Leichenbergung - Kapitel 22
I heard that the girl threw electron tubes into the toilet, which aroused public outrage throughout the factory, and he was naturally sent to labor re-education for three years.
Five years of his youthful and beautiful life have passed just like that.
In the Amazon rainforest of South America, a butterfly flapped its wings a few times, causing changes in the air around it. These changes, in turn, caused further changes in the air system, which in turn caused further changes. Two weeks later, a tornado struck Texas, USA.
On-site: Life disappears in time
As night falls over the city, the windows of the Criminal Investigation Division's office remain brightly lit, standing out starkly in the darkness. It's just another ordinary night in this city, a peaceful night. It is thanks to those who keep watch over this city, who work tirelessly day and night, that this city can enjoy peace every night.
Wang Liguo has not been home for several days and nights and has not slept well.
My wife said on the phone, "All the single women who lived in the houses in front and behind ours have left, leaving me alone with our daughter and nowhere to go. But your daughter is very brave. Every night she urges me to come home from get off work, checks the balcony every night, and at night she hugs me and says, 'Mom, don't be afraid, I'm here!'"
My wife suddenly couldn't continue speaking.
At this moment, the women who are single and staying at home are probably all police officers' wives, he thought.
My wife said it's not that I'm scared, it's not that serious. After all, I'm a policeman's wife, can't I handle something like this? It's just that at times like this, I miss you so much. I miss you, do you understand?
How could he not understand? But he couldn't say anything, even though he had a lot to say.
What did he say? He said almost all the city's police force was on the front lines, setting up surveillance networks. There were only a handful of officers like me, stuck in my post indoors. I couldn't leave; I had to stay at my post. What's the point of saying all this?
Now, your daughter is just as busy as you are, going to school every day and talking to teachers and classmates. When you corner her and ask, "Did your dad say when the case will be solved?" she says, "I'm even more anxious than you are. I haven't seen my dad since the incident!" She calls me before I even get off work, urging me to come home quickly, and even tells me how to tell if a man is following me.
My wife couldn't continue.
In the very room where their criminal investigation team was located, the municipal bureau had already held several case analysis meetings, attended by leaders and experts alike. His report had been affirmed by the bureau chief.
Wang Liguo stated that prior to the June 29th murder, two other attempted burglaries occurred in Gujing District with unclear motives. However, technicians discovered a connection between these two cases and the June 29th murder, finding several clear common characteristics. The suspects either loosened light bulbs in the corridor or broke the switch cords; they descended from the fifth-floor landing to the sixth-floor balcony via the rain-soaked steps of the fifth-floor balcony; the victims were all single women; the crimes all occurred late at night; and there was no disturbance of the crime scene, indicating no motive for theft. These characteristics are quite obvious and cannot be a coincidence of different perpetrators. More importantly, forensic examination revealed that the footprints in all three burglaries were from the same pair of military-style rubber shoes. Therefore, these three cases should be investigated together.
Wang Liguo said he spoke with Zhao Yajuan, her neighbor, and Yao Yulan twice, asking them everything he could think of, and he gained some insights. Zhao Yajuan said the murderer was tall, but her neighbor said he wasn't that tall. Yao Yulan said the murderer wasn't even as tall as her; she's 1.66 meters tall, and he was a head shorter, maybe around 1.60 meters. Zhao Yajuan also said the murderer had drugs on him that had knocked her unconscious, but the hospital couldn't find anything. This suggests Zhao was nervous and her judgment was flawed, while her neighbor was likely sober and her account is more credible. Yao Yulan, since she dared to fight the murderer, was relatively calm, and her observations are also likely reliable. Therefore, based on her account, we can infer that the murderer was between 1.60 and 1.66 meters tall, with small eyes, a thin build, a strong physique, and good arm strength; he may have worked as a scaffolder on a construction site. Yao mentioned a crucial detail: he walked to the door, then suddenly turned around, stood at attention, gave her a salute, and said thank you twice. This suggests the killer may have been a soldier or security guard, and received some training. Yao said he spoke with a local accent, so he was definitely a local. He also said he was around forty years old.
As criminal psychologists have said, the absence of physical traces at a crime scene is itself a psychological trace. The actions of the perpetrator in the June 29th murder case do leave psychological traces; it was premeditated and planned. I'm certain he wasn't a first-time offender and likely has a criminal record. He can't be too young or too old, which aligns with Yao Yulan's assessment that the perpetrator was around forty years old. The fact that he could climb from the fifth-floor landing to the window and then to the sixth-floor balcony suggests he was physically strong and slender.
If he were a first-time offender, he might think that not only is it easy to break into a first-floor apartment, but it would also be easy to escape if something happens. Only an experienced person would understand that attacking a single woman on the sixth floor is safer than on any other floor, because once a single woman returns to her room at night, it is unlikely that anyone else will come to the sixth floor except for herself. The first floor is different; everyone going upstairs has to pass through the first floor, and any unusual noises in the house will attract attention.
I also thought that his choice of the sixth floor was probably not mainly for safety reasons. Wang Liguo stood up, somewhat agitated, waving his hand and saying, "I think his repeated choices to enter the sixth floor from the fifth floor were to create a commotion in the city, to shake the entire city, to create terror! Now it seems he has achieved his goal."
A criminal investigation expert in the bureau agreed with Wang Liguo's assessment, but he also cautioned that the crime scene suggested a sexual element and a possible desire for revenge against a single woman. Therefore, the perpetrator might have had an unhappy marriage, a twisted mindset, or a desire for revenge against society. Furthermore, considering their counter-investigation skills, they must have a prior criminal record and be familiar with the city, especially the Gujing district. Regarding the strange character the perpetrator scratched on the victim's back, we checked all available dictionaries, including the *Modern Chinese Dictionary*, the *Xinhua Dictionary*, and the *Ancient Chinese Dictionary*, but couldn't find it. This character might be related to sex, and we are currently asking a professor from a university's Chinese literature department to look it up.
The bureau chief noticed that Wang Liguo had stopped talking and was just smoking one cigarette after another, so he asked him what was wrong.
Pressed by the questions, Wang Liguo stood up and said, "I'm afraid that these three cases might not be committed by the same person, but I'm also afraid that they might be. If not, without the first two cases, the clues left by the June 29th case would be almost nonexistent. With the clues from the first two cases, we could have identified the killer. But if they really were committed by the same person, that would be terrifying!"
Those present were all top-notch crime-solving experts in the city, and they immediately guessed what he might be worried about, and the room fell silent.
Our Gujing District has always had excellent public security, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. Where has such a thing ever happened before? I've only ever seen serial killers like this in movies and on TV; I never imagined I'd be facing such a cruel, vicious, and tenacious criminal. The killer's modus operandi is known to be two weeks. So, will the next one also happen in two weeks? Will another single woman in our Gujing District be murdered in her sixth-floor apartment in two weeks? I don't even dare to think about it. I've never felt so strongly today that time is life! Two weeks is a life lost! But can we identify the killer within two weeks? If not, another young woman will be murdered by him on June 28th! Knowing that someone is going to be murdered, but not knowing who is going to kill whom—just thinking about it makes me furious.
Wang Liguo remained silent for a moment to calm himself down.
The perpetrator's first break-in was in the early hours of the morning, unarmed, and he attacked the victim before she was asleep, demonstrating his lack of experience and courage, which allowed the victim to witness his actions. The second break-in was later, when he waited until the victim was asleep, but he was still unarmed and appeared somewhat panicked during the struggle, pleading with the victim to open the door and let him go, allowing another victim to witness him. On June 29th, he not only changed his strategy to entering late at night after the victim had fallen asleep, but he also brought a weapon capable of killing the victim instantly, likely a hammer. We can infer that the victim would probably never see him again; he intended to kill her to silence her! He lingered at the scene for at least two hours, dressing the victim in pantyhose and high heels, providing food and drinks, and even playing cards, seemingly unfazed by fear. Why did he stay at the scene for over two hours? What was he doing? What was he thinking? The fact that he dared to linger for over two hours not only shows the perpetrator's strong adaptability to crime but also his intense criminal desire; he would not stop. How adept this man is at summarizing experiences! He's constantly changing himself; his ability to adapt to the darkness is incredible. He must have had extraordinary experiences unlike anyone else. His desire, experience, and audacity to kill are now like those of a demon.
This is our opponent.
But even now, we still don't know the killer's motive. I think the victim should have had a watch on her wrist, but that's just my guess. However, the platinum necklace around her neck and the gold ring on her hand were untouched; that necklace is worth at least a thousand yuan. Other items in the room weren't disturbed either. There's no apparent motive for robbery.
The chief said, "Okay, let me summarize. The suspect's characteristics are: around forty years old; 1.60 to 1.66 meters tall; small eyes, rather thin, strong physique, good arm strength; unhappy marriage history; a twisted and vengeful mentality; a criminal record; possibly worked as a scaffolder on construction sites, or served in the military or as a security guard; familiar with the city, especially the Gujing District. Immediately put these eight characteristics into writing and distribute them to all our police officers. All police stations in the city must investigate suspects based on the case details, meeting with all suspicious individuals, both permanent and temporary residents, conducting investigations, and signing responsibility agreements at each level. At night, organize police forces to patrol and guard all streets, intersections, and open residential areas throughout the city, with a focus on the Gujing District, from 9 PM to 3 AM the next morning. The task force will also deploy seventy plainclothes officers to stake out the train station, monitoring passengers entering and leaving."
Wang Liguo shook his head and smiled bitterly.
The chief said, "What's wrong with you today? Speak your mind. You can complain to my face all you want, but if you complain even once behind my back, you're not a good criminal investigation captain!"
Okay! Since the director said that, I'll just say whatever comes to mind!
Wang Liguo stood up.
We can describe his physical characteristics, but we can't see his inner self. What makes him a twisted monster isn't his appearance, but his inner self. If we overlook this, even if we see him, we'll let him go. Based on past experience, I'm always afraid of large-scale investigations, afraid they might become mere formalities. Only if all the police officers involved in the investigation do their best can we succeed. There's only one killer. In the past, often because one or two people didn't do their job properly, he missed a suspect, and all the hard work of hundreds of us was wasted. This is the barrel effect—water always flows out from the shortest plank. Now, what does it mean if one or two people are negligent? Another young woman will die tragically on the sixth floor!
The director said your question is very good, and we are working on a solution. I will get back to you soon!
Later, it turned out that Wang Liguo was right, and the results of the initial investigation unfortunately came true.
Ye Yanan, an ordinary female worker, lived in Yong'anli, Gujing District. That day, she left the hospital very late. Although she always hid the horrific murder case that was being talked about everywhere from her mother, her mother knew everything. With nothing to do all day, how could she not talk about this psychopathic killer that everyone was talking about? Her mother understood her thoughts, so she pretended not to know, but kept urging her to go home early and prepare food for the children.
Leaving the hospital, Ye Yanan noticed the streets were nearly deserted; even those who were there were couples, and there wasn't a single woman walking alone. At times like this, Ye Yanan couldn't help but think of him. The thought of him made her feel suffocated, filled with resentment, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Standing on this mountain, he looked at the other mountain, thinking it was higher, only to find out when he got there that there was no firewood to burn. He didn't want a good job, envious of others making big money in the stock market. Without even considering whether he was cut out for it, he quit his job to try his luck in the stock market. Do you think the stock market can make money for ordinary people? The stock market is just a way to swindle money from ordinary people; it's just a few big shareholders ripping off small investors, cheating you without hesitation. They take it all seriously, running to the stock exchange every day, oblivious to the dangers, like they've gone crazy, constantly fluctuating between joy and worry. In less than two years, the stock market has ruined him, leaving him skin and bones. He didn't make any money, losing all the money the couple had worked so hard to save, and even incurring a mountain of debt. If you scold him, he just runs away, disappearing without a trace, leaving his wife and child at home. Now, she increasingly feels he's a heartless, irresponsible man, leaving her and their child at home to go out and have fun, without considering how difficult things are for them. Every night I live in fear. My child often cries for his father in the middle of the night, saying that he is not afraid when his father is watching him. Thinking about it, I also miss the good things he has done for me, and I long for him to come home soon. Without a man, a woman doesn't feel confident walking on the street.
Perhaps she was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she didn't notice a man following behind her.
She had simply turned the corner and, out of habit, glanced back to see if anyone was behind her. She saw a man in the distance who, upon seeing her turn, immediately froze, then hurriedly bent down to fiddle with his shoelaces. This struck her as odd. "You didn't even turn around, so why aren't you fixing your shoelaces? Aren't you hiding something?"
After taking a couple of steps, I suddenly thought, "I'll go back! I'll take a longer route home through that alley, so he won't follow me home..."
She walked a long way to the alley entrance, then suddenly stopped and looked back. The street was deserted; there wasn't a soul in sight, and of course, the man tying her shoelaces behind her was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't been following her after all; the psychopathic killer had scared her. Relieved, she walked into the alley and practically ran to her apartment building.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally saw the light on in her window, knowing that her youngest son was watching TV and waiting for her.
She never expected that a man would silently emerge from the shadows downstairs. Terrified, she felt as if she were nailed to the ground, unable to move. The man quickly pressed himself against her from behind, a knife against her back, biting her ear and saying, "Do you know who I am? I'm that deranged serial killer! I kill without blinking an eye, I specialize in killing single women like you! Tonight I'm in a good mood. If you'll have some fun with me, as long as you satisfy me and I have my way with you a few times, I'll go easy on you and spare your life. If you dare to disobey me and not let me have my way with you, I'll stab you to death and then strip you naked and fuck you!"
She didn't know where she got the courage from. In fact, thinking back on it later, it wasn't courage at all. It was just her womanly nature. She was so humiliated by his inhuman words that she forgot to be afraid and actually angrily said to him, "Don't you know the police are staking out everywhere? Are you looking for death?"
The pervert kicked her in the leg. "You dare scare me? Where are the police? Why aren't they coming to your rescue? If you dare say another word, I'll stab you! You come home alone every day, you think I don't know? You think I'm only seeing you now? Don't you come home at this time every day? You must be busy with business, lots of customers, otherwise why do you always come home at this time? You'd better keep me company today, I guarantee it'll be more productive than those lousy customers of yours. Come on! Let's go up to the sixth floor and go back to your place! Serve me well!"
Only then did Ye Yanan realize the seriousness of the situation. The psychopathic killer had been targeting her all along. Immediately, her palms became sweaty, and her legs went limp.
The hallway was pitch black, and the motion-activated lights weren't working. She didn't know if the psychopath had sabotaged them or if her footsteps were too soft. She tentatively walked forward, the man following closely behind. She felt the tip of the knife already embedded in her back.
She suddenly gritted her teeth in hatred. "What kind of husband are you, not standing by your wife's side to protect her at a time like this? How can you be so shameless? Your wife has been violated and humiliated by this scoundrel. How can you face the world after this? If you had stayed by my side and hadn't been trading those fraudulent stocks, would I have been bullied like this by this scoundrel?"
Upon reaching the sixth floor, she stopped. She absolutely did not want to open the door and frighten her son; she could not let her youngest son face a deranged killer. But the despicable psychopath pressed a knife against her neck, whispering that he would force her to take out her keys and open the door, or he would disfigure her and leave her face scarred. Somehow, he pushed her against the door. The door was unlocked and was suddenly flung open. The light from the living room blinded her. She was filled with despair. My son! Her legs gave way, and she collapsed in front of the door.