Chapter 244: The Second Victim

"Wang Dui, Han Team, you come and look," the police officer called Han Fei and Wang Dui.

"The case that currently matches all the criteria best is this one: Cheng Xue, female, 23 years old. The report from her parents was received a little over two weeks ago; according to their description, Cheng Xue had already been missing for three days at that time. Counting back, Cheng Xue had been missing for exactly three weeks, which is almost the same as the time of death estimated by the forensic doctor."

"Go to the forensic doctor and see if the deceased has any belongings, collect the items, call Cheng Xue's parents over to identify, confirm the identity; if it matches, investigate according to Cheng Xue's identity," Wang Dui said.

He fears most that even the identity of that nameless female corpse cannot be clarified.

In that case, even if they wanted to investigate, they wouldn't know where to start.

"Yes!"

……

Half an hour later.

Cheng Xue's parents arrived at the Police Station.

Under the police officer's guidance, they identified the belongings on the female corpse.

"Right, right, this is it—this is my daughter's bag, and this phone is hers too; I recognize them!"

"Police comrade, have you found my daughter? Where is she?"

The two police officers exchanged a glance and sighed.

In the most tactful tone possible, they informed the two elders that their daughter had been murdered and assured them that the killer would be brought to justice and they would receive a fair resolution.

However, upon hearing the tragic news, Cheng Xue's parents immediately collapsed in grief.

One police officer stayed to continue comforting the two.

The other police officer turned and left to relay the clue to Wang Dui and Han Fei.

"Wang Dui, Han Team, the identification is done; Cheng Xue's parents said those items are Cheng Xue's, so the identity of the nameless female corpse can now be confirmed—it is the Cheng Xue who was reported missing not long ago."

Wang Dui nodded: "Check Cheng Xue's social connections."

The victim's identity can now be confirmed.

From now on, just follow the trail and investigate.

The police officers acted quickly.

In no time, they went through all of Cheng Xue's social relationships.

Colleagues, friends, classmates, neighbors, and so on.

Conference room.

A group of police officers sat watching a projection displaying everyone connected to Cheng Xue.

After the group gathered to analyze, Wang Dui began assigning tasks.

"Han Team, you take a few people to interview Cheng Xue's colleagues and friends."

"A few more come with me; we'll contact Cheng Xue's university classmates and also visit her neighbors."

"The rest stay at the station to review surveillance, see who Cheng Xue met, what she did, and where she went before she disappeared."

The Police's first thought was a revenge killing.

After all, many murderers have reasons and motives, often to vent their inner resentment.

Of course, other possibilities besides a revenge killing are not ruled out.

Therefore, Wang Dui left some people at the station to examine the surveillance that captured Cheng Xue on the day she went missing.

After a brief task allocation, everyone set out into action.

……

Han Fei and the others first chose to find Cheng Xue's best confidante.

A girl's confidante usually talks about everything.

Whether Cheng Xue has any enemies or has recently offended someone, this confidante is likely to know.

The phone couldn't get through.

The group had to go to the confidante's home to look for her.

However, as soon as they reached the doorway.

Everyone's expression changed.

Through the door, they could smell a faint, lingering putrid odor drifting from the crack.

"It's the smell of a corpse," Xu Mo said.

He had smelled a similar odor not long ago.

Now smelling it again, it would be strange if he couldn't recognize it.

In the next second, Chen Ke lifted his leg and kicked the door hard.

The house's owner is already dead, so naturally cannot open the door for them.

To get inside, they have to rely on themselves.

One kick didn't work, so Chen Ke kicked a few more times.

After much effort, he finally kicked the door open.

A strong foul stench hit them.

Several rookie police officers who went with Han Fei, unable to endure it, turned and vomited in the hallway.

This odor was even more overwhelming than the corpse they had found in the mountains earlier.

After all, a room is different from a mountain.

In the mountains it's an open space, whereas here it's enclosed, so the smell can't dissipate.

Over time, a stronger smell is normal.

Han Fei forced herself to endure the stomach discomfort without vomiting, pulled out her phone, and called Wang Dui.

"Wang Dui, we have a lead: one of Cheng Xue's confidantes may have died at home; the house has a corpse odor. I didn't bring shoe covers or gloves, fearing to contaminate the scene, so I didn't dare go in. I'll send you the address; send the forensic investigators over."

It's different from in the mountains.

Fingerprints and footprints in the mountains disappear easily; the next rain might wash everything away.

Not to mention the small animals in the mountains—footprints and fingerprints hardly last at all.

But inside the house it's different.

There's no rain here, nor any small animals.

Perhaps this house holds clues that can be used.

After learning this, Wang Dui immediately set aside what he was doing, hurriedly notified the Forensic Inspection Section, and they all rushed toward the address Han Fei had sent.

……

The Forensic Inspection Section members put on shoe covers and gloves, entered the house, and prepared to collect all fingerprints, hairs, footprints, and so on.

While the forensic inspectors were doing this, the other Police officers also donned shoe covers and gloves and entered the room.

The source of the foul smell is in the Restroom.

The victim is kneeling in front of the bathtub filled with water in the Restroom, his whole head submerged.

The cause of death appears to be someone forcibly pressing his head into the tub, drowning him alive.

It's also homicide.

'Cheng Xue's close friend also died; it feels more like a vendetta. Whoever killed them must be their mutual friend, perhaps both offended the murderer, and were both killed,' one Police officer said, analyzing.

Following his analysis, if the killer is the two's mutual friend, the suspect pool narrows considerably.

The Police only need to focus the investigation on their mutual friend to find the murderer.

'It doesn't have to be a mutual friend,' another Police officer objected: 'It's possible the killer was discovered by the other victim while killing one, so the killer had to silence the other as well. The killer might only know one of the victims, and killed the other simply to prevent the story from getting out.'

……

Xu Mo did not take part in the officers' discussion.

He has no experience in solving cases; indeed, he's just a rookie.

So he simply stayed silent.

However, Xu Mo kept looking for other clues.

Because his eyesight is excellent, and Xu Mo was examining the scene very carefully.

Thus he actually discovered something even the Forensic Inspection Section missed—a very short hair hidden in the grout between the tiles.

This is the first crime scene, and the hair found here could very well be linked to the murderer.

'There's a hair; it looks like a man's, not sure if it's the killer's,' Xu Mo said, bending down to pick up the short hair.