“Listen kid that is no way to speak Your brother is right there Is that any way to address him”
Xu Jiu glanced at Qin Shuo then looked straight at Jiang Yanzhi. “Did you find the baby’s biological father”
“Remarkable You must be a fortune teller”
Jiang Yanzhi spoke sharply. “Do not be ridiculous.”
Qin Shuo kept going. “The thing is she really is uncanny She knew exactly where Chen Qingqing gave birth And here is this ordinary high school girl not frightened by a body at all but knowing what to do with it”
Jiang Yanzhi listened his gaze heavy on her.
“It is nothing I have always loved watching crime shows He knows that” Xu Jiu met his eyes then looked away touching her nose nervously. “Say something Jiang Yanzhi.”
He spoke low. “It is true.”
With his support she stood her ground and turned to Qin Shuo. “You see It is a gift And you would have found out all this anyway.”
The police would have identified Chen Qingqing and located the place of birth eventually. She had simply moved things forward. The bell rang and Jiang Yanzhi gestured her to class. She did not move stepping closer. “I am coming with you.”
She still did not know who hurt Jiang Yanzhi or how badly only that he ended up in hospital. If not for her age she would stay by his side every moment.
“You have class.”
“It is Chinese My grades are excellent.”
He started to speak but she was already walking. “Are we going to the staff quarters”
“Yes.”
“Surely teachers are at school at this hour” Qin Shuo said.
“The principal said Wang Jianjun is on sick leave.”
“Convenient timing is it not”
“Exactly.”
The residential block stood just outside school grounds a ten minute walk. It was quiet during lessons. They went straight to Wang Jianjun’s second floor apartment an old communal building with shared kitchen and bathroom. The corridor was cluttered with furniture and large jars of pickled vegetables. Before they knocked shouting and crashing came from inside. A man’s voice sounded strained. “Stop it will you”
“Wang Jianjun this is not over”
Then silence save for muffled sounds. Qin Shuo knocked. All noise ceased. After a pause a voice called uncertainly. “Who is it”
“Police.”
Complete silence. Qin Shuo braced to force the door. Footsteps approached and it opened. A middle aged man stood there looking uneasy. “Officers what can I do for you”
Neighbors peered out curious. Wang Jianjun invited them in anxious not to draw attention. The room was in disarray with a fan remote and teapot on the floor. A woman in her forties was picking up broken glass. She winced and pulled back her hand a cut bleeding. Wang Jianjun hurried over. “Careless today Go and bandage it.” She nodded apologetically. “Excuse me.”
The apartment was small. A map and photographs hung on the wall Wang Jianjun in class their wedding photo. Certificates lined the shelves. Lesson plans and journals covered the desk. Wang Jianjun offered tea and pastries regaining composure. “Officers how may I help” He looked at Xu Jiu. “And you are not police are you”
“I am a senior student.”
“Should you not be in class What business do you have here”
Jiang Yanzhi’s expression hardened. “We ask the questions.”
Wang Jianjun fell silent glaring inwardly.
“Do you know Chen Qingqing”
“Yes she is in my class I have taught her since first year.”
“And beyond that”
“That is all sir.”
“Is it” Jiang Yanzhi narrowed his eyes. “We would not be here without evidence Is the baby found at the basketball court yours”
Wang Jianjun looked toward the bedroom. “Do not make accusations We have no such relationship.”
He was determined to deny it. Xu Jiu stepped forward and grabbed a handful of his hair. He cried out. “Do not think silence protects you” she said holding the hair. “DNA testing will prove everything.”
“DNA”
“It is widely used now It will show if you are the father.”
Wang Jianjun slumped defeated. “The child was mine But it was not my fault She led me on.”
“Did she drug you Or force you”
He fell silent staring at her shocked that such words should come from a girl. Qin Shuo stared open mouthed.
Jiang Yanzhi tapped the table. “Tell us exactly what happened.”
He had noticed her quiet and distracted her father violent when called in. When her grades dropped she came to him crying and he tried to comfort her. She had misunderstood and removed her clothing. “What was I supposed to do”
“State only facts.”
He had not contacted her parents instead tutoring her privately. Her grades improved. “When did you learn she was pregnant”
“In May She told me she had missed four months I took her to a clinic.” He and his wife had never had children despite twenty years of marriage. He had secretly hoped. “I gave her money to end it over summer But when term started she was too far along to hide it The doctor said it was too late I thought we could pretend it was an abandoned baby and my wife could adopt it But then the child was dead”
A loud thud came from the bedroom the wardrobe door slamming shut.
“So you killed her and her family in anger”
“Killed She is dead”
“Did you have contact after the birth”
“I tried I could not find her She was not at school or the dormitory.”
“Did you contact her parents”
He looked away fists clenched. “They were greedy I wanted nothing to do with them.”
“Where were you the night before and yesterday morning”
“At home and then at school Many will confirm.”
“Who else knew”
“Her parents And that boy from the health school.”
Jiang Yanzhi glanced toward the bedroom. “Your wife did not know”
“Never.”
Xu Jiu gestured to the mess. “What were you arguing about”
The door opened and his wife stepped out tearful. “I asked to use our savings for my brother’s wedding I found the money gone That is all.” She showed her bandaged hand. “Wang Jianjun you have betrayed me I want a divorce.”
They began shouting again. Jiang Yanzhi moved Xu Jiu behind him keeping them apart. Xu Jiu looked at the woman. “Where were you yesterday morning”
“At work at the department store All day.”
“Why not today”
“Everything is ruined What is the point”
“You lived together all this time and noticed nothing”
“We were busy If I had known I would have left.”
“So you knew nothing of Chen Qingqing before today”
She nodded. “Search the house if you want There is nothing left to hide.”
The home was modest. Wang Jianjun earned well as a teacher his wife worked in retail. In the bedroom her things filled most of the space his only a fifth.
“How is your relationship”
She looked confused. “Do you still share a bed” Qin Shuo looked at Jiang Yanzhi astonished.
“Once a week if we are lucky” she said blushing.
Xu Jiu asked both to give fingerprints and palm prints. Outside Qin Shuo asked why those questions.
“Someone can deceive you but not every single day” Xu Jiu said. “How could she see nothing at all”
“Maybe she just did not notice Or he hid it well.” Qin Shuo rubbed his chin. “Are we looking in the wrong place Could the Chen family deaths and the baby be two separate cases entirely”