Chapter 2

Beep.

I smiled and explained, “If Xiao Chen were the killer, he'd certainly erase anything that could expose him. By wearing gloves, for instance, or wiping his fingerprints off the statuette—”

Clunk!

The heavy electronic sound cut me off.

It almost sounded as though my sister were laughing at me.

It struck like thunder in my head.

The fog finally cleared. The vague doubt that had troubled me for so long came into focus.

I slapped the table in excitement.

“I understand! The killer can't possibly be Xiao Chen!”

The four people before me reacted differently.

Fu Yi challenged me first.

“He confessed himself. If it wasn't him, who was it? You're going to clear him because of a few beeps and clunks?”

I shook my head and explained slowly.

“Ruonan's hint just made me realize something. Xiao Chen's fingerprints were on Fu Nian's body, which means he wasn't wearing gloves. He must therefore have wiped his prints off the statuette.

“But that's precisely what doesn't make sense. It goes against ordinary behavior.”

My gaze fixed on the four of them.

“When the guard caught Xiao Chen, he was still assaulting Fu Nian. Normally, a criminal cleans up after the crime is over.

“Think about it. If she'd resisted during the assault, and he'd grabbed the statuette and killed her, he would have had two options.

“First, wipe his prints off the statuette and flee in panic. Second, continue the assault and clean up afterward.”

Fu Yi said nothing.

Instead, Xu Ruo, who'd been silent all this time, spoke softly.

“Officer Xia, I think there's another possibility. What if he wiped his fingerprints away and was about to flee, but then had another depraved impulse and returned to assault her? That could happen, couldn't it? Everyone knows he liked her.”

I raised an index finger and wagged it.

“That's even less likely. If he'd already thought to erase his prints, he'd have been particularly careful not to leave any more. He wouldn't have been stupid enough to put them on her body again.

“So Xiao Chen definitely isn't the real killer.”

Beep.

The sound seemed like my sister's approval.

“Hmph!”

Fu Yi snorted resentfully.

“If Xiao Chen didn't do it, are you saying one of us did?”

“I haven't ruled it out,” I replied calmly. “Next, I'd like each of you to explain where you were that night and what you were doing.”

Fu Yi was about to flare up when Bai Qiao gently patted her shoulder.

She glared at Bai Qiao but reluctantly sat down.

“If that's what Officer Xia needs, we'll certainly cooperate,” Bai Qiao said soothingly. “I'll go first.

“The night Fu Nian died, I was in the office, in an online meeting with the other teachers. It started at ten and only ended when we heard someone had been killed in the art room. I just... never imagined the victim would be my own daughter.”

Her eyes reddened, and her voice caught.

Then she began sneezing violently.

She doubled over, tears streaming down her face.

Rummaging in her handbag, she took out a nasal spray and used it twice before gradually recovering.

Her rhinitis seemed severe.

Liu Jie immediately patted her back.

Once she was feeling better, I turned to him.

He angled his head toward Bai Qiao, seemingly afraid to meet my eyes.

“I had a little to drink that night. When I got home, none of the three of them were there, so I went to bed early. I didn't know Fu Nian had been murdered until Bai Qiao called and woke me up.”

My earlier inquiries had established that Bai Qiao, Liu Jie, and the two sisters lived together in the school's staff housing.

As vice principal, Liu Jie had been allocated a large apartment. There was more than enough room for four.

I tapped the bed frame twice.

“In other words... you have no alibi.”

After a silence, Liu Jie slowly nodded.

Before I could turn to Fu Yi, she spoke defiantly.

“I was in a bad mood, so I went to the river to smoke by myself. I've got no alibi either.”

I nodded and said nothing more to her.

Xu Ruo's gentle voice came next.

“I didn't go home that day. I stayed in the dormitory to study. It was the holidays, so everyone else had gone home. No one can vouch for me.”

Beep.

The screen lit green again, showing my sister had heard everything.

I closed my eyes and thought.

According to their statements, only Bai Qiao had an alibi.

It would be easy to check. She had no reason to lie.

The killer was probably one of the other three.

But who?

I thought for a long time without finding a lead.

Then I opened my eyes.

Time to try the method my sister had suggested.

“So none of you went to the art room that night. Correct?”

Fu Yi folded her arms and sneered.

“Who'd go there at night except some pretentious artist like my sister? Apart from compulsory art classes during the day, I wouldn't set foot in the place if you paid me.”

I frowned slightly.

For some reason, she seemed intensely hostile toward her sister.

Her own sister was dead, yet she showed no sorrow. On the contrary, she could barely conceal her glee.

Xu Ruo shook her head too.

“It's where the art club meets. Apart from daytime art classes, only club members go there to paint at night. I have no interest in painting. I've never been there in the evening.”

Bai Qiao and Liu Jie looked at me and shook their heads as well.

“You mean... none of you has ever been to the art room at night?”

Once all four confirmed it, I nodded.

I picked up a blank sheet of paper and tore it into four equal pieces.

Standing, I handed them out.

“Write down the color of the bronze horse's eyes, along with your name. Fold the paper in half and give it back to me. Make sure no one else sees what you've written.”

I stood in front of them, watching every movement.

After a brief hesitation, all four quickly finished.

I took the folded papers back to my sister's bedside.

Reading them, I felt the corners of my mouth lift.

Bai Qiao and Liu Jie had both written:

Green.

Fu Yi and Xu Ruo had written:

Red.

I stared at the two girls.

“You're lying,” I said, low and firm.

Fu Yi glared fiercely.

“What proof have you got? You think a scrap of paper proves anything?”

I held up the slips and shook them.

“You both insist you've never been to the art room at night. Then how do you know the color of the statuette's eyes?”

Fu Yi sneered and pointed to her head.

“Officer Xia, is there something wrong with you up here? Do you even have to ask? I saw them in art class during the day.”

I slammed the table and sprang up, fixing her with an icy stare.

“Do you know what those eyes are made of? Alexandrite. In natural light, it's green. Under artificial light, it turns red.

“You wrote red. That proves you've been to the art room at night. Recently, too, for the impression to be so clear.

“Why did you lie? What exactly were you doing there that night?”

I remembered my sister explaining the material of the statuette's eyes to me.

Her earlier hint had given me the idea of using it to test who was lying.

Fu Yi went pale under my pressure and stammered, unable to speak.

Beside her, Xu Ruo adjusted her glasses and spoke calmly.

“Officer Xia. That only proves we've been to the art room at night. It doesn't prove we went on the night Fu Nian was murdered, does it?”

I snorted and slowly sat down.

She was right.

It only proved they'd lied. It wasn't direct evidence.

My sudden anger had been a bluff. I'd hoped to break through Fu Yi's defenses and make her blurt something out.

Xu Ruo had ruined it.

I glanced at her.

She looked as composed as ever.

It seemed this girl wasn't as fragile as she appeared.

Seeing I couldn't do anything to her, Fu Yi smiled smugly again.

I had no choice but to continue with other questions.

Just then, my phone rang.

“Captain Xia, the pathologist's just found tiny traces of human tissue under the victim's nails. We've begun DNA comparisons. It may be tissue she scratched off the killer.”

“Any results yet? Is it Xiao Chen's?” I asked quickly.

“Not yet. I'll let you know as soon as we have them.”

“All right. Thank you.”

In the quiet hospital room, everyone could hear the caller.

I looked around calmly.

“I'm sure you all heard that. If the DNA isn't Xiao Chen's, I won't mind spending a few minutes taking samples from each of you.

“If the killer is among you, I suggest you confess now and seek leniency.”

An oppressive silence filled the room.

Only their breathing remained.

Ring... ring...

My phone's shrill ringing broke out again.

Just as I was about to answer, Liu Jie's legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees.

Sweat covered his forehead.

“I... I confess...” he said shakily.

Everyone but me looked astonished.

The corners of my mouth lifted slightly.

I casually declined the call.

That had been a performance arranged with my colleagues.

We hadn't found any human tissue under Fu Nian's nails at all.

But the killer wouldn't necessarily know that.

All it took was a flicker of unease. It would grow and grow until their defenses collapsed.

Sure enough...

A fish had taken the bait.

I looked coldly at Liu Jie.

“Get up. Tell me exactly what happened that night.”

Trembling, he rose and wiped his forehead.

“I'd had too much to drink. When I stumbled home... I walked in and saw Fu Nian just coming out of the bathroom. She was so beautiful... and I was drunk... I lost control for a moment...”

Smack!

Bai Qiao sprang up and slapped him.

Her voice shook with fury.

“You animal! So you raped Nian Nian and killed her?”

Flushing, Liu Jie frantically waved his hands.

“No! I didn't kill anyone! I don't know what came over me. I did try to assault her. But she fought hard, screamed, and slapped me. That sobered me up a little.

“I was about to apologize when she finished getting dressed and ran out.

“I'm telling you this because I was afraid you'd find my tissue under her nails and think I was the killer.”

He poured it all out in a panic, barely pausing to breathe.

I frowned.

His story...