by Zhou HaoHui
Pei was getting used to Du’s narcissism, but as he observed him he felt a mix of emotions. All of his instincts told him that he was looking at a dead man.
Du grinned at him. ‘But there’s no need to waste our time on useless chitchat. There’s only one thing I want to know: how do the police intend to respond to this death threat from Eumenides?
‘We’re going to protect you.’
‘Well of course you’ll protect me. The question is how?’
‘We’ll have officers watching you around the clock.’
‘Will you restrict my freedom of movement?’
‘No. As long as you stay within sight, you can go about your day as usual.’
‘Huh. I figured you’d lock me up inside a windowless room. Kind of like, well, right now.’
‘That could be one solution, but we don’t have the legal right to do that.’ Pei paused and glanced at the two-way mirror on the far wall. ‘Unless you consent to it?’
Du chuckled. ‘Ridiculous. Why do something that makes everyone involved miserable?’
Pei scowled, which only made the reporter more gleeful.
‘If you restrict my freedom of movement and keep me locked up,’ Du said, ‘it’ll be much harder for Eumenides to get to me and he might even have to quit. But that’s not what you want, because that would mean giving up this opportunity to catch Eumenides. As for myself, a true reporter wouldn’t hide from the most notorious killer in recent history. Give me back my freedom and you’ll create the right conditions for an encounter with Eumenides. That way everyone’s happy, right?’
‘Does that mean you’re willing to accept the conditions I outlined earlier?’
Du shook his head. ‘It doesn’t sound as enticing when you put it like that. I think “cooperation” would be a more accurate description of our new relationship.’
Pei rolled his eyes. ‘Really? This is a partnership to you?’
‘Exactly! Specifically, you want to use me to lure Eumenides out into the open, and I’m willing to go along with it. This arrangement comes with a considerable risk to my wellbeing. So it’s only right that I be properly compensated.’
‘What precisely do you want?’
‘All the dirt you have on Eumenides.’
‘That’s out of the question. You’re talking about top-secret information. We can’t make anything public.’
While Du looked disappointed at Pei’s refusal, he was not disheartened. ‘In that case, I can’t promise that I’ll act entirely in accordance with your plans. Maybe I’ll hide. Or maybe I’ll go looking for dirt on Eumenides by myself.’
‘And you’re free to do that,’ Pei said coolly. ‘But keep one thing in mind: if you give the police the slip, the next time we come for you, we’ll bring a body bag.’
Du stiffened. ‘I demand—’
‘I have no interest in continuing this conversation,’ Pei said. ‘I’ve explained as much as I can. That’s it. I will now dispatch a group of officers to act as your personal escort.’
*
8:30 a.m.
Conference room, criminal police headquarters
A scanned image of Du’s death notice appeared on the room’s projector screen. TSO Zeng circled the table as he summarised the details he’d amassed so far about Du Mingqiang.
‘So this guy interviewed Teacher Wu, drove the man to suicide and caught Eumenides’ attention as a result,’ Lieutenant Yin mused.
‘Have you not wondered,’ Ms Mu said, ‘how Eumenides found out about this interview so quickly?’
‘I’m guessing he saw it online,’ Zeng said.
Ms Mu shook her head. ‘Eumenides is so focused on discovering the truth about his father’s death, I doubt he’d have had time to follow up on Teacher Wu’s condition. Not right away, at least. The reason Eumenides knows about this reporter is because Captain Pei played him the recording at the internet café yesterday afternoon.’
‘Really? Captain Pei played him the recording?’ Zeng turned to Pei in surprise. ‘You were planning to use the reporter as bait all along!’
Pei nodded gently. ‘It never hurts to have multiple options. When I found the polygraph device inside the headphones yesterday, I began to suspect that our marksman plan might not fool him. So I improvised. I played the recording for Eumenides and intentionally provoked him. That way, though we’d lost one opportunity, we gained another.’
‘What’s going on with the date?’ SPU Captain Liu said, squinting at the screen.
‘Eumenides placed this death notice inside an envelope for a credit card statement. Du accidentally spilt some ink on it last night, which blotted out the date.’
‘It’s the first of November today,’ Liu said. ‘Are you telling us that Eumenides could make his move on Du anytime this month? Setting a trap is hard enough as it is, but sustaining it for an entire month…?’
Everyone in the room had taken part in the operation at Citizens’ Square – the failed mission to protect the BMW-driving businesswoman Ye Shaohong. They were fully aware of how many people and how much effort it had taken to try and trap the killer. The prospect of maintaining this effort for up to a month was all but inconceivable.
‘We can’t divert too much of our energy into this,’ Pei said. ‘We have more important challenges ahead.’
Ms Mu looked up at him. ‘I don’t think the smudged date is an accident.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, we know that this death notice was found inside an envelope for a credit card statement, but nobody knows for sure when it was put there. The envelope could have been ink-stained before the death notice was put inside it. Eumenides could have noticed that and smudged the date in order to make us think it was an accident. In other words, perhaps he obscured the date on purpose.’
TSO Zeng nodded enthusiastically. ‘That’s definitely a possibility. That drop of ink just happening to blot out that tiny spot on the paper is quite a coincidence, no?’
SPU Captain Liu smirked. ‘Eumenides wants to keep us guessing, but he also wants to save face. That sneaky little—’
‘I’m afraid it isn’t that simple,’ Ms Mu interrupted. ‘He saw right through us.’
‘Huh?’
‘Eumenides already knew that we were trying to bait him, so he decided to beat us at our own game. He only needs to pick one day to kill Du. We have to be on the alert for the entire month. With that advantage, he can devote the rest of this time to his search for the truth behind his father’s death.’
Liu sighed. ‘You have a point. We’ve been so focused on the January 30th investigation that Eumenides hasn’t been able to follow up on a single lead without running into us. If I were Eumenides, I’d do whatever I could to divert our attention. This Du punk is going to distract us for an entire month! I almost have to commend Eumenides for thinking this out so well.’
‘So what’s our next move?’ Lieutenant Yin asked Captain Pei.
‘No matter what, we mustn’t do what Eumenides expects us to do,’ Pei said. ‘Therefore, regardless of Du’s situation, we can’t make any changes to our original plan. Our priority is still to go after all leads related to the January 30th investigation. Ms Mu and I will concentrate on Captain Ding Ke, and TSO Zeng and Lieutenant Yin will look for Chen Tianqiao. SPU Captain Liu will protect Du: assemble a team, put them on shifts and maintain round-the-clock surveillance on him. I don’t care if he’s shitting or sleeping – he is not to leave your team’s sight.’
‘Got it,’ Liu said. ‘My first time babysitting,’ he added with a light chuckle.
‘Hold on – are we not going to restrict Du’s movements then?’ Ms Mu asked. ‘He’s broken multiple laws – we have the right to keep him in custody.’
Pei took a deep breath. Of course she would be the one to bring this up, he thought. ‘You’re right, Ms Mu. He has broken several laws, and once this operation is over, I fully intend to turn him over to the courts. But right now, Du is our best chance to capture Eumenides
.’ He kept his expression stern. He couldn’t afford to look weak in front of the team.
‘I don’t like this,’ Ms Mu said, shaking her head. ‘This isn’t the first time we’ve used someone as bait. I don’t have to remind you how successful our last attempts were.’
It took all of Pei’s self-control not to slam his fist against the table. ‘Captain Han was in charge of those operations,’ he said. ‘Things are different now.’
Ms Mu looked at the other team members as if to gauge their reactions and rally their support. But Zeng, Yin and Liu all stayed silent.
‘You do realise that this is exactly what Eumenides wants?’ she said. There was a pained look in her eyes, concerned rather than resentful. ‘His MO has always been to punish those that the law can’t touch. By refusing to prosecute Du, you’re playing right into Eumenides’ hands. Don’t you see? You’re turning Du into a justifiable target for Eumenides.’
Pei glanced around the table and saw only expectant faces. They were waiting for him to make a decision. ‘This is my operation,’ he said, ‘and we’re going to carry it out as I say.’
Ms Mu met his gaze, chilly but professional. ‘But how can we guarantee Du’s safety?’ She turned to her colleague. ‘Liu, it’s not that I doubt your abilities, but… If we don’t restrict Du’s movements, can you honestly guarantee that a handful of your officers will be able to protect him?’
‘We can continue periodically interrogating him about Teacher Wu’s death, and that way we can justifiably keep him from leaving Chengdu,’ Pei said. ‘Lieutenant Yin, you’re in charge of that. Make it happen as soon as possible.’
‘Understood, sir.’
But Ms Mu still wasn’t satisfied. ‘That won’t be enough. It would be best to keep him here, at HQ, or at the very least in one specific location until the end of the month.’
‘We don’t have the authority to do that,’ Pei said. ‘Not without officially charging Du first.’
Ms Mu frowned. ‘Is Du really so oblivious to how much danger he’s in? If he knows what’s good for him, he should be bending over backwards to cooperate with us.’
‘You’re thinking like a normal person,’ Pei said, ‘and Du is anything but. He can’t wait to meet Eumenides. He’s completely set on writing a story about his encounter with the killer. He’ll never agree to stay put, no matter how hard we try to convince him that it’s the smart choice.’
Ms Mu was taken aback. A man that could disregard the sensibilities of others for the sake of getting a story; a man that was willing to disregard a serious threat against his own life? ‘I want to talk to him,’ she said.
Pei studied her quietly. ‘Of course. You and Liu can go to the holding cell shortly. If you can convince him to see things your way, we’ll alter our plan. If not, we let him go. But unless we actually arrest him, we can only detain him for twenty-four hours.’
*
9:27 a.m.
Holding cell
Du Mingqiang may have been physically restrained, but in his imagination he was running wild. He was about to face the greatest challenge of his life. It was like walking along a cliff edge: a single false step would mean death.
A thrill-seeker by nature, he loved this feeling. The more insurmountable the challenge, the stronger the adrenaline rush. It was almost time to pit his wits against his new adversary.
The door opened, interrupting his thoughts. Two people entered the room, a man and a woman.
‘When are you going to release me?’ Du complained, straining against his handcuffs. ‘I don’t appreciate being treated like a criminal.’
‘We’ll let you go soon, but you need to understand a few things first,’ the woman said.
‘Who are you?’
‘I’m a member of the April 18th Task Force. My name is Ms Mu.’
‘I had no idea that the criminal police force was so gifted in the looks department,’ Du said with a wide smile.
‘I am a lecturer in psychology at the Sichuan Police Academy,’ Ms Mu said. She motioned to the tough-looking man at her side. ‘And this is Captain Liu Song of the special police unit.’
They both sat down across from Du. ‘You have the right to express your opinion, but this is neither the time nor the place to do so,’ Ms Mu continued.
‘You’re a lecturer in psychology?’ Du said meekly. He rolled the words around on his tongue. ‘That would explain the piercing gaze. I hear that people like you can tell what I’m thinking just by looking into my eyes. You’re practically psychic, huh?’ With that, he shut his eyes and waggled his head from side to side. ‘How’s that? What am I thinking now?’
Ms Mu was lost for words. SPU Captain Liu, on the other hand, had no difficulty expressing his emotions. He smacked his knuckles against the table.
‘That’s enough! We don’t have time to joke around.’
Du opened his eyes and winked at Ms Mu. An instant later, his mischievous face became as impassive as stone. ‘You’re right, we don’t have time to joke around,’ he said. ‘But both sides have to make a proper effort. If you continue to treat me like a criminal, then we won’t be able to have a proper discussion.’
A brief silence fell over the interrogation room. Du toyed with the restraints on his wrists.
‘What are you waiting for?’ Ms Mu called out, turning towards the two-way mirror. ‘Uncuff him.’
A uniformed officer came in with a big bunch of keys and unlocked the cuffs. Du rubbed his wrists and stretched lazily in his chair. As the officer turned towards the door, Du shouted after him, ‘My personal effects, please.’
The officer looked confused, but Ms Mu nodded her approval and he soon returned with a plastic container.
‘Now that we’re on a level playing field,’ Ms Mu said as she watched Du sort through his belongings, ‘may we continue our conversation?’
Du rolled his eyes and picked up his mobile. ‘Yeah, I’m listening. What do you want to talk about?’
‘Eumenides sent you a death notice. Do you realise what that means – how much danger you’re in?’
‘I do,’ Du said softly. ‘From what I’ve heard, he’s carried out every single one of these notices.’
‘You need to be extremely cautious over the next month. You’ll be under constant police surveillance, but I strongly advise that you refrain from going outdoors. We can arrange for you to stay here at police headquarters.’
‘Is that the opinion of the task force?’
Ms Mu nodded.
Du laughed dryly. ‘Lady, you people need to get your stories straight. When I spoke to Captain Pei a few moments ago, he said that I’ll be able to go wherever I want.’ He prodded his phone but the screen stayed black. ‘Shit,’ he said. ‘No battery.’
‘You want to make a call? Use mine.’ Ms Mu pulled out her phone. ‘If we’re going to be working together over the next month, we may as well get used to it.’
Du accepted her phone wordlessly. ‘Mind if I swap my SIM card with yours? The number I need is stored on mine.’
He snapped the casing off the back of Ms Mu’s phone without waiting for a response and replaced her SIM card with his.
Ignoring his presumptuousness, Ms Mu returned to the topic in hand. ‘I’m aware that you spoke to Captain Pei, but I wanted to try and persuade you myself.’
Du reclined in his chair. ‘You’re wasting your time,’ he said, waving a hand dismissively at her before dialling a number on her phone.
He set the phone on the table as the ringing went unanswered. ‘Still asleep – at this hour?’ he grumbled to himself.
‘Your girlfriend?’ Ms Mu asked.
‘Someone who understands me.’
‘There aren’t many people who understand you, are there?’
‘You must think I’m a despicable person. Immoral, even.’ He began swapping the SIM cards back again.
Ms Mu nodded. ‘In light of what I’ve been told, I’d probably agree with that.’
Du snickered. ‘You’re like mo
st people. No one gets me.’
Ms Mu looked into his eyes and her voice softened. ‘I’m not “like most people” – I’m genuinely interested in what goes on inside your head. From what I’ve surmised, your life centres around a dream, a particular pursuit that you value above all else, and you would do anything to see that dream realised.’
Du stretched his feet out, as if he was just waking up, avoided her gaze and continued fiddling with her phone. ‘You’re going about this the wrong way,’ he said. ‘You need to stop trying to get into my head in search of my weak points.’
‘Everyone has weak points,’ Ms Mu said. ‘Don’t worry. You have some too.’
‘If you say so. But even if you do find mine, it’ll be a waste of time.’
‘And why is that?’
Du tossed her phone back to her. With a hint of a smile, he said, ‘I don’t think you’re that great a psychologist. After all, there’s at least one person whose head you can’t get inside.’
‘And who’s that?’
‘Pei Tao.’
She held his gaze but gave no reaction.
‘The captain won’t agree to what you’re suggesting,’ he continued. ‘Letting me roam free as bait for Eumenides isn’t something that’s up for debate. It’s central to his plan. That’s why this conversation is a waste of time. Even if you did convince me, your tough-guy captain won’t change his mind.’
Ms Mu’s head was spinning. He was quite right. It was obvious that Pei was just humouring her.
‘If that’s true,’ SPU Captain Liu interjected, ‘why did Pei allow us to speak to you?’
Du shrugged. ‘Because he knew you’d never be able to convince me. I learnt a lot about the captain during our earlier conversation, and he learnt a lot about me. I can’t wait to meet Eumenides and Pei is itching to use me to find the killer.’
‘You think you have it all figured out?’ Liu snapped.
‘Don’t I?’ Du paused. ‘Of course, there is something else that he wants. Even though he didn’t say it, I could feel it.’
‘What does he want?’ Ms Mu asked.
