The deceased's abdomen and stomach still contained remnants of eggs and fried dough sticks. The time of death was analyzed accurately based on factors like anal temperature and stomach contents. I also examined the deceased's lower body and legs; this woman likely had sexual intercourse at a very young age.
We must investigate Li Jing's social circle. Perhaps her unsavory acquaintances can provide us with some clues.
Taking off my rubber gloves, I went to the interrogation room. Li Jing's parents were discussing some details with Gao Mingqiang. Since Liu Yuning was unavailable, it was up to us.
I entered the interrogation room and asked Gao Mingqiang to step out. Upon seeing me, Li Jing said, "Officer He, I heard you're their team leader?"
"Yes, I am. Ladies and gentlemen, is Li Jing missing?"
"Yes, she is. Three nights ago, she was still in class. After evening study, she told us she was going to the supermarket to buy something and would be back a bit late. We waited at home, but she never returned. We tried calling her. At 10 PM, her phone was switched off. We were very surprised," Li Jing's father explained.
"We have no idea where this child has gone. She's never been like this before. We wanted to report it to the police early in the morning, but we knew they wouldn't file a report. So, we tried asking Li Jing's friends, teachers, and some relatives. We searched for a long time that night but couldn't find her. We only reported her missing after 24 hours. The police haven't found any news yet. We just found out she's dead. Sob, how could this happen? Our daughter, she was such an excellent child, and now she's gone. It's such a pity!"
Li Jing's mother continued.
I handed them tissues and asked, "Do you know about Li Jing's situation at school?"
"Her academic performance was very good, and her character was also excellent. She was even the sports representative in her class!"
"Is that so? Do you know if she smoked?" My sudden question startled Li Jing's parents, and her father was the first to retort, "How is that possible? Officer, are you mistaken?"
"During the autopsy, we discovered that Li Jing's lungs contained a large amount of nicotine. One of the bubbles was also diseased. If she had continued like this, she would have likely developed lung cancer soon!"
"How can this be? Our daughter was doing these things secretly, and we didn't know?" Li Jing's mother looked at me in shock. I showed her the report, otherwise, they wouldn't believe it.
Holding the report, they looked at the words with astonishment, as if they had been deceived for a long time. I added, "Based on this content, it's estimated she smoked before the incident."
"Li Jing, Li Jing, what's going on with you? We always thought you were our good girl, but who knew you were doing such things behind our backs? And now you've been murdered. Did you offend someone!" Li Jing's father muttered to himself, his expression filled with immense grief.
"I never expected you to be a liar, Li Jing. You even lied to your parents. What is going on? We raised you with so much hardship, and this is how you repay us? Even in death, we didn't know you were like this. Li Jing, you've truly deceived us terribly! Terribly! Sob, sob, sob!" Li Jing's mother cried profusely, clutching a large bundle of tissues and wiping away tears that seemed endless.
Seeing the two heartbroken parents, I knew the interrogation couldn't proceed for now. I temporarily ended the questioning and went outside the interrogation room, where I saw Gao Mingqiang. His face was also somber. He sighed, "Although I've never been a parent, I feel incredibly awkward right now. We..."
"Yes, as police officers, this is how it is. We get used to it. Mingqiang, why are you suddenly getting sentimental?"
"Team Leader He, how is Captain Liu doing?"
"I don't know yet. Shall we go see her?"
We walked down a corridor towards the detention room. Upon entering, we found Liu Yuning was not there. A detective informed me she was temporarily detained and would only be released once the suspicion was completely cleared.
I went to the detention cell. As if recognizing my footsteps, Liu Yuning immediately stood up. Through the bars, she stared at me nervously, her tired, anxious eyes emitting a dim light. She had deep dark circles, and her light makeup had smudged. Her once beautiful face was now just a picture of exhaustion.
"He Sheng."
Her lips trembled slightly as she uttered the two difficult words. I said, "Don't be nervous. I will definitely continue investigating for you. But now I need to ask you some detailed questions. You must tell me truthfully, okay?"
"Yes, ask away."
"Are you sure you've never known Liu Chuxin before?"
"Yes, why?"
"Nothing, just routine questioning. Did you go anywhere else before the incident? Did your hands touch anything or anyone suspicious?"
Facing this question, Liu Yuning fell into a long period of thought, recalling the events of that day. After a moment, she said, "No, wasn't I with you the whole time? I didn't even go to the restroom."
"I mean, before we went to the school together, did you?"
Liu Yuning fell into thought again. She gritted her teeth, her facial muscles tensing, and her hands gripping the steel bars. "No, it was like always. I ate breakfast and went to work. We live together, don't we? My lifestyle is similar to yours."
I nodded. "Next question, before the incident, did you see anyone suspicious around Liu Chuxin, or did you smell or see any strange odors or objects?"
This time, Liu Yuning answered quickly without much thought: "No, everything was normal. Honestly, I still don't understand how Liu Chuxin died. I've seen the report; she was poisoned, but it was transmitted through gas. She must have inhaled the toxin before going on stage, and it only took effect after some time."
This was consistent with our previous conclusion. It was like the ancient "seven-step poison," which wouldn't take effect until seven steps were taken after ingestion. This toxin also wouldn't manifest until a certain amount of time had passed.
This allowed the murderer to evade suspicion while eliminating their target. Now, we must find the real killer to completely clear Liu Yuning's name.
Or rather, to help her exonerate herself, because she didn't do anything wrong. As I was thinking, I noticed Liu Yuning was looking at me intently.
From her micro-expressions, it seemed she wanted to ask me something. I immediately replied, "I've already investigated Liu Chuxin's relationships. I didn't find anything."