If Xie Chuchu hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have noticed the handprint on the corpse umbrella. I quickly compared it with the headless female corpse in front of me and found that there was indeed a handprint on the victim's neck. I extended my hand to measure it and soon said, "The killer once grabbed the victim's neck and whipped her 91 times with a leather whip! Judging by the wounds on the body, it was at least 91 lashes!"
"How much hatred is this to whip someone that many times?" Gao Mingqiang exclaimed in surprise.
"Based on the size of the handprint, it should belong to a man about 1.8 meters tall and weighing around 50 kilograms. This should be the killer's physical characteristics. Everyone, search the vicinity for the victim's head!" Liu Yuning instructed. The others responded and began searching the desolate mountain.
I used cotton swabs to collect some fibers from the victim's skin for later DNA verification. I then examined the victim's waist, shoulders, and ankles, but found no signs of struggle or rope marks from being bound. Only her wrists had bruises, and we had just found a pair of handcuffs here!
The headless female corpse was affixed to the stone statue's waist like a condemned prisoner. Looking at the handcuffs, Gao Mingqiang said, "These handcuffs look just like the ones in our police station!"
"Let's compare them when we get back and see if they're available online," Liu Yuning said. Just as she finished speaking, I shook my head and said, "No need to compare. These are from our police station. Look, there's our public security mark here."
"Right? How could this be? Could it be that... that this female victim was a female police officer?" Liu Yuning said in horror.
Her speculation wasn't impossible, but as I fumbled through the victim's clothes, I found no identification. Her phone was also missing, likely taken by the killer.
However, by taking the victim's head, he clearly didn't want us to determine her identity too quickly.
As I stood up, the police officers who had gone to search for the victim's head returned, but they all reported that they hadn't found it.
This was within my expectations. After all, the killer wouldn't just discard the victim's head nearby. If he did, he might as well have not decapitated her in the first place.
"He Xin has already investigated the nearest surveillance cameras downhill. It's probably meaningless to search now. We can only take the body back," I suggested.
By now, Liu Yuning dared not argue with me. She said with sincere admiration, "I admit defeat in our bet. If the case is solved, I'll treat you to Haidilao?"
"Oh? Giving up so soon? Don't you not believe in the principles of Qiankun Bagua?" I teased her intentionally.
"But the White Tiger has already appeared," Liu Yuning said with embarrassment.
"Yes, if my estimation is correct, the killer's next crime scene will be inside a building in the easternmost or southernmost part of Fuming City. So, we need to be prepared to catch him!" I said.
"Ah! Are you sure?"
"Of course. The Qiankun Bagua formation has already completed the north and west sides. Now only the east and south remain, and finally, it's estimated to be the center of Fuming City!" I said meaningfully.
"I truly hope you're wrong this time, otherwise, there will be at least three more victims!" Liu Yuning said, although unwillingly, the facts were the facts, and she had no choice but to accept them.
I patted her shoulder and said, "Let He Xin investigate thoroughly first, and then confirm the victim's identity. If she is indeed a police officer, we must find a way to compensate her family."
"I understand. Let's go back!" Liu Yuning drove me to the police station. The female corpse was taken by Xie Chuchu and Xiao Dong for examination. However, since she was headless, we could only investigate missing female officers from the police force.
Fortunately, we were quite lucky. A female officer named Zang Yiqing from our police station had recently gone missing. We notified Zang Yiqing's family, who came to identify her. Her husband and an 8-year-old son were present.
Upon learning of his wife's death, Li Fan, Zang Yiqing's husband, approached her body.
That's right, Li Fan was Zang Yiqing's husband. Zang Yiqing was once a member of the Special Police Unit. It was unexpected that she would be targeted by the killer.
When I asked Li Fan, he sadly told me, "A few days ago, Zang Yiqing said she was going on a very important mission. I never expected that this time she left, she would never return!"
"When was this?" I asked after offering some comfort.
Li Fan provided the date, which corresponded with the time of death. I continued, "And what was your marital relationship like?" This question was a bit sensitive, but Li Fan didn't seem overly surprised and directly replied, "We special police officers are always very busy. We basically only see each other during work hours, and we have too few opportunities to be home."
"It's actually quite fortunate that you work in the same place. Many police officers, because they are often away from home, have unhappy marriages."
"I understand, Consultant He. When I applied to become a special police officer, I considered this issue, but every time I think of my sister, I can't let go. That incident back then..."
Li Fan told me that four years ago, his sister was a people's special police officer. Four bank robbers had hijacked a bus. To save the people on board, she clashed with the robbers and was stabbed to death.
Li Fan witnessed his sister being killed that day, but he was powerless to do anything. Later, the four robbers were shot and killed by the special police unit, but his sister would never return.
From then on, he vowed to join the "Hunter Squad," which is the current designation of the Special Police Unit.
Recalling the past, Li Fan told me, "Over the years, I've come to terms with it. We in this line of work must be prepared to sacrifice ourselves for the police force and the people at any time!"
I nodded and said earnestly, "Captain Li, please don't be sad! We will definitely find the killer for you. If you need anything in the future, I will not hesitate to ask for your help!"
"Consultant He, I understand. I won't be disheartened by this. I know I am a people's special police officer!"
"Captain Li, with those words from you, I am reassured."
"Yes, Consultant He, you go and get busy!"
I walked out of the interrogation room. Xiao Dong was looking for me everywhere. He came up to me and said, "Consultant He, please come to the forensic laboratory. We are about to begin the autopsy!"
"Alright!" I followed Xiao Dong directly to the laboratory. Facing Zang Yiqing's body, I felt an immense heaviness, as I was about to perform an autopsy on a colleague, and this corpse was headless.