The Untouched Crime

by Zijin Chen

  “Why are you asking me? I’ve never even been to Beijing. Do you mean to say you haven’t been out once during your two-month stay?”

  “We all went to the Great Wall when we first arrived, but then I just spent all my free time in the hotel. You know how it is.”

  “Just go to Wangfujing. It’s touristy, but you’ll find what you’re looking for.” She knew that he was a hopeless shopper. There was no point sending him somewhere else.

  “What should I get her?”

  “You told her you were going to buy some snacks for her and the dog. Don’t you remember? Get her a few toys too; you’ve been away for a long time.”

  “Should I get you something, honey?”

  Luo’s wife knew that it was unwise to pretend that she didn’t want anything, because Luo would take her seriously. So she spoke frankly. “Yes, please. Get me a necklace.”

  “OK, I’ll find something nice for you,” he said.

  That weekend he went to Wangfujing and followed his wife’s instructions exactly. He bought snacks for his daughter, snacks for the dog, and three dolls. Then he bought a necklace made of platinum with a sapphire pendant. Just like the one that he would see eight years in the future on a young woman’s neck.

  The next week, on a Wednesday, he tried calling home but nobody answered. He didn’t think anything of it. The next day, when his plane landed in Ningbo, he tried again but still got no answer. Something was not quite right. And when he opened the door to his apartment, nobody greeted him—even the dog was gone.

  Chapter 54

  Luo sighed and pulled himself back to the present. He pursed his lips and mustered up the energy to keep walking towards the park.

  When he was almost there, he saw Yan standing on the metal disc where Xu Tianding had stood on the night of his death. Luo felt pangs of doubt. But as far as he could tell, everything was airtight.

  “It’s nice here, isn’t it?” Luo said to Yan.

  “Yes, it is,” Yan said, twisting his body and looking at the parents pushing strollers and playing with their children in the park. “West Hangzhou is a wonderful place to live. Although I think if you lived here alone, it would be easy to get bored.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to introduce me to another one of your friends!”

  “No, I’m not going to meddle in your personal affairs,” Yan said with a laugh. “Although if you’re interested in meeting some nice women your age, just say the word.”

  “Thanks again for the offer, but I’ll pass. So why did you want to meet? Is it the case?”

  “How did you know?” Yan’s eyes grew wide, pretending to be surprised.

  “Last night I ordered some takeout from the noodle restaurant. The girl who works there, Zhu Huiru, said she ran into you. I guessed that you were investigating her. And the spot where you’re standing is very close to where I hear the body was found. Over there,” Luo said, pointing towards the trees.

  “Oh? What did Ms. Zhu say?” Yan asked.

  “She said that you asked if she was delivering the noodles to me. She said you went to the noodle restaurant many times to speak to her,” Luo explained.

  “It’s true; I’m suspicious of her and Mr. Guo,” Yan said, clearing his throat. “I followed her last night, and this afternoon I spoke to both Ms. Zhu and Mr. Guo. One of the criminal investigators from the district bureau was there too. But those kids didn’t tell me anything.”

  Luo shrugged with a smile. “I’m sure you suspect them for a good reason.”

  “You’re absolutely right. They did it.”

  Then why haven’t you arrested anyone? Luo thought. “Why don’t you interview them in the bureau? You shouldn’t need my help at all! I’m sure I’m not nearly as good as all the professional forensic scientists. Plus I don’t have any of the equipment to do the job right.”

  “I just wanted you to confirm one thing,” Yan said, with a look that seemed to cut right through all of his excuses. “Is there any way that a killer could get their victim to eat half a portion of fried rice after a person has died? Not only that, could the killer make most of that food go all the way into the stomach?”

  Yan figured that one out too? Luo thought.

  He pretended to think about the question. “Yeah, by forcing it down the victim’s throat. Have you heard of a fish called the great croaker?”

  “That’s a popular fish in Ningbo, where you come from, isn’t it? I hear it’s very expensive.”

  “Yes. Wild great croaker costs about nine hundred yuan per pound. When I was still working in Ningbo, the vice director of criminal investigation gave us two fish as a gift just before New Year. My wife cut them open to cook them and found that they both had lead weights inside. Each one weighed two hundred grams. I was shocked.”

  “Hmm, it sounds like they were bought from an unscrupulous businessman. Are you sure you can do this with humans? Even if they are dead?”

  “Of course. But a human esophagus is long. The killer would have to use a long stick to carefully push the food into the stomach. And if the killer wants to make things look even more realistic, he or she would have to move the victim’s jaws to chew the food first.”

  “There’s one more thing I wanted to ask you. I’m sure you saw the media reports on the serial killer in Hangzhou? The killer always leaves a Liqun cigarette in the victim’s mouth. Why do you think that is?”

  “Maybe the killer likes to smoke Liqun cigarettes,” Luo suggested casually.

  “Ha, ha, maybe. But what if the killer isn’t a smoker?”

  “Then I don’t know,” Luo said. “I think that’s more your area. Even when I was working as a forensic scientist, I would find answers based on the facts. I don’t know how to analyze the meaning behind things.”

  “That’s OK. Sorry to bother you with all these questions,” Yan said.

  “Not at all,” Luo answered. “I’m happy to help whenever I can. Although I don’t think I’m as brilliant as the people still working in the force.”

  “Is that so? I’d say you’re better than most of the forensic scientists in the bureau now. They couldn’t have come up with those answers.”

  “That’s what happens when you do the same job for a few decades, I guess.”

  “Well, thanks again. I’ll take you out to dinner when you’re free.”

  “I look forward to that.”

  Yan turned and walked away. After a few steps he turned back and called, “I still admire your motto. Committing a crime is shameful, no matter what the reason!”

  Luo just nodded.

  A chill went up his back as he watched Yan leave, freshly worried he would never get a chance to see his family again.

  PART 7

  THE UNAVOIDABLE TRAP

  Chapter 55

  Inspector Yang brought Professor Yan into Zhao’s office, then turned and left when Zhao dismissed him with a wave of the hand. Zhao closed the door and poured a cup of water for Yan. Then he plopped down on the sofa. “You’ve been at it for a few days now,” he said. “What have you got for me?”

  “Nothing yet. I’ll tell you as soon as I do,” Yan said frankly.

  “The police are going to every house and apartment in west Hangzhou to take the fingerprints of every adult male in the area. After one hundred thousand prints, they still haven’t found the killer. Should we keep going?”

  “Absolutely,” Yan said. “Those fingerprints are the most solid evidence we have.”

  “But will it be effective?” Zhao asked doubtfully. “If the killer wanted to hide, he wouldn’t have a hard time avoiding the police.”

  “Every investigation runs that risk. That doesn’t mean we should stop.”

  Zhao frowned, pacing back and forth as he spoke. “Do you have any explanation for either the cigarettes or the word ‘local’ scratched in the pavement?”

  “No,” Yan said flatly.

  “You can’t figure any of this out?” Zhao said, his frown lines deepening.


  “Of course not,” Yan said with a scornful laugh. “I’m not a god; I can’t know everything.”

  “I thought you were invincible,” Zhao said.

  “Over one thousand officers have pondered these homicides without coming up with an answer. I’m not nearly as intelligent as one thousand people,” Yan reminded him. “We won’t find the answers simply by guessing. I need to deduce things based on what I already know. Unfortunately, the information I have is limited, so I can’t get very far.”

  “Do you think this is part of the killer’s plan? Is he trying to mislead us?”

  “No,” Yan said. “I don’t think he is the type to stoop so low as to plant false clues.”

  “But then what does it mean?” Zhao said, scratching his head.

  “I don’t know,” Yan said.

  “I heard you’ve been investigating Zhu Huiru and Guo Yu,” Zhao said, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff.

  “Did Lin tell you?”

  “Yes, he did,” Zhao said. “Word is that you are convinced that they did it. Can you tell me why?”

  “I’m sorry, but I really don’t have any proof,” Yan said, making an apologetic gesture.

  “But then why—”

  “I have a hypothesis, but I can’t confirm it.”

  “Making sweeping hypotheses and then slowly collecting evidence is great for solving a mathematical proof, but that doesn’t work here,” Zhao said.

  “You know about mathematical proofs?” Yan said, deeply surprised.

  “I’m not a total idiot, you know,” Zhao said, scrunching his lips together.

  Yan burst out laughing.

  “But it doesn’t seem like you are so sure that those two unlikely suspects are the killers. It would make sense to add a third accomplice—Luo Wen, perhaps?” Zhao said.

  “What did you say?” Yan narrowed his eyes.

  “Why does Luo carry that bag everywhere he goes?”

  “You’ve seen him in Hangzhou?” Yan asked.

  “When I saw him it reminded me of what that pervert said. The killer was wearing a cross-body bag,” Zhao said.

  “But you can find people with bags like that all over Hangzhou,” Yan said.

  “Of course, of course. And if the killer wore such a bag on the night of the killing, that doesn’t mean that he wears one all the time. But still—” Zhao paused and looked more closely at Yan. “It wasn’t a big deal when you went to see Luo once. But you’ve been visiting him an awful lot lately. And Lin tells me that when you two went to question Ms. Zhu and Mr. Guo, your description of the killer seemed strangely specific.”

  “You’ve been following me?” Yan asked quietly.

  “I’ve just been investigating the case,” Zhao said.

  “So the reason you asked me to come today is to see if Luo is the killer?” Yan asked.

  “I haven’t had much interaction with Luo before,” Zhao said, refilling his cup of water. “I don’t know him as well as you do. He’s capable of committing a murder and not leaving any tracks; he has experience as a forensic scientist. He wouldn’t be afraid of a dead body; he’s probably seen hundreds of them before. And he wouldn’t have any trouble making those long, thin cuts. But . . . it’s still strange because he was a cop. The director of the Ningbo Forensic Science and Material Evidence departments, no less. I just don’t understand what his motive would be.”

  Yan exhaled. “Don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions?”

  “You tell me,” Zhao countered.

  “Do you have evidence?”

  “I was going to ask you that question!” Zhao said, throwing his hands up.

  “I don’t have any evidence,” Yan said with a wry smile.

  “Then why do you suspect him in the first place? Just because he lives in west Hangzhou and could pull it off?” Zhao asked.

  “All I have are logical pieces that fit together—nothing that would stand in court. But since you asked, I do suspect Luo. I have since the first time I met him in Hangzhou. He’s the reason I asked to help out with your case,” Yan said.

  Zhao sat in stunned silence. He thought it was strange when Yan first asked to help, but he never expected the reason to be that he suspected his old friend Luo.

  Zhao cleared his throat. “Based on what you know of Luo, why is he doing this? He kills ex-convicts every time. Does that mean he is taking the law into his own hands? Is he dissatisfied with the justice system?”

  “No,” Yan said quickly. “He always works within the framework of the law and loathes those who exact punishment outside of that framework.”

  “But then—”

  “If he really did it, then he must have some other motive. Although to be honest, I have no idea what it could be.”

  “What about Xu Tianding’s murder? Lin said that you think Ms. Zhu and Mr. Guo killed him, but a third person helped them to cover it up. But Luo doesn’t seem to know either of them very well, so why would he go out of his way to help them?”

  “I don’t know,” Yan said, shaking his head.

  Zhao paced. He turned to look at Yan and said, “In other words, you suspect him, but you don’t have any evidence whatsoever.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Alright, I’ll help you find evidence. I just hope that your guesses are on the mark.”

  “What are you going to do?” Yan said, a trace of alarm in his voice.

  “Simple. I’ll just get his fingerprints,” Zhao said with a smile.

  Yan shook his head. “Please, don’t act rashly. The only thing you’re going to do is let him know that you suspect him.”

  “You think he’s the murderer, don’t you?” Zhao said, looking confused. “Wouldn’t we know for sure as soon as we check his prints?”

  “If it were that easy, we wouldn’t be going after a brilliant man like Luo,” Yan said.

  “Do you think the fingerprints at the crime scene belong to someone unrelated to the case?”

  “If it were anyone else, I would say no. But this is Luo we’re talking about. He’s definitely clever enough to finish the job without leaving prints. He knows the police inside out. So if he actually did it, then the clues you have found thus far are clues that he wanted you to find. To use a university metaphor, not only did he write up a test for you, but he printed out the model answer. He’s just waiting for you to fill it out.”

  A look of pure terror flickered across Zhao’s face. Then he shook his head. “I’m going to verify this. We have more than just the fingerprints; we have the electric baton and the jump rope. Maybe there’s something in his bag right now!”

  “I’m telling you, don’t act rashly,” Yan said, raising his voice.

  “I don’t need someone to teach me how to solve a case! If he’s the one, I’ll get that evidence, come hell or high water!” Zhao looked furious.

  Yan looked Zhao directly in the eyes and took a deep breath. “Have it your way. Maybe you can provoke him into doing something. Either way, I need your help.”

  “Well? Spit it out!”

  Yan couldn’t help but smile. “I’d like you to write me a letter of introduction for the Ningbo Bureau. I need to look into a few things.”

  “This is about Luo, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Are you going to Ningbo by yourself?”

  “I would prefer if people didn’t know who my primary suspect was until after I have cleared a few things up.”

  “OK,” Zhao said, nodding.

  Chapter 56

  Luo was enjoying his regular Saturday routine: breakfast at one of the restaurants downstairs, then a lazy day of watching television.

  He didn’t have many hobbies. When he was working in Ningbo, he rarely had free time, and when he did, he would just read forensics textbooks. But in the past few years he had cultivated at least one new hobby: stretching out on the sofa and watching television.

  He often thought that it would be much more enjoyable if he found his wife and
daughter again. All he had now were his idle daydreams and the photo on the wall.

  In three years he would be fifty, an old man.

  His memories of his wife and his daughter were crystallized in time—his daughter didn’t grow older and his wife looked exactly the same. He was the only one who changed. He felt so different from the man in the picture that he sometimes felt like he was no longer his daughter’s father or his wife’s husband.

  The doorbell rang. Luo stood, curious.

  Apart from maintenance workers and the occasional takeout delivery, people never rang his doorbell. Not since he moved into this place anyway.

  Who was at the door, then?

  He peered through the peephole.

  An old man was standing outside. He looked vaguely familiar. Luo guessed that he was one of the apartment management staff.

  “Can I help you?” Luo called through the door.

  “Good afternoon. The tenant below you says there is water leaking from their ceiling. We would like to come in and check your apartment.”

  The tenant below me?

  Luo’s mind raced through the possibilities. He never saw someone standing on the balcony below. In fact, nobody even put chairs out. He never cooked, so the kitchen sink wasn’t the answer. The bathroom was working properly; he showered yesterday without any problems. It hadn’t rained recently, so that was an unlikely explanation. How on earth would there be a leak downstairs?

  He had worked as a police officer long enough to know the ways to get a suspect to open the door. Yan had moved on from guessing to collecting evidence. What did they find out? Where were Zhu Huiru and Guo Yu?

  A knot of anxiety grew in his stomach. There was no point in hiding.

  As he turned the latch, he heard someone running. The door thumped loudly as someone crashed against it.

  He was surprised by the force even though he was partly expecting it.

  “What the—?” a voice said. It was Investigator Yang, wearing his police uniform. He rubbed his right shoulder, and his three colleagues stood awkwardly next to him. Yang frowned.