Love Me if You Dare: Pristine Darkness

It was still dark outside when Fang Qing was awoken by the ringing of the telephone. After picking up and speaking two words into the telephone, every nerve in his body was awake. He hung up and immediately called Jian Yao.

The two of them set off before the sun came up. As they sat in their taxi, the entire city was still quiet, the street lights were lit, and only a few cleaners could be seen sweeping the ground here and there.

The two of them were alone on the road.

Jian Yao commented, “Xun City is quite near my hometown, Tong City. In fact, they are next to each other.”

Fang Qing asked, “Eh? Then, do you want to make time to visit?”

“No need.”

Fang Qing glanced at her, then said, “This Xun CIty is a bit interesting. I’ve looked at the information; their previous record of solving cases was already pretty good. This half year, they have the highest rate of solved cases in the entire province, and have even captured several criminals wanted nationwide. Awesome bstrds!”

Jian Yao smiled slightly. “Go and meet them.”

Fang Qing said, “This is case number 20-something that the two of us have taken on, right?”

Jian Yao gave it some thought, then replied, “Yup.”

Fang Qing suddenly laughed and said, “If we collect enough* cases, do you think the two of them will roll back to us?”

*T/N 七七四十九 (qi qi si shi jiu) – literally, seven sevens is forty-nine. This springs from the Chinese belief of what happens after a person dies, and the rituals to be performed thereof. After death, a person can be reincarnated anytime from the time of death to the 49th day after death, i.e., a person’s spirit can be in the ‘holding ground’ for a maximum of 49 days. So, the prayers/ rituals performed on the 49th day are to ‘celebrate’ the reincarnation and to wish the person a good new life. More here. I think that Fang Qing’s idea, therefore, is that, when they have solved enough cases, they will reach the ‘49th day’ and it is time for Bo Jinyan and An Yan to be ‘reincarnated’ i.e. return to life/ to them. Because of the idea of a cycle of reincarnation, Fang Qing uses the word ‘roll’.

Jian Yao looked straight ahead and did not say anything.

This Special Cases Unit, with only two remaining members, was still the Special Cases Unit.

After disembarking from the aeroplane, they still had to travel by car for another two and a half hours. When Jian Yao and Fang Qing walked out of the coach station, they saw two police cars belonging to the local police station waiting outside.

Shao Yong was in front. He extended his hand to them and said, “Welcome, Teacher Jian, Team Leader Fang. I am Shao Yong, Captain of the City Criminal Investigation Team. Many thanks for coming to help us handle this case.”

Jian Yao and Fang Qing busied themselves with the customary greetings and remarks. Both sides got into the car together. As Jian Yao examined Shao Yong’s appearance more closely, she was suddenly taken aback.

They had arrived in a rush, so she had not paid special attention to the information on the local police officers. However, the minute she set eyes on Shao Yong, tall and rugged, with a strong and determined appearance, she felt a sense of deja vu. But, as she had undertaken so many cases and met so many people in these past few years, and did not have Bo Jinyan’s ability to remember every face she came across, she just could not recall where she had met him previously.

In that moment where she was taking stock of Shao Yong, he opened the car door, looked up, and met her gaze.

The old criminal investigator’s eyes were as deep as water. They seemed to harbour some warmth, but they were tightly guarded, and Jian Yao could not penetrate their depths.

   ——

This was a very warped, yet also a very creative murder case.

Jian Yao could not help but make this assessment.

At the very least, it was something she had never come across before. Moreover, when she looked through the crime scene photographs, she felt terrified.

In the office of the City Criminal Investigation Team, the lights were all off, and slides were being projected. Shao Yong was chairing the meeting; Jian Yao and Fang Qing were seated next to him. A criminal investigator was currently introducing the case:

“Deceased is Nie Shijun, 24 years old, female, a local. Worked in the finance department of a software company. Single, never married.”

A photograph of a young girl appeared on the screen. Short hair, average height, thin, wearing an ordinary blouse and pants. It should be a live photograph. There was no smile on Nie Shijun’s face.

Because Bo Jinyan had done some reading into the research on micro-expressions, Jian Yao had come to some conclusions on people’s expressions in the past few years. Nie Shijun looks were ordinary and she seemed reserved, so it seemed that she was somewhat introverted. In short, she was nothing to write home about.

“The body was found by a cleaner at Wangjiang Park at 5:30 a.m. yesterday morning. The forensic specialist’s preliminary conclusion is that death occurred between 2200 hrs and 2300 hrs the previous night. The cause of death was a rope wrapped around the neck, which led to mechanical suffocation. When we were alerted, we sealed off the crime scene before the park opened.”

A small path leading deep into the woods appeared on the screen. The stone-flagged path meandered its way onwards, decorated with rocks at the side. The side of the path was overgrown with flowers and plants.

Nie Shijun was huddled in the middle of the path.

“It’s a butterfly,” Shao Young said in a low voice. “I’ve already consulted some of the teachers at the province’s Insect Research Institute by phone, and this pattern is very similar to a species of butterfly known as the Papilio Maraho. It is common to quite a few cities in this province. However, because the environmental conditions in the past few years have not been good, the species has dropped significantly in number.”

Papilio Maraho

The criminal investigators held whispered discussions, while Fang Qing tilted his head to look at Jian Yao and asked softly, “What are your feelings on this?”

Jian Yao’s eyes were firmly fixed on the screen. Slowly, she said, “I sense that he is very patient, but is also highly repressed.

A shiver of apprehension crossed Fang Qing’s face.

The criminal investigator continued with his introduction of the case. “An investigation was quickly launched yesterday. Currently, what we understand of the situation is as follows:

First, the incident took place at a remote location in the depths of the park, and there were no surveillance cameras in the vicinity. It was very late at the time, and there were no witnesses. The camera at the entrance of the park captured Nie Shijun running into the park at 22:05, from which we can infer that she arrived at the scene of the crime between 22:20 and 22:25. This is in line with the time of death suggested by the forensic investigator.

Second, Nie Shijun’s family situation is simple. Her parents live at their old home, and she had no siblings. According to her colleagues at the software company, she was reserved, followed the rules rigidly, and had very little social interaction. She hardly interacted with her colleagues as well. She had never been in conflict with anyone, and also had no financial issues. She had ¥10,000 (about USD 1490) in a fixed term deposit and more than ¥2,000 in available cash, no debt.

Third, Nie Shijun had few friends. The only person close to her was her roommate and university classmate, a girl named Feng Yuexi. However, the day before the incident, Feng Yuexi went home to the countryside and is only returning today. We’ve already sent men to the bus station, and she should be at the police station very soon.”

Fang Qing blinked and said, “So, what you’re saying is, there are no obvious reasons or clues to suggest this incident was due to revenge, passion or a financial dispute. Nie Shijun was simply killed in this strange manner, out of the blue.”

“That’s it,” replied Shao Yong. “That’s why we’re asking the criminal psychologist for help.” He looked at Jian Yao just at the moment she turned her gaze towards him. She nodded and said, “We’ll do our best.”

“Then, Teacher Jian, do you think he’s that kind of person?” Shao Yong asked.

Jian Yao looked directly at him and replied, “There is only one such case at the moment, so we can’t draw a conclusion as yet. However, we will endeavour to unearth the hidden clues as quickly as possible and come up with a portrait of the criminal.”

   ——

Not long after the meeting, the most important person in the case, Nie Shijun’s good friend, Feng Yuexi, arrived at the police station. Jian Yao and Fang Qing listened to her interrogation together, at the side.

When Feng Yuexi first appeared, it was clear to everyone that she was very different from Nie Shijun.

Feng Yuexi sat in the interrogation room wearing a bat-wing T-shirt paired with capri pants and high heels. Jian Yao recognised the clothes as being from a fairly well-established brand, where the prices were not low. Coupled with her long hair which trailed over her shoulders and her lightly made-up face, it was clear at a glance that she was a very good-looking woman. She was also not the least bit reserved. Although her eyes were red and swollen due to her crying, those tear-filled eyes seemed to speak volumes when she looked at the criminal investigators. Moreover, she answered all the criminal investigators’ questions in a very cooperative manner. She was evidently a good communicator, and a calm person.

Feng Yuexi held the paper cup in both hands, as if that would help her warm up a little. In truth, she was still unable to fully accept the fact that Nie Shijun had unexpectedly been killed.

“You’re Nie Shijun’s best friend. As far as you know, did she have any enemies?” asked the criminal investigator.

Feng Yuexi shook her head. “No. Shijun . . . she was a person of few words, and she kept in contact with very few people. She would definitely not make enemies of anyone.”

“Did she have a boyfriend? Or a man she was close to?”

Feng Yuexi shook her head again. “No. She didn’t have a boyfriend.”

“Is it possible that a man was pursuing her whom you didn’t know about?”

“No,” Feng Yuexi answered with conviction. “She was almost always at home. If not, she was out with me. She definitely had no boyfriend.”

Having said this, memories of past incidents surfaced in Feng Yuexi’s mind —

Outsiders always viewed Nie Shijun as reserved and anti-social, someone very difficult to get close to. In reality, after sufficient interaction, one would discover that she was meticulous in her thinking, gentle, and proper.

Feng Yuexi remembered their daily breakfasts, Nie Shijun standing in the entrance hall, smiling as she said, “Xixi, what do you want to eat for dinner? I’ll buy it after I get off work.” She always cheered, “Shijun, you’re too capable! May you have a long life*!”

*T/N 万岁 (wan shui) – literally, 10,000 years (in essence, to live forever). This is the traditional greeting given to the king, usually repeated three times i.e. “万岁, 万岁, 万万岁!”

She remembered, when the two of them went shopping together, Nie Shijun picking up a powder foundation compact and handing it to her with a small smile on her face, saying, “This colour really suits you.”

She also remembered the time she had relationship issues and sat on the sofa to brood in silence. Nie Shijun walked over to her, sat down beside her and said, “Xixi, I don’t think they are a good match for you. A good-looking man with poor academic qualifications, what can he aspire to? A white-collar worker with zero interests and inclinations, without humour or charisma, can you really see yourself with him?”

At that time, Feng Yuexi had also been stricken with a sense of panic. Naturally, a superior tone crept into her voice as she said, “Shijun, you don’t know, and I don’t know, why they both like me so much. The three of us grew up together and they have always treated me well. However, all these years, and I still can’t choose . . .”

. . . . . .

But, now, that girl who always asked after her, who cared for her in every way possible, who gave her advice on her relationships, had been suddenly, cruelly murdered by some stranger. Everyone was saying it was a fearsome serial killer.

On thinking of these things, Feng Yuexi felt a deep sorrow, and when she considered Nie Shijun once more, all the thoughts she associated with her were good. She looked up and said to the criminal investigator, “Officer, please, you must catch the killer and avenge Shijun!”

She sobbed aloud, and the criminal investigator was also moved. She handed Yuexi a tissue and said, “Rest assured, we will do our best.”

Separated from the interrogation room by dark glass, Shao Yong said, “There is ample proof that she was not here. The day before the incident she had returned to her old home, and just came back today. Bus tickets, eyewitnesses and surveillance footage all support this.”

Fang Qing and Jian Yao both nodded. Jian Yao said, “Looking at her emotional reaction, she probably had no knowledge.”

At this point, the criminal investigator asked Feng Yuexi, “Did Nie Shijun go for a run at the same time every day?”

Feng Yuexi managed to get her emotions in check and her voice was much calmer when she replied, “Yes. She always has a plan to do things. Every night, she would leave at 9:45 p.m. for the park to run, and return at 11 p.m. when the park closed. It was like this every day.”

“Did you run with her?”

“At the beginning . . . after running with her for a few days, I stopped.”

“Apart from you, who else knew her running routine?”

Feng Yuexi stared blankly for a while before lowering her head to think. She answered, “Probably only me. Maybe the neighbours noticed.”

A few more questions later, it was clear that no further valuable information could be extracted. The criminal investigator then said, “Ok, let’s stop here. Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll get in touch with you if we need anything else.”

Feng Yuexi expressed her willingness to cooperate at any time.

The criminal investigator then said, “We’ll arrange for a car to send you back later.”

Feng Yuexi replied, “Thanks, but there’s no need. My friend is driving here to get me. I’m not going to stay at home for the time being; I’m staying at a friend’s place.

“That’s good. Please take care.”

   ——

Jian Yao and Fang Qing decided to take a look around the crime scene.

Both of them decided to rest for a short period in the police station dormitory. When Jian Yao got up, it was already twilight. As she walked quickly to the station entrance, she could see Fang Qing in the distance, standing next to a police car, but his eyes were directed elsewhere. Jian Yao followed his line of vision and realised he was looking at the guardhouse. Inside, the gatekeeper was watching television.

It was a period drama starring the currently popular movie queen, Jin Xiaozhe.

Jian Yao stood, motionless. She also did not call out to him.

Fang Qing had already noticed her. Without any discernible emotion on his face, he turned his head to say, “Let’s go. Let’s have a good look at the crime scene.”