Blades of Secrets: The Endless Night

CHAPTER 4

Steam fogged up the locker rooms. Cheng Xing walked out the shower fully dressed. He was using a white towel to dry his hair. Li Ming looked at Cheng Xing.

"Why did you get changed in the shower and not in the locker room," Li Ming asked.

"What? Do I have to get changed in front of you?"

Cheng Xing packed his sweaty tank top into the locker, 3 spare outfits of clean clothes hanging neatly. Cheng Xing looks at Li Ming's locker number 173. Cheng Xing flashed back to the number carved into the wood in his dream before he was shot. Li Ming eyes Cheng Xing up and down. Cheng Xing looks at him back.

"What? Do you want to see my body?"

Li Ming grabs Cheng Xing's arm, making Cheng Xing slip and fall on top of Li Ming on a bench.

"You think too much," Li Ming said angrily, pulling towards Cheng Xing. He clenched his teeth and they stared into each other's eyes. The door opened and Wen Zhang walked in.

"I can't find the-"

Wen Zhang completely stops and looked at them. Cheng Xing and Li Ming both turned their heads towards Wen Zhang. Li Ming quickly snapped back to Cheng Xing and pushed him off. Cheng Xing falls on the floor. Li Ming got up and walked past Wen Zhang, out the locker room.

"Hey Li Ming, you pushed on me so hard now my butt hurts! And the floor is wet!"

Cheng Xing quickly put everything in his locker and walked past Wen Zhang. Wen Zhang and Cheng Xing exchanged awkward smiles, before Cheng Xing chased after Li Ming.

Cheng Xing stared at the board of missing people's pictures and dots of where they were last seen. Li Ming walked in with a dark blue suit and stood in front of the board, standing right next to Cheng Xing.

"We think the killer could be a woman."

Cheng Xing gives a side glance to him and turns towards Li Ming.

"What makes you say that?"

"Evidence," Li Ming said back, turning to Cheng Xing.

"I'm starting to really dislike you-"

"Good," Li Ming cut in leaning towards Cheng Xing, "Then we have something in common."

A stare was held between them before there was a knock on the door. Li Ming and Cheng Xing both turned their heads to Wen Zhang in synchronization.

"I feel like I've just interrupted something....... again," Wen Zhang blinked. Li Ming cleared his throat and stood up straight again. Wen Zhang eyed him wryly and said,

"I came to say another death was reported."

Li Ming halted the car to a stop making Cheng Xing jolt forward, slamming against his seatbelt. Cheng Xing winced unbuckling the seatbelt. He looked at Li Ming as he got out the car. I know that was on purpose. Cheng Xing said in his head as he got out the car. He was looking up at the grey apartment. Li Ming and Cheng Xing walked up the stairs over to the scene.

"This time it's a male, 152 cm, 4.9 feet. Named Shi Lei. Killed the same way, slit throat. His job is an auto mechanic. Time of death was around 5 to 6 am in the morning. Location is his apartment. Window was found open, lock broken, and a wardrobe door was opened. No fingerprints have been found." Wen Zhang read off the report.

Cheng Xing walked around the smashed glass and pictures on the floor.

"The knives in the kitchen didn't seem to be touched. So, the person brought a weapon and what the evidence shows, it's likely to be a murder," Wen Zhang added.

"You don't say," Cheng Xing said sarcastically. Cheng Xing looks at the smashed phone in his hand.

"Can you take the phone back to the prefect and see if they can find something on it?"

Wen Zhang looks at Li Ming. Li Ming pulled Cheng Xing to the corner of the room.

"Look Cheng Xing, you're still training and normally trainees aren't even allowed on crime scenes. I'm not sure why Xiao Mei let you come, but because you're still training, you're unable to give orders," Wen Zhang looked at Cheng Xing.

"Wen Zhang! Can you take the phone back to the prefect and see if they can find anything on it."

Wen Zhang nods. Wen Zhang gives a quick glance to Cheng Xing and then walked off.

"That's basically what I said," Cheng Xing said to Li Ming.

Li Ming bent down and looked at the body completely ignoring Cheng Xing's comment.

"There are many possibilities on how the killer got into the apartment. Either from the window, the door, they could have hidden in the wardrobe until the right time to attack."

Cheng Xing nods along.

"But the way they killed them. It must be the same killer. They were trained, although this person can't cover tracks very well-"

Tell me about it, everything is so obvious. Cheng Xing said in his head.

"-But they seem skilled with the knife."

Li Ming stands up. "I'm going back to the prefect; you can stay here and walk back or come with me."

Cheng Xing stood up.

"You sounded like a prince from a movie 'come with me'," Cheng Xing mocked dramatically. Li Ming turned and walked out the room.

"Li Ming, wait for me! I was joking!"