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墨書 Inktalez
From these photos, the resolution is significantly clearer than that of the previous non-smartphone images. It's evident that these pictures were taken up close, capturing the condition of the female corpse from different angles.
Zhao Mingkun, Zhang Yi, and I examined the photos, hoping to find useful evidence within them. However, seven years had passed, and it was uncertain whether any evidence could still be of use. Starting with the head of the deceased, this high-definition image revealed many details that were not visible in earlier photos.
On her face, there were numerous fine scratches that appeared to have been made by something long and sharp. I suddenly recalled the scene where the girl had gouged out her own eyeballs and couldn't help but think that these facial scratches were likely made by her own nails.
“Did the police find the eyeballs at the scene?” I asked while looking at the photos. “So much time has passed; most of the officers from that case have either retired or been reassigned.”
The elderly woman did not suspect my identity and replied, “No, that's also a point of contention. The police and workers searched the construction site for a long time but found no sign of the deceased's eyeballs. At that time, the police speculated that either some animal took them away at night or the murderer had taken them.”
I nodded silently and continued to examine the photos.
Looking at the neck of the deceased, I noticed that the edges of the severed skin were uneven. The skin's fat and muscle tissue showed clear protrusions and depressions. Analyzing this detail suggested that the knife used to sever her neck was certainly not sharp. Further examination of her limbs confirmed this observation.
From the dismembered arm, it was clear that the cut was not at the shoulder but near the biceps. In examining her legs, the cut was located near the rectus femoris, which is in the middle of the thigh. Although I am not a forensic expert, I understand that dismembering a body is not an easy task, especially without sharp tools.
Moreover, considering where the murderer chose to make these cuts was quite unprofessional. Whether it was on the arms or legs, both locations are areas where muscle is relatively thick and robust. This is akin to working against human tissue; even an experienced butcher would tell you that to cleanly and quickly debone beef or lamb, one must cut along with the skeletal structure.
This indicates that the murderer lacked knowledge about human anatomy. This person likely was not a doctor or butcher—individuals who frequently deal with skeletal structures.
Similarly, if someone intends to dismember a corpse, they would typically choose a sharper tool; this is common sense. It’s like preparing to play basketball but bringing a soccer ball instead. Thus, it’s possible that initially, the murderer did not intend to kill and dismember.
I tapped my fingers on the table slowly and said, “So did the police find any tools used for killing and dismembering? And what was Lu Zhiqiu's cause of death?”
The elderly woman immediately picked up on my inquiry as if she vividly remembered what had happened: “I recall this very clearly; they indeed searched for murder weapons later on but found nothing—presumably taken by the murderer as well. However, from how they examined the body, it didn’t seem like she had been cut with a kitchen knife or anything similar.”
I nodded and pointed to a broken edge, saying, "That's right. From the cross-section, the thickness of the blade of this weapon is about three millimeters. This is quite thick for a kitchen knife or a butcher's knife. It seems that this object hasn't been sharpened."
As I spoke, I pointed again at the image, "Look here on the ground; you can even see chunks of flesh and meat scraps flying out. Especially if you look at the bones, you can see the bone spurs along the edges and the chisel marks on the surface."
The old lady nodded and added, "Officer, Lu Zhiqiu died from a heavy blow to the head. The murderer struck hard on the back of Lu Zhiqiu's head with something."
With that, the old lady found a photo among these images and showed it to me.
From the image, it was clear that Lu Zhiqiu's skull had been smashed in. The human skull is relatively hard, and it would be impossible to crush it like this without a very forceful impact. Moreover, judging by the width and length of the wound, it was a rectangular injury.
Looking deeper into the wound, I could see fragments of skeleton and brain matter inside; red, yellow, and white were stuck to the head, creating a sight that was both terrifying and disgusting, making one feel quite uneasy. However, from this wound, one could easily think of something commonly found at construction sites—bricks.
I asked, "So you're saying that the murder weapon was a brick, but the dismemberment tool has yet to be found?"
The old lady nodded and said, "Exactly. But that brick has not been found either. With such a violent blow, there should have been traces of blood and brain matter left on it, yet nothing has been discovered. That's why this case is so difficult to solve. Although the police suspect it was committed by someone familiar with him, aside from the body itself, there are no leads whatsoever."
At this point, an image formed in my mind:
On a quiet night, the murderer lured Lu Zhiqiu to a construction site. By midnight, work had ceased and everyone was resting. Meanwhile, Lu Zhiqiu and some colleagues were singing and drinking in a dormitory far from the site. It was eerily silent; not a soul was around.
Lu Zhiqiu waited there for someone to appear—a person familiar to him who ultimately became his murderer. After a brief conversation, whether due to a disagreement or some other reason remains unclear; Lu Zhiqiu turned to leave.
Seeing Lu Zhiqiu walk further away, anger suddenly surged within the murderer. He picked up a brick lying nearby and struck fiercely at Lu Zhiqiu's skull from behind.
With that strike, the Murderer poured all his strength into it. It was as if he wanted to release all the accumulated grievances and anger with that swing of the brick. With a loud thud, Lu Zhiqiu's skull shattered into pieces. Fragments of bone pierced into the brain, and Lu Zhiqiu died instantly. The onset of brain death was swift; Lu Zhiqiu wouldn't even have time to feel pain or think—he simply fell into an eternal sleep.
The Murderer gasped for breath, standing at the construction site. The pale white light of the moon shone down, illuminating the site, casting its glow on the Murderer and on the bloodied brick that bore remnants of brain matter.
Yet at that moment, the Murderer did not seem satisfied. He pulled out a blunt weapon and gouged out Lu Zhiqiu's eyes. After removing the eyes, he used the weapon to sever Lu Zhiqiu's head. At this point, the Murderer appeared to have gone somewhat mad.
Since he had already decapitated the corpse, he might as well dismember it completely. Under the moonlight, he wielded a dull weapon, chopping away at the deceased's arms and thighs. The weapon was not sharp, but separating the body was no easy task.
To cut off the arms and thighs, he raised his hands high and exerted all his strength downward. Due to the darkness and the awkward angle of his strikes, the Murderer could not land each blow on the same spot, resulting in uneven wounds on the corpse.
He chopped forcefully again and again, bits of flesh and bone flying everywhere. Finally, after severing all four limbs, he collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.
The Murderer looked at the body before him and smiled. He had finally released all his pent-up resentment.
After resting for a few minutes, he glanced at the corpse and took away the bricks, dismemberment tools, and those two eyeballs.
Moments later, the body was finally discovered.
The story speculated well but lacked one crucial element: motive. Aside from the psychopathic murderer, ninety-nine percent of murders in this world are committed for a reason; there is always a motive behind each act of killing, including crimes of passion. This raised a question: why did the Murderer kill Lu Zhiqiu?
I voiced this confusion.
The old lady looked at me and waved her hand dismissively. "The police thought so back then too; they tried to find anyone who might have had a grudge against Lu Zhiqiu. But Lu Zhiqiu was just a girl who treated everyone kindly and was very righteous; most of her classmates liked her. She never had any enemies. I can't understand why someone would want to kill her."
"Love murder?" Zhao Mingkun said, "I can't deny that from the photos, Lu Zhiqiu is quite attractive."
The old lady added, "I mentioned before that Lu Zhiqiu seemed to have a boyfriend back then, but we didn't pry into those matters too much. I also suspect that a young girl might have been controlled by the workers at the construction site, possibly leading to a situation of assault followed by murder. However, the police comrades never followed up with me, so I'm not clear on the details."
I pointed at the photo and said slowly, "Look at the picture. From what we can see, Lu Zhiqiu's clothes do not show any signs of being torn; they appear quite neat. Unless the murderer cut her clothes while dismembering her, there’s no indication that she was assaulted."
I picked up another photo: "You see, her pants are intact. This leaves us with two possibilities. First, the murderer raped Lu Zhiqiu and, fearing she would expose him, killed her as she was getting dressed to leave. Second, the murderer killed Lu Zhiqiu, violated her corpse, and then dressed her before dismembering her."
Zhao Mingkun shook his head and said, "I feel both scenarios are unlikely."
I nodded in agreement. "That's right; they do seem a bit far-fetched. So I believe the murderer did not rape Lu Zhiqiu. If only we could find the autopsy report from back then."
"Then it’s not a love murder?" Zhao Mingkun asked.
I raised a finger and shook my head. "Not necessarily. Just because there was no rape doesn't mean he didn't have feelings for Lu Zhiqiu. Some people desire possession; others desire the soul."
"Is it true that if one cannot have something, they would rather destroy it than let someone else have it?" Zhao Mingkun inquired.
"Perhaps," I replied.
I shifted my focus and asked, "But why do you think someone would go to the extent of dismembering a body?"
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