Chapter 4

Something likely to make her lose the job.

So she had been forced to reunite with him.

But she knew perfectly well that this man would ruin her entire life.

At this point, I looked directly at her.

“So… you wanted Đông Minh dead, didn’t you?”

“From Tuyết Mai’s perspective, he was no worse than the other thugs who stopped you at the cinema.”

“If she hadn’t even considered taking revenge on them, killing him doesn’t really fit her revenge plan, does it?”

She had no answer to those questions.

My conviction strengthened.

The second killer might well be her.

But her next response defied my expectations.

“So what if I wanted him dead?”

Having had almost the entire truth guessed, she showed no guilt.

Instead, she challenged me loudly.

“That scum already ruined years of my life. He wanted to ruin the rest too…”

“I wanted him dead. I truly wanted him dead. So what?”

I stared into her eyes and demanded:

“So you conspired with Tuyết Mai to kill him? At the very least, you helped her enter the home, didn’t you?”

She shook her head.

“No. Arrest me if you have evidence. I didn’t do it.”

“I simply wanted him dead.”

Her answer was firm and full of hatred.

She seemed to know we had nothing else.

Unable to get more from her, I changed direction.

To Tuyết Mai.

I wanted to drive a wedge between them.

If their relationship cracked, the truth might emerge.

Until we found solid evidence, it was the only approach we could try.

Tuyết Mai still wore that strange, vacant smile.

I recounted my entire conversation with Lệ Hồng.

As the smile faded, I could not help reproaching her.

“You’ve been deceived.”

“She used you to get rid of Đông Minh.”

“Do you know why we found you near Tuấn Thành’s building? She told us. She sold you out.”

She was silent for a long time, apparently thinking.

Then she raised her head.

And smiled again.

“I wasn’t being used.”

“I used her to kill Đông Minh.”

I was stunned.

Still smiling, she continued.

“I’m ill, so I can’t remember properly.”

“Now you’ve reminded me, perhaps I stole her key.”

“But she knew nothing about it.”

I was genuinely astonished.

Even knowing Lệ Hồng might have been using her, she took all responsibility.

Her answers also carefully left room to establish that she had acted during an episode of her illness.

I couldn’t stop myself asking:

“She had her own agenda.”

“And you still think she’s a friend who always has your interests at heart?”

Tuyết Mai looked up.

“Because… I have plenty of selfishness of my own.”

“But she’s put up with me all these years.”

She smiled until her eyes reddened.

“She stayed beside me for so many years…”

“Through the illness, the pain, the madness…”

“Apart from my father…”

“She was the only one.”

Her gaze was astonishingly clear.

For a moment, I had no idea what to say.

“She was the only one,” she repeated softly.

Then I realized I might have been wrong.

Perhaps Lệ Hồng had not schemed to use Tuyết Mai to kill Đông Minh.

Perhaps Tuyết Mai had wanted, from the beginning, to rid her friend of the scum who could destroy her life.

Because her own life had already been destroyed.

If Lệ Hồng was not the second killer, only one person remained.

Tuyết Mai’s father.

Trang Chí Quân.

None of our evidence or leads pointed directly to Chí Quân.

He was only assisting as the suspect’s relative.

While waiting, he remained free to contact people.

To my surprise, he already had a lawyer ready.

Clearly, he had prepared in advance.

He spoke coherently throughout our discussions.

Nor did he blindly defend his daughter.

But every word reflected one unwavering belief.

Her crime had arisen from psychiatric illness.

I did not want to argue that point at length.

There would be a forensic assessment.

Its findings would directly affect whether she bore criminal responsibility.

That was for later.

My concern was the second killer.

I tried to draw information out of Chí Quân.

He was far more seasoned than I was.

Calmer.

Harder to read.

I got nothing.

But when I stressed that the killer must be severely punished by law, his expression changed.

After a moment’s thought, he asked:

“Officer, tell me…”

“Have the people who hurt my daughter ever been severely punished by law?”

I had no answer.

He spoke slowly.

“No.”

“The law never punished them.”

“They lived very well.”

“That was what finally broke her.”

“Why should bad people live so well?”

“If nothing happened to them, perhaps my daughter could no longer have gone on living.”

“That’s why I said I wouldn’t blame her, whatever she did.”

I forced myself to respond firmly.

“But private punishment cannot replace the law.”

“Murder is a serious crime.”

“So is being an accomplice.”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

“You’re right.”

“I agree with all of that.”

“But you can look up the civil cases I filed.”

“They’re in the judicial system. Easy to find.”

“Tuấn Thành invented lies about my daughter.”

“But he deleted his posts, so there wasn’t enough evidence to open a case.”

“I brought an action myself.”

“It was dismissed before a hearing.”

“They told me courts don’t judge truth. Only evidence.”

“Just like now.”

“You suspect I’m an accomplice.”

“But without evidence, you can’t do anything.”

“Speculation isn’t enough.”

“I trust you understand.”

He was right.

We had no evidence.

I could not argue.

He continued.

“Do you know what I learned?”

“One thing.”

“Rules can only restrain people willing to follow them.”

“Look.”

“Tuấn Thành didn’t follow the rules.”

“I tried to use the rules against him and could do nothing.”

“So there was truly no other way.”

His teeth clenched.

I could feel the weight in his voice.

“So I think…”

“Perhaps it’s good that my daughter has gone mad.”

“I’ll care for her all her life.”

“As long as she’s alive.”

“That’s enough…”

I understood.

And felt a chill.

What he was implying was that Tuyết Mai had stepped outside the law’s power to restrain her.

We investigators still had to act within it.

I was trapped in that thought when Tuấn came to find me, ending the conversation.

We had new evidence.

We had found where the weapons were hidden.

Tuyết Mai had disclosed the location.

The weapons bore only her fingerprints.

And the victims’ blood.

There were also the clothes and shoes used during the crimes, all bloodstained.

Two sets altogether.

Since she had been perfectly clean when arrested, this supported the theory that she had changed afterward.

Among the hidden items was a key to Lệ Hồng’s home.

The evidence was complete.

Tuấn had also investigated the number used to tell Tuấn Thành he had won the smart lock.

It was an overseas virtual number.

We could not trace its origin.

Every tangible piece of evidence pointed to one person.

Tuyết Mai.

There were no other suspects.

I sighed and helplessly accepted reality.

Even Tuấn, who had first suspected a second killer, had to concede before that complete chain of evidence.

The killer was Tuyết Mai.

An exceptionally dangerous woman in the grip of mental illness.

During an episode, even four or five people could not restrain her.

She was therefore capable of killing that many people.

What sentence she would ultimately receive was a matter for the procuratorate and the court.

A few weeks later, I happened to see a community officer at a local station taking a report from a man.

I noticed because I recognized him.

Tuấn Thành.

He produced an A4 sheet and said he had been threatened.

Newspaper letters had been cut out and pasted into a sentence.

“Get out of this city, or die.”

The officer considered it, then asked seriously:

“Have you offended anyone?”

“No!” Tuấn Thành answered emphatically.

“Definitely not!”

I didn’t hear the rest.

I don’t know how the officer answered.

But several phrases automatically echoed in my mind.

“Wasn’t it only a joke…”

“If you haven’t offended anyone, what are you afraid of?”

“True gold doesn’t fear the fire, does it?”