Case is a little sexual this time around. Don’t remember if it’s always been like this, but this is definitely not for the light-hearted!
Chapter 55: Their relationship is secret, pure, and passionate. Everything is up to him to control.
The sun rose from behind the distant mountains, and the entire mountain range was bathed in bright, golden light. The grass became even more verdantly green, and the contrast with the corpse caused the scene to look like a vivid, quietly beautiful and yet horrific picture.
Ji Bai, Xu Xu and several senior criminal investigators stood at the periphery. After the forensic examiner had concluded his examination, he stood up and walked over: "The time of death is estimated to be sometime early in the morning, the day before yesterday. The preliminary theory is that death was by potassium cyanide poisoning, which is the probable cause for the ruddiness of the deceased's face. In addition, the wrists and ankles bear shackle marks, and the vagina is red and swollen, with lacerations. There are no other visible marks. More definite conclusions will be made after the autopsy."
Everyone was silent – looking at it this way, this case was looking more like homicide, as well as rape.
Ji Bai's face was sombre as he asked: "Has the identity of the deceased been ascertained?"
Zhao Han replied: "We're still investigating."
While the forensic examiner was very carefully moving the body, Xu Xu walked over, and stared wordlessly at the soft, fair, and beautiful face.
The investigators were spread out over the crime scene. Xu Xu stood in front of the corpse for a while, then walked over the Ji Bai's side. He was standing at the rocky crag behind the location where the corpse had originally been laid out, completely lost in thought.
"There was a lot of thought put into the choice of location for dumping the body." He pointed at the marks in the soil at the base of the rocky crag, and said: "There's evidence of a history of mudslides in this area. That is to say, when it's the rainy season, the corpse would have been buried very quickly."
Xu Xu interjected: "The murderer did not want the body to be found."
Ji Bai nodded, and continued: ""This mountain range has only one narrow road, and there's no surveillance to monitor the area for several kilometres. If the criminal drove a car, there's no way it would have been captured (on camera or CCTV). The vegetation on the mountain is dense, and I'm afraid it will be very difficult to find the criminal's footprints." Having said this, he lifted his head, and noticed that Xu Xu's face was pale.
After checking to see that nobody was around, Ji Bai strode to her side: "What's wrong? You're not feeling well?"
Xu Xu: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."
On the way there, Ji Bai had been entirely focused on the case, and had not given her any thought. It was only now that he remembered she had not eaten for almost an entire day, and had rushed there at night. No wonder she was tired. He said softly: "In a while, when we go down the mountain, I'll carry you. Once we leave the mountain range, let's find something to eat."
Xu Xu felt warmth spreading through her body, but, as there were still investigators from the district around, she replied: "You don't need to carry me. It will not leave a good impression. I'm fine."
Ji Bai reached out a hand to caress her head: "There's nothing wrong with that. It's perfectly justifiable (天经地义 – in line with the principles of heaven and earth) for a male colleague to look after a female colleague. After all, I can't let any other male colleague carry you, can I?"
Xu Xu laughed as well. The two of them did not speak further, but continued their individual examination of the turf around the corpse.
In the end, the results were as Ji Bai had anticipated. The criminal investigators searched the entire mountain, but had come up empty. The criminal had left behind no footprints, no hair, or any other physical evidence.
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It was afternoon by the time everyone returned to the city. The detailed forensic report came out straight after, confirming the morning's theories. In addition, the remnants of a drug had been discovered in the corpse, identified as the Japan-made (liquid) drug 'Inverma'. This was a drug that created strong arousals in females, and could be bought off the Internet. A small dose would result in a heightened state of excitement, while also bringing about intense sexual hallucinations.
When Xu Xu returned to the police station, the first thing she did was to climb onto the sofa in Ji Bai's office to take a nap, to replenish her energy. When she woke up, the sky was already dark, and the others had left to continue their investigations. The office was empty and quiet. After a moment's thought, she got up and went to the morgue.
She had already graduated, and was officially a criminal investigator. Following Ji Bai's suggestion, and with the approval of the Department Head, she could work independently, focusing her efforts on the psychology of the criminal. It was only when collective action was required that she would have to comply with Ji Bai's assignment of responsibilities.
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The morgue was bright and spacious, and the air was cool. The staff were seated at the office area outside, industriously writing their reports. Only the corpse lay all alone on a metal platform.
Xu Xu put on gloves, lifted up the covering cloth, and examined the corpse methodically, inch by inch. She caught the faint trace of fragrance on the corpse; it seemed to be the scent of Johnson's Milk Bath. While she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a familiar, low voice behind her: "What did you discover?"
It was Ji Bai. He had just returned, and his handsome face was solemn, his dark eyes quiet. His tall body seemed like it had absorbed the chill and desolation of the night air.
Without looking up, Xu Xu said: "The corpse's throat is red and swollen. Why?"
Ji Bai pondered briefly before answering: "According to the autopsy, she's taken some sexual stimulants, and her body also shows signs of frequent sexual intercourse."
Xu Xu understood – due to the influence of the drug, the deceased would have been shouting hysterically during sexual intercourse, thus causing her throat to be red and swollen.
She continued to examine the corpse, while Ji Bai stood beside her flipping through the autopsy report. After a while, Xu Xu asked: "Her pubic hair has been shaved off completely… why is that? Is it to make her look clean and enticing? Would this cause men to be more excited?"
"Should be."
Xu Xu frowned, and turned her head to look at Ji Bai: "I don't quite understand – is this preference something only a few men would express?"
Ji Bai thought awhile: "It's not unique, a lot of men would like this."
Xu Xu nodded: "However, given the other circumstances surrounding the corpse, I feel that the murderer is especially fascinated with this point."
When the forensic examiner arrived, Ji Bai took him aside and spoke to him in whispers. Xu Xu had just about concluded her examination of the corpse, so she covered it carefully, then pulled up a chair to sit facing the corpse, looking intently at the face.
Subconsciously, several scattered clues connected rapidly with each other in Xu Xu's mind, forming a picture that floated to the forefront —
It should be a very quiet, softly lit room. The woman's hands and legs would be restrained by chains, and she could only beg for mercy from the man. He would first wash her entire body thoroughly, and might even lower his head to inhale the fragrance of her body wash. Then, he would quite carefully shave the hair of her private area, looking on with satisfaction at her fair, full body, just like a clean, pure, newborn body, lying in front of him.
He would then dress her with soft clothes in warm colours; making her look fresh, beautiful and gentle. After that, he would feed her the sex stimulant, and watch as the desire for sex dominated her lovely, alluring body.
He would imprison her under his body, and repeatedly conquer and take possession of her. Because of the influence of the drug (精神恍惚 – in a trance), in the grip of her extreme excitement and with the sensory overload, she would be shrieking continuously from start to finish, until her throat was swollen and painful, and she could only scream wordlessly.
Afterwards, maybe because he wearied of her, maybe because she had angered him, maybe due to other reasons, he would bring her to the deep mountains, arrange her in the most beautiful and lovely of postures, and lay her in the little corner of the world that only he knew about, to die peacefully . . .
As she thought again about the discovery of the scene of the beautiful corpse, Xu Xu suddenly experienced a wave of nausea. With a violent effort, she regained her sense of equilibrium, and pressed her hand to her chest to steady herself. She looked up and saw that Ji Bai was still deep in conversation with the forensic examiner, not having noticed anything.
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That day, late at night, the criminal investigation team came back to the police station and met up again.
Outside the window, the trees were lightly swaying in the pitch dark night. The meeting room was brightly lit, the atmosphere grave. Everyone's face was a little pale from exhaustion, but their expressions were solemn and focused.
Lao Wu said: “The identity of the deceased has been confirmed. Her name is Bai AnAn, 23 years old, a resident of Lin City. She graduated just one year ago, and was currently working in a foreign accounting firm. She hasn’t been to work since a week prior to National Day. A colleague received her text message. She said she was going home, and asked her colleague to apply for a leave of absence on her behalf. So the company, although not very happy, did not suspect anything."
He continued: “We questioned Bai AnAn's colleagues, friends and family. Her character was very cheerful, positive; her work performance was good and she had normal interpersonal relationships. There was no motive for suicide. Additionally, she was single with no boyfriends."
A few photos of Bai AnAn were projected on the screen of the conference room. Compared to her quiet appearance in death, her appearance when she was alive seemed to be more cheerful and more beautiful.
“So all in all, she was missing for a whole two weeks."
Thinking of the marks on her body, everyone felt a bit heavy hearted. During these past two weeks, for this beautiful, excellent white-collar girl, what was it like to sink into hell?
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Translators: Geefle, miumiu
TL Checkers: Mel
Proofreader: Librismuse