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墨書 Inktalez
Sleepwalking, or somnambulism, refers to an individual wandering or traveling aimlessly while in a sleep state or a state of altered consciousness, during which they can engage in complex activities. These activities can, of course, include murder and suicide. In May 2001, a student from a school in Guangdong Qingyuan jumped out of his dormitory in his sleep, fell from the balcony, and died. The entire process was eerily reminiscent of being possessed by a ghost. (You can find surveillance footage online.) This reminds me of a case from many years ago that is related to sleepwalking. Since I heard it from Big Yellow's perspective, I will narrate it in the first person for better understanding.
It was when I had just become a police officer. I hadn’t yet joined the Criminal Investigation Team, but shortly after entering the station, I encountered a major case and was assigned to assist the criminal police team. To my surprise, I ended up staying with my mentor, Dai Liu, in the criminal police team. One morning, just as I started my shift, I was in the office reviewing summaries of past cases to learn from them when I received a call to respond to a murder case at a residential home.
The scene was a three-bedroom apartment in a high-end area. The officers who arrived early were maintaining order at the scene. On the luxurious and spacious living room sofa sat a man and a woman. The first thing that caught my eye was the young and beautiful girl. She had long hair and an oval face, her large eyes revealing shock and terror. Next to her sat a middle-aged man, probably just over forty years old, holding his head with both hands. He wore thin pajamas stained with blood and appeared panicked, his face pale as death.
“What happened?!” Dai Liu boomed as usual.
“Hey, Liu! It’s a homicide; this man killed his wife. The scene is in the bedroom; we’ve already taken preliminary protective measures,” one officer said as he gestured toward the man. “That’s him! He killed her while sleepwalking!”
Sleepwalking murder? I noticed Dai Liu frowning.
“Officer, I—I don’t even know what happened! This morning I was awakened by my sister-in-law’s screams. When I got up, I saw my wife lying next to me with a knife in her chest,” the man stammered.
Dai Liu glanced at both individuals but said nothing. He put on shoe covers and gloves before heading straight into the bedroom. I followed suit.
A woman’s body lay on the master bed with a common household chef's knife plunged into her chest. Blood pooled on the bed, soaking large areas of the sheets beneath her. The deceased's arms were stiffly raised, her face contorted in fear; it was evident she had been killed suddenly and had barely struggled before dying instantly.
The forensic team and relevant personnel were taking photographs and collecting evidence according to protocol. I watched as Dai Liu surveyed the room while instructing his subordinates to transport the body back to the station for further examination. He then opened the bedside cabinet and casually rummaged through its contents. I noticed a thick notebook in one of the drawers—likely a diary belonging to either the deceased or the homeowner.
Dai Liu took the notebook into his hands and checked other rooms as well. The room on the right was an office with a bed inside; there was half a cup of clear water on the nightstand, but nothing seemed out of place otherwise. Another room served as a guest bedroom; it looked like someone had slept there recently—it was quite messy.
After Dai Liu inspected both rooms without finding anything unusual, he left several officers at the scene to collect fingerprints and gather samples of relevant items from within the house, including food from the kitchen for testing. Then he took me and the two individuals back to the station for questioning.
After filing related reports, questioning began promptly with the woman first; her name was Miao—she was the one who reported discovering the murder. Although some time had passed since the incident, Miao still bore an expression of panic on her face. “I usually wake up when my sister and brother-in-law call me for breakfast,” she explained. “But this morning, after washing up, there was no response from them. It felt strange, so I knocked on my sister’s door—no answer—then my brother-in-law’s door—still no answer. Later, I found that my sister’s door wasn’t locked; when I pushed it open… oh my God! How could this happen?!” As Miao recalled these events, she appeared confused, her gaze vacant and hollowed out. It seemed she had been severely traumatized; I thought to myself. “Don’t your sister and brother-in-law sleep together?” Dai Liu asked.
"No, my sister and brother-in-law have been sleeping in separate rooms for some reason lately."
"Oh!"
"Have you been living with them all this time?"
"Yes, I moved to this city for college, and since the dorms aren't great, I chose to commute from my sister's house."
"You're a senior?"
"Yes."
Miao appeared quite nervous, with a timid expression on her face.
"Do you know how your sister and brother-in-law met? When did they get married? How's their relationship?" Dai Liu asked again.
"I know they met in college and got married right after graduation. Then my brother-in-law started a business, and my sister stayed home without a job. Their relationship seemed fine to me; I've always felt they were doing well together, just living a normal life."
"Have you noticed any arguments or disputes between them recently, or any strangers coming in and out of the house?"
Miao shook her head in confusion. "Do you have a habit of locking the door at night?" After receiving Miao's affirmative response, Dai Liu waved his hand, signaling for someone to take Miao out and bring in a man named Xiao Ye.
I looked at this man named Xiao Ye, who appeared dejected and dispirited. Suddenly, I heard Dai Liu shout loudly, "Why did you kill your wife?"
Xiao Ye trembled all over, startled as he raised his head. "I don't know! I really don't know! I love her so much; our relationship was great! I never thought about killing her!"
Dai Liu pressed again, "What exactly happened? You better be honest! You know the principle of confessing for leniency!"
Xiao Ye lowered his head again, his voice choked with emotion. "It was indeed my fault; I caused her harm. I killed her!"
He continued, "I have somnambulism; I've had it for a long time and have undergone treatment many times without any effect. But I never imagined that I would kill my wife while sleepwalking!"
"Sleepwalking murder?" Dai Liu scoffed.
Xiao Ye went on, "Actually, Qi noticed something was off with me a while ago. Several times when I woke up, she told me that during my sleepwalking episodes, I would take a kitchen knife and wander around the room."
Qi was the wife that Xiao Ye had killed.
I was focused on taking notes when he said, "To prevent myself from hurting Qi and Miao during my sleepwalking episodes, I hid all the knives in the house and even had them move out for a while. But she refused to leave me, insisting on staying. I had no choice but to sleep in a separate room and urged them to lock the door at night. However, something terrible still happened. After dinner, we each went back to our rooms. I don't know what happened, but I felt very tired and fell asleep right away. I was awakened by a scream, and when I came to, it was already seven-thirty in the morning. When I got up, I found myself in the master bedroom, with Qi lying next to me in bed, a knife stabbed into her chest..."
Xiao Ye's voice broke with sobs as he continued painfully, "I killed her! I killed her! Take me away; I deserve to die!"
I managed to record everything he said and couldn't help but ask, "You knew you had such a dangerous condition; why didn't you seek treatment sooner?"
I noticed Dai Liu shoot me a glare, so I quickly pretended to continue taking notes.
"Yes, I did," Xiao Ye replied. "Ever since they discovered my sleepwalking with a knife, I've been undergoing psychiatric treatment!"
Dai Liu then asked, "Which hospital are you being treated at?"
Xiao Ye answered, "City First Psychiatric Hospital. My attending physician is Ling Yun. You can check."
Dai Liu nodded. "We will follow the proper procedures. For now, this is all we will ask. We will further investigate the case. But regardless of the circumstances, it appears that you are responsible for her death. You will be temporarily detained here until everything is clarified, and we will ensure that you receive a fair judgment!"
(To be continued; stay tuned for more exciting developments!)
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