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墨書 Inktalez
The subsequent matters were left to the people from the Police Department to wrap up, while we returned to the Police Department with Captain Li to discuss our next steps. Upon arriving, we heard that Ma Youshan's body had already been stitched up. At that moment, Juan Juan was waiting for us in the conference room. When she saw us, she asked, "Did you find anything?"
Taking a seat, I shook my head and said, "We had hoped to uncover something from Ma Youshan, but we didn't expect him to pull such a stunt. From the scene, it seems highly likely that Ma Youshan died accidentally, but we can't rule out foul play since the timing of his death is quite suspicious and ambiguous."
"If it's the former, then we can analyze this case from other leads," Juan Juan replied, leaning on the conference table. "But if it's the latter, wouldn't that make things even more complicated? What do the deaths of Zhao Kaifang and Ma Youshan have in common? Why would the Killer want to kill both of them?"
Mary sighed and said, "The relationship between Ma Youshan and Zhao Kaifang isn't particularly complex. Ma Youshan wanted Zhao Kaifang's body, while Zhao Kaifang wanted Ma Youshan's money and that of others. If we must define their relationship, it might boil down to a dispute over payment for services. But why would the Killer want to kill both Zhao Kaifang and Ma Youshan? Is it really just because of this? Moreover, if it was indeed murder, then the only commonality from the scene might be that their deaths are related to ropes?"
"Ropes?" I was noncommittal about Mary's statement. I had mentioned before that there is a paradox in criminal investigations regarding serial murders: the more victims there are, the more clues we can gather, increasing our chances of catching the Killer. However, the case requires us to prevent the Killer from claiming more victims; fewer deaths are preferable. Yet without enough clues, we can't apprehend anyone, leading us into a cycle.
Currently, there are only two victims. While we can confirm their relationship for now, there are no further similarities between them. We cannot yet determine whether these two cases can be investigated together or even confirm if the second case is a murder.
Sighing, I addressed everyone: "We can't combine these cases for investigation just yet. If we make a mistake, combining them will not save time and effort but rather waste it. Regarding Zhao Kaifang's death, we need to find a new breakthrough. How about this: Captain Li, you and your team focus on Ma Youshan's case while our Special Investigation Team tackles Zhao Kaifang's case. What do you think?"
Captain Li looked at us and nodded before saying, "That sounds good."
"Alright then. Your main task is to determine whether Ma Youshan's death was accidental or if someone staged the scene," I instructed Captain Li.
Captain Li nodded in agreement and took his team to get busy. The conference room was left with just a few of us. Dezi looked at me and asked, "So what should we do next?"
I furrowed my brow and gently tapped my temple with my fingers. What have I overlooked? Or what clues have I not considered? Closing my eyes, I began to rethink this case from scratch when suddenly it struck me that we had all overlooked something crucial—time.
In terms of space, we hadn't made any breakthroughs. Looking at Zhao Kaifang's social relationships, this college student wasn't well-liked in his dormitory and had few friends at school. However, outside of school, Zhao Kaifang's connections were quite chaotic. As a sophomore this year, could it be that during his freshman year he also engaged in reckless behavior outside and scammed people?
I lightly tapped on the table and said, " Juan Juan, you once mentioned that Zhao Kaifang had a very thin uterine lining, right? Is it possible that he has undergone multiple abortions? If we consider this angle, then Zhao Kaifang's enemies might extend beyond Zhou Jun's group. What do you think? Can you deduce anything from this?"
Upon hearing my words, Juan Juan rested her chin on her hand and replied thoughtfully, "It's hard to say. Abortions can cause thinning of the uterine lining but don't definitively indicate how many times one has aborted. I'm not an obstetrician; however, if Zhao Kaifang did have multiple abortions, there should be records at the hospital—this is something Mary could look into."
Nodding at her response, I turned to Mary and said, "Mary, I'm giving you the authority to check Zhao Kaifang's abortion records!"
Mary opened the computer that was specially sent to her by the department and began to operate it. It didn't take long before I saw Zhao Kaifang's basic medical file. The earlier parts were filled with useless information, but the focus was at the end. When we reached the gynecology section, both Mary and I couldn't help but gasp in unison.
Mary's hand holding the mouse trembled slightly. She glanced at me, then at everyone else, and said in a tone of disbelief, "You won't believe what I'm about to say."
Juan Juan, noticing Mary's expression, understood something and asked, "Five times?"
Mary shook her head, extending both hands—one into a fist and the other showing two fingers—her face filled with disbelief as she said, "If it weren't clearly written in the records, I would never have guessed that this twenty-two-year-old girl had undergone twelve abortions in seven years!"
"What?" Juan Juan could hardly believe her ears. "She had twelve abortions? Most people struggle to conceive after five or six; this girl has had twelve! And from what I see, her uterine wall isn't particularly thin. It's simply unbelievable."
Mary nodded and continued, "I can't believe it either. The first few were medical abortions; she was only fifteen when she had her first abortion, and the next nine were surgical procedures. But perhaps due to her strong fertility, she was still able to get pregnant until recently!"
"Medical abortion?" Dezi was completely clueless about such matters.
Juan Juan explained, "Although I'm not an obstetrician, I do know a bit about this. Abortions are generally categorized into two types: surgical and medical. Currently, surgical abortions are considered safer than medical ones."
"The impact of medical abortions on a woman's uterus is significant!" Juan Juan continued to educate Dezi. "First, they can easily lead to inflammation and infection, with risks of endometritis. Second, they may cause habitual miscarriages; even if one becomes pregnant later on, they are more likely to miscarry. Thirdly, there is a higher chance of infertility compared to surgical abortions."
"Of course," Juan Juan sighed, "multiple abortions—whether surgical or medical—will inevitably cause irreversible damage to the uterus. It's fortunate that she could still conceive after so many abortions; however, for those children who died before birth, Zhao Kaifang is truly guilty of heinous acts."
I suddenly recalled a superstitious saying from my hometown. Although I didn't believe it, I felt compelled to share: "There's a superstitious belief that if a baby dies in the womb, it carries great resentment because it never got to see the world. Such a baby is called a ghost baby and is said to curse its mother so that she can never be reborn or find peace. Though I don't believe it, knowing Zhao Kaifang's situation makes me feel uneasy."
Dezi remarked, "Ghost babies certainly don't exist, but such a mother is truly despicable! For her own selfish desires—to deceive others for financial gain—she uses the child in her womb as a tool and only seeks help when she absolutely must terminate the pregnancy. I don't know at what stage a fetus becomes aware, but if one cannot take on the responsibilities of motherhood, then they shouldn't get pregnant!"
In our country’s ancient beliefs, there was an emphasis on cause and effect—good deeds rewarded and evil deeds punished—leading some to adhere strictly to moral boundaries while others crossed them only to repent later. Yet nowadays, many people worship money and power without regard for consequences. There are those who kill for money and those who cross moral lines without remorse; in such cases, perhaps it's better to cling to superstitions.
The words above weren't mine; I forgot who said them. But in that moment, they came back to me. A person without faith is frightening; however, if one's faith lies in money or power, it's even more terrifying. Once they break free from their shackles and cages, how can they ever be confined again?
Everyone fell into a brief silence. I shook my head and said to them all, "This isn't the time for us to criticize Zhao Kaifang. While we may see her as a terrible person, we cannot let this distract us from capturing Killer. In this world, there are no criminals who shouldn't be caught and no victims who deserve their fate."
Everyone perked up at my words. I said, "Since Zhao Kaifang has had twelve abortions, these twelve must not be the same person. Even if there aren't Twelve People, there must be at least a few. Mary, can you find out who the fathers of these deceased children are? Investigating this angle should yield some discoveries!"
Mary nodded and placed one hand on her laptop, then said, "I should be able to find that out, but it will definitely take a long time initially."
I nodded and pressed my fingers against my temples as I replied, "Alright, you check on these individuals in the conference room while we investigate through other means. Zhao Ke'er might provide us with some clues. They are from the same high school and even the same class, so they should know who Zhao Kaifang dated back then."
"Once we have that information," Mary said while sitting in front of the computer, "just send it to me. With specific targets, it will be easier to determine if one of them is indeed a father, which will speed up my search!"
I extended my hand and made an OK gesture before addressing the others. "Dezi, get in touch with Zhao Ke'er. Let's head to that coffee shop; hopefully, we can gather some useful information from her."
"Understood," Dezi replied. "I'll contact her right away."
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