The Poisoned Pen: A Guardian Story

Chapter Ten: The Official Report

Zhao Yunlan looked around at the hustle and bustle of the downtown police station.  He did not miss his stint on the force, but he did not regret the time served either.  It was what his father would have called 'character-building'.

After explaining to the front desk why he was there, he was shown into a small room, where he was joined by a young man who looked barely old enough to shave.  He was not surprised.  Criminal damage was hardly the big leagues.

"Mr Zhao?" the new arrival inquired.  "I'm Officer Guo Changcheng."

Zhao Yunlan threw himself into one of the two chairs in the room.

"Nice to meet you," he offered.

Officer Guo sat down opposite and put a notebook down on the table in front of him.

"Just so I'm clear on this," he began.  "You are the personal assistant of Mr Shen Wei, who owns a large estate on the outskirts of the city.  Someone broke into the gardens last night and destroyed Mr Shen's property, and it appears to be related to some distressing letters your employer has been receiving."

Zhao Yunlan harrumphed in agreement.  It was a decent enough summary, if rather basic.  Leaning forward, he placed a folder on the table.

"Here are the letters.  They are in date order.  As you'll see, there is a clear escalation in language.  That last letter was found at the scene of the damage this morning.  There's no 'appears to be related'.  They are related."

Guo Changcheng studied the pile of papers in front of him, taking his time.  He had not been part of the investigations team for very long, but he had good instincts, and every bone in his body was telling him that this was not some minor matter that could just be placed on a back burner.

He got to his feet.

"Could you wait here for a moment, Mr Zhao?  I think my superior would be very interested to hear what you have to say."

The private detective shrugged.  The more the merrier as far as he was concerned.  It made it far more likely that the police would take the matter seriously.

When the young officer returned, it was with a very familiar face in tow.

"Zhao Yunlan!  What the devil are you doing here?"

"Umm, hi, Chu.  Long time, no see."

Chu Shuzhi stared at the man in front of him.  He was as untidy as ever, and he looked to have barely aged, even though five years had passed.  Pulling himself together, he sat down opposite.

"Tell me everything.  Start from the beginning."

Zhao Yunlan opened his mouth and began speaking.  He left nothing out.  His employer's identity as Ye Zun, his true reasons for being at the Shen estate, and his suspicions about just how dangerous the author's stalker really was.

Standing behind Chu Shuzhi, Guo Changcheng's eyes widened until they were like saucers.  Eventually remembering his young colleague, Detective Chu turned around.

"Young Guo," he said.  "Zhao Yunlan and I used to be colleagues on the force, although we were in different teams.  He had a reputation for being a bit of a rebel, and it looks like he still can't stay away from trouble."  Turning back towards the private detective, his tone became serious.

"Do you need me to come out there to take a look?" he asked.

"Nothing to see," Zhao Yunlan replied.  "It's all been cleared away."

"Cleaning up a crime scene?  That's not like you."

"I took photographs.  I'll email them across.  And there were no footprints.  I checked."