quick smile.

“So many scam calls… never mind. I’m all sweaty today. I’m going to take a shower.” Jinglin took off her hair tie and unbuttoned her shirt as she walked into her room.

After making sure Jinglin had gone into the bathroom, Li Yuejiao walked to the window and called back the number she had just hung up on.

The other person answered quickly. “It’s me.” Her voice was tense. “What do you want?”

**

Meanwhile, Jinglin, who had just finished her shower, came out of her room humming, scrolling through her phone. She saw that Tang Yingli had already made an appointment at that beauty studio.

“That was fast… don’t tell me you wanted to get your nails done yourself.” She muttered, put on her clothes, and walked out of her room, drying her hair. “Mom, I’m done… ” She sniffed the air and smelled… smoke? “Mom? Are you smoking?”

Li Yuejiao wiped her face. “Yes, I’m sorry… I just felt like it.” She quickly put it out.

“It’s fine. I was just a little surprised. You haven’t smoked in a long time.” Not only was she smoking, but there was also a half-glass of red wine on the small table by the balcony. Jinglin frowned. “What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?”

“Not really. I just felt like having a drink and a smoke… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have smoked in the house.”

“It’s fine. If you want to smoke, you can. You’re my mom.” She smiled and walked over to Li Yuejiao. “But if you’re in a bad mood or something, you can tell me. Smoking and drinking, try to avoid them.”

“Okay, I know.” Li Yuejiao smiled faintly, and after a moment of silence, she said, “Jinglin, I want to go back to Xinwu tomorrow.”

“Huh?” Xinwu, Taoyuan, the place Li Yuejiao had chosen for her retirement. “Why are you suddenly going back?”

“It’s already the end of October. I was thinking of bringing my winter clothes over. Didn’t you keep asking me to come and live with you?”

“If you’re moving, how can you go back alone? Do you have a car?”

“I’ll take the bus back tomorrow. I probably won’t be able to pack everything in one day. You can come and pick me up the day after tomorrow.”

“The day after tomorrow? Okay, I’ll talk to the chief and ask for a day off.” Jinglin texted on her phone, looking relaxed. “What time in the afternoon? Or in the evening?”

“I don’t know how long it will take. We’ll be in touch by phone.”

“Okay. I’ll dry my hair… I’ll let you know what the chief says when he replies.” Jinglin waved her phone and went back to her room, rubbing her hair.

Looking at her daughter’s back, the smile frozen on Li Yuejiao’s lips, she downed the remaining half-glass of red wine.