The Grand Cherokee is transferring at a excessive pace on the empty freeway.  They go by fields on both aspect of the street.  Sometimes, one can spot lights from homes situated close to the freeway, however they’re few and much between. 

The crime scene is in Hongyun Village in Daxin District, about an hour’s drive from B Metropolis centre.

Bo Jinyan hasn’t advised Jian Yao a lot concerning the cellphone dialog.  She solely is aware of it’s an pressing case, and that they’ve little or no data on it in the meanwhile.   

Jian Yao is sitting within the passenger seat subsequent to the driving force.  Bo Jinyan seems to be calm and picked up as normal.  Her thoughts continues to be occupied with what occurred in her room lower than an hour in the past. 

The incoming name was like a bucket of ice water that poured over them.  They’re accomplished cooled down after the cellphone name.

The occasions of the previous few days had been a rollercoaster experience of epic proportions for Jian Yao –

Three days in the past, he was nonetheless the aloof professor.  He didn’t know a factor about love.  Out of the blue, he began pursuing her relentlessly.  He efficiently captivated her coronary heart, which was already leaning in direction of him within the first place. 

Her mind has been in a state of drowsiness since their….correct first kiss.  Then he proceeds, with lightning pace to steer her from her first kiss to her ‘first evening’…

(NOTE from TB:  ‘First evening’ in chinese language is commonly the time period use for the day one loses their virginity.)

They’ve solely been collectively for 3 days, and she or he results in mattress with the man!  Bo Jinyan is certainly a ‘dangerous affect’.  She by no means imagined that she is going to behave this manner. 

It’s exhausting to think about this prim and correct man driving subsequent to her is identical scorching and passionate man that was on mendacity on prime of her only a whereas in the past.

Jian Yao blushes.  The tempo of their growth is simply too quick for her to deal with.

So, the cellphone name got here at a well timed second.  They’d take issues a bit of extra slowly, to ensure they’re constructing a relationship that can lasts.  

Maybe she has been quiet for too lengthy.  Bo Jinyan says in a chilly tone: “I’ll make the assassin remorse what he did.”

Jian Yao: “Huh?”

Bo Jinyan says with a chilly smile: “He selected to kill throughout such an essential second for me.”

– Necessary second?

She laughs.  He’s nonetheless indignant.

She recollects.  After the cellphone name, they shortly obtained dressed.  When he got here out of his room, his good-looking face was nonetheless purple, and there was nonetheless an apparent bulge in his trousers….

He turns to take a look at her: “I received’t make you wait too lengthy.” He mentioned in a low voice.

Jian Yao: “…. It’s okay.  There’s no hurry.”

Bo Jinyan pauses.  He notices a micro-expression on her face.  

He asks: “Do you remorse it?”

Jian Yao retorts “No… it’s simply that…”

“Is it me?  Is there one thing I’ve completed that’s not adequate?” He asks in an extremely pompous tone. 

Jian Yao solutions instantly: “In fact not.  You might be nice.”

He sweeps her a glance: “I assumed so.  Then what’s the cause?”

Jian Yao thinks for some time, then holds his hand on the steering wheel.  

“It’s not that I’m unwilling.” She laughs uncomfortably. “It’s simply that… it appears unreal.”

We’re lastly collectively.  And tonight… you nearly…

That is how she feels in her coronary heart.  There’s no different that means to it.  However to her shock, Bo Jinyan seems to be dumbfounded.

“Oh..” 

He offers a bit of sigh of disappointment. 

Jian Yao doesn’t perceive why he gave such a response.  However there’s no time to ask.  The cellphone rings once more.  She picks it up.

Bo Jinyan is driving, however his coronary heart is roofed by a layer of melancholy.

She mentioned it felt unreal.

His methods will not be adequate?

——————-

His moods plunges after Jian Yao’s feedback.  When the group chief will get a ‘extra chilly than normal’ reception from Bo Jinyan, he roughly guessed what they had been doing when he known as them earlier.  He thought it might be smart to maintain to the subject: “Let’s take a look on the crime scene.”

And Bo Jinyan’s response is ….

He begins strolling to the realm fenced off the police.  A smile seems on his good-looking face: “Effectively… come on then.”  He turns again to rush them alongside.  

They’re used to seeing a proud and never very pleasant Bo Jinyan, however they’ve by no means seen him behave like this earlier than.  There’s like a layer of chilly air round him. And there’s mockery and contempt in his tone.  

What’s up with him?

Jian Yao stands behind him.  She finds it amusing.  This assassin will probably be caught in file breaking time.  

There are ten villages in Daxin District.  Hongyun Village is certainly one of them. There’s nothing particular or well-known about this village in comparison with the opposite ones. Regardless that, it’s geographically a part of B Metropolis, it’s a rural village that’s far-off from city.  There’s an unsealed street that results in the home.  

There will not be many road lamps in that space.  And the lightbulbs are low voltage bulbs.   All of the villagers are standing behind the cordon space to search out out what occurred. Jian Yao scans the neighbourhood.  The closest neighbour is roughly fifty metres away. 

The home on the crime scene is a farmhouse made with purple bricks.  The doorway is only a wood gate, it might have been straightforward for the assassin to entry the home.  The inside seems to be previous and tacky.

Jian Yao and Bo Jinyan walks towards the gate.  A younger officer rushes previous them.  His face is sickeningly pale.  He leans over by the wall and begins to vomit.

Jian Yao’s coronary heart twinges.  Bo Jinyan takes a fast take a look at the officer and walks on.

An older officer recognises Jian Yao.  He pauses and asks: “Jian Yao, are you positive you wish to go inside?  It’s reasonably …chaotic.” One other older officer additionally provides: “Maybe you must keep right here.”

Jian Yao already is aware of the entire household had been brutally killed.  She stops and assume for some time. Bo Jinyan seems to be at her.

“I’ll go in.”

“She’ll go in.”

They mentioned collectively.  

A smile seems on each of their faces.

————————

As soon as Jian Yao steps inside the home, she holds her breath. 

There’s a robust odor of blood within the room, masking the unique grassy scents from the countryside. Mendacity close to Jian Yao is a person drenched in blood.  His head has been chopped off, and rolled to the aspect of a espresso desk.  On the couch, an aged man lies immobile.  Between the bed room door and the hall, there’s the physique of a unadorned girl.  Her garments are taken off and dumped onto the ground subsequent to her.  There are a variety of wounds on her physique, greater than any of the opposite our bodies.  

The our bodies of two youngsters, the son and nephew of the proprietor lies within the bed room.  They appear to be they’ve been stabbed to dying. 

Based on forensic outcomes, all 5 victims died beneath the identical knife.  Time of dying is round 4 hours in the past – 9pm.  Every physique was stabbed greater than ten instances.  In addition to the proprietor being beheaded, his spouse’s physique wounds exhibits that she was attacked essentially the most instances – even her breasts and personal components had knife wounds.

—————-

From the proof they’ve gathered to date, circumstances that entails the dying of the entire household will be labeled into the next sorts:

Sort 1 circumstances are the commonest. 

The killer left behind a variety of proof on this home.  There’s a lengthy knife, with seen fingerprints on it.  From the place of the prints, it’s extremely probably that they’ve discovered the weapon.

Subsequent, a person’s jacket.  The jacket is black and soiled. It’s so soiled you can’t inform what’s its authentic color.  And it’s soaked with blood.  

Then there are some bowls with leftover meals which have bloody fingerprints on them.  

The closet within the room seems to be prefer it’s been searched. There are bloody fingerprints there too. 

Lastly, the police discovered a variety of bloody footprints that, after preliminary evaluation, belong to the identical individual.  From the footprints, they will inform the sneakers are worn out.  And it most presumably belongs to a male.  A younger grownup.

So, there are many clues for the police to observe up on.  

The Staff chief says to Bo Jinyan: “Professor Bo, I’ve some questions concerning the case.  I’ve organized for the next to be completed: DNA matching, fingerprints evaluation…”

Jian Yao is aware of these procedures take time.  It may be days and even as much as a month earlier than they may get the outcomes. 

“Secondly, I’ve talked to all of the neighbours.  They get on with everybody within the village.  At this level, we don’t assume it’s completed by one of many neighbours .  In fact we are going to proceed to speak to everybody within the village, and ask if anybody can recognise the weapon and the jacket we discovered.”

“Thirdly, I’ve requested for extra officers from different stations to assist us search the close by space.  We now have arrange street blocks on the highways to test all incoming and outgoing autos within the space.”

Bo Jinyan nods: “Good job.”  Jian Yao is impressed too.  The Staff Chief has thought of all of the totally different angles of the investigation.

Bo Jinyan seldom offers praises to individuals.  The Staff Chief smiles.  Then he get to the purpose: “However there are some things that aren’t proper.  Why is the proprietor of the home beheaded?  And why did the killer mutilate his spouse? And the bowls with the bloody finger nails…”

“You’ve gotten made the proper determination.” Bo Jinyan interrupts him “By the point you anticipate the outcomes from the DNA matching, it’s too late.  Get your males over right here.  I provides you with a felony profile now.  Each minute counts.”