“Enough eating we’re going to City No.1 High.”
Qin Shuo was still chewing half a pancake, his words muffled. “We just got back, why go again?”
“Swallow it first. Don’t spray crumbs everywhere.”
Qin Shuo gulped it down and wiped his mouth. “New lead?”
“Right. We’re heading to the school gym, then checking with the dorm supervisor to get a list of anyone missing from the dorm last night.”
“Got it, got it.” Qin Shuo grabbed his motorcycle keys, only to be stopped by Jiang Yanzhi. “Take the car keys.”
“That old clunker? It conks out every other day. The bike’s way faster.”
“It’s not just the two of us.”
Xu Jiu peeked out from behind Jiang Yanzhi and waved. “Hi.”
Qin Shuo blinked, mouth opening then he glanced back at the delicious dinner, grabbed a fried dumpling, and stuffed it in.
Jiang Yanzhi gave him a light kick. “Quit dawdling. Move.”
The old jeep was worn and rattled when it started, but it held together and made it to City No.1 High. Qin Shuo followed. “Boss what does the gym have to do with this?”
“Xu Jiu suspects the baby was born there.”
“Huh? How would she know?” His gaze drifted toward Xu Jiu’s stomach until Jiang Yanzhi grabbed him by the back of his neck. “Eyes off.”
“C’mon, who is she anyway? Why do you listen to her so much?”
“You’ll eat whatever she hands you without even asking who she is. You’re lucky you haven’t been poisoned.”
“I trust you! And who’d dare poison the police?”
“Quit your grinning.”
Xu Jiu tugged Jiang Yanzhi’s sleeve. “You haven’t told him?”
Jiang Yanzhi hesitated. For so long, Xu Jiu had wanted nothing to do with him crossing the street to avoid him. He’d never been in a position to introduce her.
Xu Jiu leaned forward. “Let me do the honors. I’m Jiang Yanzhi’s sister adopted, not blood related.”
Qin Shuo’s jaw dropped. If she had a phone, she’d snap a photo and save it for when he made deputy chief.
The gym was unlocked. As they stepped inside, a sharp, strange smell hit them. Qin Shuo fanned the air. “That’s strong.”
“Sweat and blood.”
“Blood?!”
Xu Jiu felt along the wall and flipped the lights. The vast room was empty. “Nobody here.” She breathed deeply, following the scent to two green training mats stacked against the wall. “Help me move these.”
Together they lowered the heavy mats with a dull thud. Qin Shuo jumped back, then froze at the dark, dried bloodstains.
“Dark red, fully dried, edges curling left several hours ago.” Xu Jiu pulled small scissors from her bag, cut out the stained section, folded it, and slipped it into an evidence bag.
Qin Shuo stared. “You you you…”
She kept searching found loose hairs, scratch marks along the edge, and tucked, torn plastic and tape wedged by the radiator, which she also collected. Jiang Yanzhi looked at her, then at the evidence they were on the right track.
She handed him the bag. “Match the blood type to the baby. The tape might have prints.”
He gripped the bag. “How do you know all this?”
“TV,” she said, touching her nose. “Let’s head to the dorms.”
The four story dorm had girls on the first two floors, boys above. The supervisor was a woman in her forties someone Xu Jiu barely knew; she’d never lived here and had skipped so many classes.
Jiang Yanzhi flipped through the attendance log. “Any girls away last night?”
“Three one for a funeral, one for a hospital appointment, and one with no explanation.”
“Her name?”
“Chen Qingqing, Senior Three, Class Three.” She frowned. “She hasn’t come back today either. No home number listed can’t reach anyone.”
“Room 206?”
“That’s right.”
Eight girls shared the room. They stood up nervously as the group entered.
“These officers want to ask about Chen Qingqing,” the supervisor said. “I’ll be downstairs call if you need me.”
A short haired girl stepped forward. “Is something wrong?”
Qin Shuo took notes. Jiang Yanzhi smiled gently. “Just a few questions. When did she leave?”
“Last night before bed check. She just said she had things to do.”
“Notice anything different lately?”
The girl nodded. “She stayed out sometimes, had more pocket money and gained weight.”
“Asked about it?”
“Said she was staying with a friend, and her family’s business was doing well.”
“Any boyfriend?”
Silence. Then “A boy came to see her her fellow townsman, Li Tianci, at the nursing school.”
Jiang Yanzhi and Xu Jiu exchanged a look Li Mingyuan’s autopsy report, the way the cord was tied Li Tianci might know the method.
“Anyone else?” Xu Jiu asked.
A chubby girl raised her hand. “I saw her with an older man hugging. He was tall, with his back to me. She seemed to rely on him.”
Outside, Jiang Yanzhi sent Qin Shuo to check sign outs while he took Xu Jiu to get Chen Qingqing’s address and photo. He kept glancing at her she’d grown up in the orphanage where his family had taken her in. He knew her better than almost anyone. How could she explain where she’d been? That she’d come back from the future? She’d sound insane.
Qin Shuo returned. “Signed out at 7:10 PM.”
“Address is in Yuqing Town two hours each way,” Jiang Yanzhi said. “First, Xu Jiu home.”
“But I’m coming with you.” She held his sleeve.
“School tomorrow.”
“I don’t care.”
He looked at her softened. “Beibei…”
That was her childhood name. She’d had it legally changed after her mother died. “Jiang Yanzhi.”
He sighed. No arguing.
Qin Shuo watched them in the rearview mirror. The toughest detective on the force, backing down just because she called his full name?
The jeep rattled into Yuqing Town. Villagers stepped out, curious. “Who’re you?”
“Police.”
“Old Chen’s place?” Neighbors gathered. “Something happened?”
“Just asking questions.”
“Told you something was off,” an older woman said. “New motorcycle, big TV wouldn’t say where the money came from.”
Xu Jiu tugged Jiang Yanzhi’s sleeve. “Something’s wrong.” Lights were on everywhere else only the Chen house was dark.
He knocked. No answer. He scaled the wall, dropped silently inside, and unlatched the gate. The door was unlocked. Flashlights swept the room then screams echoed.
On the floor lay a middle aged man and woman, dead in pools of dried blood. Hanging from the beam above was Chen Qingqing.