When A Snail Falls In Love

Chapter 60.1

The extensive mountain range, lushly green, seemingly without end. On the road through the mountains, the silence was not an ordinary silence.

Cars bearing the signs 'XX TV station' and 'XX newspaper' went past in a continual stream. In addition, groups of university students were also present, riding bicycles or walking on the mountainside. The atmosphere was noisy and tense.

Ji Bai asked, with a frown: "How did this happen?"

Zhao Han hung up his phone and replied: "I've clarified the situation. It was a group of students who found the body, and the victim is also a university student. Right now, the news has spread throughout all of Lin City. These people are all volunteers from several universities who have joined in the search. Da Hu and the others are already advising them."

Although the police would have stopped the majority of people at the foot of the mountain, there was no small number of people who had managed to go up the mountain before the roadblock had been set up. The narrow mountain roads were congested with several cars from the media outlets, and university students could be seen wandering around in twos and threes.

By the time Ji Bai and the others had 'broken through the siege' to the scene of the crime, it was already afternoon. Reporters and students were clustered behind the police cordon/ out-of-bounds line, chattering noisily. When they saw Ji Bai and the others, the flashbulbs went off continuously. There were even students hollering, "When will the police be able to catch this serial killer?"

Ji Bai lowered his head without responding, and strode to where the body lay with a few senior criminal investigators and Xu Xu.

——

It was a secluded mountain cave. The police searchlights illuminated the interior of the cave brightly. The corpse was lying in the depths of the cave, in the same position, with the same quiet expression.

Da Hu had spent the past few days traversing the forest region, interviewing people. He immediately stepped forward, "The deceased is named Chen Hongmiao, a fourth-year student at Lin University."

Da Hu briefly explained that Chen Hongmiao had been a member of the Lin University Outdoor Activities Club. Ten days ago, she had embarked on a solo hike on the mountain. Because the forest region was so vast, the police patrol was unable to ascertain her specific point of entry. Two days after the date of her scheduled return, her classmates had discovered they could not contact her. Thus, they had spontaneously organised search and rescue teams to search the mountain, and had informed the local police. No one thought that they would find her body so quickly. Also, some unnamed villager had spread the word that this was not the only death, and the situation had rapidly escalated.

Ji Bai, Lao Wu and Xu Xu walked over to the corpse. The forensic examiner had already completed his preliminary investigation, and told them, "On first investigation, the time of death is suggested to be between 8 to 10 p.m. last night. Similar to the other two bodies, the victim died of potassium cyanide poisoning, and her other injuries are basically the same."

Xu Xu asked, "Could the murderer have delayed the time of death?"

The forensic examiner shook his head, "Impossible. Potassium cyanide is rather unusual. Once it has been ingested, death occurs 5 to 8 seconds later, and the skin, eyelids etc will have a very specific reaction. This kind of reaction cannot be altered by temperature, humidity or other environmental factors. Thus, the time of death can usually be more precisely pinpointed."

Everyone fell silent. Looking once again at the corpse, they saw many scattered footprints in the soil around it. Da Hu frowned and muttered, "The students left those behind."

Lao Wu was the expert in tracking and analysing footprints. He squatted, and examined the area around the corpse meticulously. After a while, he raised his flashlight, and pointed to a spot next to the corpse's waist, "Look. Isn't that a bit familiar?"

In the semi-hard soil, there was a shallow footprint. Xu Xu immediately opened the evidence file and took out the photographs of the footprints discovered at the place where the second corpse was found. Lao Wu made a brief comparison, and nodded, "The length of the footprint, the pattern, are exactly the same. This footprint was left behind by the same person."

Da Hu looked at Ji Bai, "Chief, looks like it's really not Lin Qingyan?"

Ji Bai did not answer. Lao Wu stood up at said, "We can't say that with certainty. Currently, there are two possibilities: One, Lin Qingyan is indeed innocent; two, Lin Qingyan has an accomplice."

Xu Xu's brow was tightly furrowed as she stared at the corpse, "This possibility is too small . . . how could this be?"

Everyone looked at her as she said, with extreme solemnity: "From what we know of the killer's method, he places great importance on establishing an intimate relationship with the deceased. This relationship is personal, private, exclusive. Moreover, from our knowledge of similar crimes, this type of psychopath almost always works alone. To such people, working with other people is meaningless.

But, if Lin Qingyan doesn't have an accomplice, then, that means, there is a second person, who corresponds exactly to the profile of our killer. That also means, at the same time, at the same place, regarding the same case, there are two people who match the specific profile? This probability is really . . . "

She had not yet finished, when Ji Bai interrupted her: "Xu Xu, let's return to the evidence."

Xu Xu felt cold. Ji Bai gazed intently at the surroundings, and said: "This case is getting more complicated. It's best that we do not make quick assumptions, otherwise we will go haring down the wrong path. Let's look solely at the evidence.

What we know at the moment is this: Firstly, from the time of the crime, Chen Hongmiao was definitely killed by someone else. Secondly, Chen Hongmiao accessed the mountain 10 days ago, and the corpse was found today. During this time, the police force was in the surrounding area, but did not discover any suspicious vehicles entering or leaving the mountain region[1]. This means – the house the killer kept her in, must be in the mountain region.

[1] Previously, the corpses were discovered in the forest region 林区. Here, it's the mountain region 山区. So the mountain is probably within the forest.I will ask the police immediately to search the mountain region. Once we've found the killer's hideout, everything will come to light (水落石出 – when the water subsides, the rocks emerge)."

Everyone was startled, and Xu Xu suddenly saw the light. At this point, Ji Bai's handphone rang, and he took the call: "Department Head . . . yes, I understand, I'll come straightaway." On hanging up, he said: "I have to go to the Provincial Governor and the Provincial Public Security Bureau to give an update on the case. Lao Wu, you take charge here. In addition, the provincial criminal investigation team might want to take over this case."

Everyone nodded. Zhao Han said: "The station says they can't detain Lin Qingyan any longer, so they are releasing him."

Ji Bai calmly nodded. He walked a few paces, then turned his head to look at Xu Xu. Xu Xu nodded at him, signifying that she would take care of herself. At that, he strode off with big steps.

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