The suspect was clearly irritated, which scared Lin Dongxue, but Chen Shi simply pressed a hand on his shoulder and stared at him. "Do you know what we found on the victim, Gu Mengxing?"
"What?" The guy was caught off guard.
Chen Shi whispered, "A sexually transmitted disease."
The guy's face turned bright red, and he glanced at Lin Dongxue. "So, you're asking if we... did that?"
"Had sex?"
His face flushed deeper. After some hesitation, he stammered, "We booked a hotel once. After a monthly meeting, it was late, and I jokingly asked her if she wanted to go to a hotel. To my surprise, she agreed... It was my first time, so I was nervous... Is this relevant to the case?"
"Did you use protection?"
"Yeah, I put on a condom halfway."
"Did you contract any diseases?"
"No, I've been healthy."
"When was this?"
"Two months ago."
The guy looked at Lin Dongxue, embarrassed. Chen Shi patted his shoulder. "Thanks, this helps a lot with our investigation."
"Can I go now, Officer?"
"Wait. How did Gu Mengxing spend her rest days?"
"Wednesdays."
"Always Wednesdays?"
He thought for a moment and retrieved a schedule. "The company originally gave her Mondays off, but she swapped with Xiao Zhang last year, so she took Wednesdays."
Chen Shi studied the schedule thoughtfully. "One last question—did Gu Mengxing have any close female friends?"
"I'm not sure."
"Thanks."
Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue left the office. Lin Dongxue asked, "Why ask about her friends? Are you suspecting one of them?"
Chen Shi replied, "From criminal psychology, female killers usually have direct motives, especially emotional ones. I'm almost certain the woman in my car knew Gu Mengxing."
"Criminal psychology?" Lin Dongxue was incredulous.
"Come on, can't a taxi driver read a book? Stop questioning my expertise."
"I'm still curious about how professional you are," Lin Dongxue muttered. "So, what's next? Are we narrowing down suspects by investigating the victim's relationships?"
"I'll leave that to you…" Chen Shi's phone rang. It was a fellow taxi driver. On the phone, his friend yelled, "Old Chen, did you do something wrong? Cops came asking where you were three nights ago."
After a brief chat, Chen Shi hung up, smiling. "Your brother is something else. He led the entire task force into a dead end. They're still checking taxis. How can people be so stubborn?"
Lin Dongxue stomped her foot. "Don't talk bad about my brother!"
"I'm just stating facts. By the way, if you want to make progress, don't rely on the task force—check the victim's relationships yourself."
"I'm solving this case to clear the victim's name, not for personal gain!" Lin Dongxue scoffed.
"Alright, bring your brother along and tell him we're both working on this."
Lin Dongxue was left speechless. Chen Shi lit a cigarette. "The next phase of the investigation will yield big results. If you want to make progress, contact me when you find someone who fits the profile."
"Profile? What profile?"
Chen Shi rubbed his chin. "A woman, about 25, attractive, around 175 cm tall. Probably a doctor, someone meticulous and introverted."
"How do you know she's a doctor?"
"Gu Mengxing was a pharmaceutical rep. She likely knew doctors."
"If that's the case, they might have had business dealings?"
"Not necessarily. Reps usually only deal with hospital executives. And to get client data, we'd need a search warrant, which could take time. Since they're around the same age, I think they might've been classmates, especially from university."
These were basic investigative techniques, but when Chen Shi spoke, it sounded clear and logical. Lin Dongxue nodded and wrote it all down.
"I'm off. I'm not working today. If I don't get some fares tonight, I'll be starving. Call me if anything comes up." Chen Shi headed out.
After parting ways, Chen Shi didn't go to work but instead went to the crime scene. Three days had passed, and the police had removed the caution tape. Chen Shi walked along the dim stone beach, listening to the waves, his hands in his pockets.
He scanned the ground for clues, but the wind and sun had erased any traces.
After walking around in vain, Chen Shi sighed and muttered to himself, "It's all in the past. Why can't I let go? Is this just my fate?"
As he looked up, he noticed an elderly woman picking up trash by the road. She was carrying a sack full of bottles and cans but wore a wine-red waist-length coat, which seemed out of place.
Chen Shi immediately noticed a detail: the coat had double-breasted buttons, but one was missing. He had an epiphany and muttered, "Could it be the victim's...?"
He quickly approached her and politely asked, "Excuse me, where did you get that coat?"
The elderly woman looked at him warily. "I found it in the trash. What do you want?"
Chen Shi smiled. "Don't worry, I just thought the style was nice. Would you be willing to sell it?"
The woman hesitated, then nervously covered her chest. "What? Are you trying to steal it?"
Chen Shi took out his wallet, counted three hundred-yuan bills, and said, "I'd like to buy it from you."
After some hesitation, the woman agreed. Chen Shi carefully placed the coat in a plastic bag, making sure not to leave any fingerprints.
Once the woman left, Chen Shi looked at the coat and said with a smile, "An unexpected gain!"