Chapter 66

This was already the second time Du Ruoxin had entered the Nancheng City Bureau. Led in from the entrance, she walked in confidently, quite familiar with the route. It had been several days since Zhang Peicai’s death, and she wasn’t as nervous as the last time. When Song Wen and Lu Siyu entered the interrogation room, she looked up and asked, “Why did you call me again? Is there progress in the case? Have you found the suspect?”

Song Wen calmly replied, “The case is still under investigation. We hope you continue to cooperate with our work.”

Du Ruoxin blinked, glanced at Lu Siyu and Song Wen, wondering why two younger police officers had replaced the previous ones, especially one with an injury on his forehead. She seemed puzzled about being called here again, and her guilty conscience made her eager to know the progress of the investigation. However, she wasn’t aware that her behavior seemed somewhat abnormal.

Song Wen got straight to the point, “First, I want to ask if you met Zhang Peicai at the Huating Hotel before he was murdered?”

The police were obviously well-prepared with this question. She pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, then said, “I remember now. I seem to have met Zhang Peicai.”

Song Wen pointed it out, “The current situation contradicts your previous statement. So, do you admit that you lied before?”

“Our meeting has nothing to do with the case.” Du Ruoxin forced herself to look at Song Wen and said, “I made a mistake when you asked me before.”

“With such an important matter, you could make a mistake…” Song Wen shook his head, getting to the crux of the matter, “Zhang Peicai’s phone and computer haven’t been found. I want to ask if you know where these items are.”

“I… I don’t know,” Du Ruoxin said, glancing to the side. It was a clear sign of a lying microexpression. “Those things should have been taken by the killer.”

Song Wen continued, “Do you think this time, Zhang Peicai left scheduled emails?”

“I… I’m not sure,” Du Ruoxin lowered her head.

“The police are currently searching for various electronic accounts belonging to Zhang Peicai, including those registered with his phone or logged in with his common IP address. If you have any information, please provide it to us,” Song Wen added. “Now, his body has been discovered for some time. If there’s anything left behind, it should be in these past few days. We, the police, are also curious about the contents.”

Du Ruoxin’s voice became even lower, her gaze drifting uncertainly. “He… didn’t reveal any information to me.”

As Song Wen spoke, he kept an eye on Du Ruoxin’s expression. Every time the email was mentioned, she couldn’t help but show signs of nervousness.

Song Wen continued, “That’s a bit regrettable. The higher-ups were afraid of causing panic, so they insisted on intercepting the content. But we can only strive to this extent. Sometimes, we just think, why not let it be released and see what the content is.”

Du Ruoxin’s body visibly trembled.

After a pause, Song Wen continued, “However, it’s not like we gained nothing. There’s an email account he didn’t use often, and there were a few abnormal logins after his death.”

“Which… which email?” Du Ruoxin spoke, her hands wrapped around her arms as if shivering from the cold, yet sweat appeared on her forehead.

Song Wen casually mentioned, “Still under verification. It might be other users entering the wrong information.”

Du Ruoxin licked her lips, and the fear in her eyes was now impossible to conceal.

Lu Siyu glanced at Song Wen. The words he just said were a probe on Du Ruoxin, like a cat toying with a caught mouse.

At this point in the conversation, Du Ruoxin’s fear intensified, and she stammered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t care about these things. I just hope you can find the killer who murdered my husband as soon as possible. I don’t know about that email, and I don’t know what the secret is.” Her face turned as pale as someone on the verge of drowning, struggling to take a breath.

“It shouldn’t take long,” Song Wen shifted the topic, “We also found some relevant information. We need to verify it with you. Before Zhang Peicai died, he had a very close relationship with a woman named Bai Luorui. Are you aware of this situation?”

Du Ruoxin shook her head, feeling like she was gradually retreating, pushed into a corner. “I… don’t know about this. We were planning to get a divorce. Whoever he associates with is his freedom.”

“And you’ve known Bai Luorui for a long time, haven’t you?” Song Wen tilted his head, asking her, “Aren’t you surprised to hear that your deceased husband might have been acquainted with someone you knew in the past?”

Upon hearing this statement, Du Ruoxin’s body swayed, almost on the verge of collapsing. Thinking back to the recent news about the police visiting the Wushan Nursing Home, she became increasingly flustered.

“We… knew each other in the past, but we’re not close now. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten this name,” Du Ruoxin said, feeling that her lie had probably been seen through by the people in front of her. It seemed like the next question from the two police officers would be: Are you the murderer who killed Zhang Peicai? Did you conspire with others to kill your husband? This feeling pressed down on her, making it difficult to breathe, and her heart raced. Du Ruoxin tried to force a smile, but that smile looked extremely unpleasant.

“Not close?” Song Wen took out a photo from the evidence bag. “This photo is of you and Bai Luorui, right?” He looked at the photo again. “It seems like you were around eight years old at that time? You spent almost two years at the Wushan Nursing Home during that period, right? So, you don’t remember the friends you had back then?”

Du Ruoxin lowered her head to look at the photo. It was a group photo, featuring not only Bai Luorui but also Wei Hong. She pushed the photo away, seemingly unwilling to look at it again. “I can’t remember many things, just like your elementary school classmates. Can you still remember their names?”

“Why did you live in that nursing home at that time?” Song Wen asked seemingly casually.

“At that time, my parents… were busy with work… no one took care of me, so I had to live with the elderly at home.” Du Ruoxin hesitated.

“Because of busy work, left your child at a nursing home. Quite responsible,” Song Wen remarked and continued asking, “Do you know Dr. Xia Wuzhi?”

“We should have met a few times at the nursing home, but I was still young, and we had little interaction. After the Wushan Nursing Home closed, I quickly returned home.” Du Ruoxin was forced to recall the past, an unwanted memory. She placed her hands under the table, attempting to conceal her nervousness.

“What about the things Dr. Xia did before? Do you know about the deaths of those elderly people?” Song Wen looked at Du Ruoxin. “About the incidents that happened there.”

The police had indeed investigated the events of that year?!

“I don’t know anything…” Du Ruoxin’s heartbeat slowed, and then she felt that what she said was not quite appropriate. She added, “I was too young at that time. It was only after I became an adult that I learned from the news what had really happened there.”

Just when she was in a state of extreme panic, Du Ruoxin saw the fair-skinned young police officer next to her suddenly tug at the lead investigator’s sleeve and whispered, “Captain Song, it’s about time, and the physical evidence team is waiting for us for a meeting.”

This sentence was like a universal amnesty, rescuing Du Ruoxin.

The other police officers behind them said something more, but Du Ruoxin didn’t register a single word. When she came out of the municipal bureau, her whole being felt hollow.

Du Ruoxin’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her legs turned as weak as noodles. The sun shone on the ground, making it look pale and dazzling with glints. For a moment, she felt like she was about to pass out, until she realized that she was sitting in the car.

The last time she entered the police station, she was somewhat prepared, using indifference to mask her inner panic. This time, however, she felt like her chest had been stabbed several times.

Now, Du Ruoxin was even more frantic than the day Zhang Peicai died. The sensation was like reaching a dead end, facing the end of the world.

The car seat was scorching under the sun, and Du Ruoxin turned on the air conditioning, taking out an electronic cigarette and puffing a few times with all her strength, only then did she regain some consciousness.

With trembling hands, Du Ruoxin dialed Bai Luorui’s number on her spare mobile.

It felt like she had waited for an eternity when the call was finally answered. Bai Luorui’s voice came from the other end, calm and rigid, with a hint of displeasure, “Didn’t I tell you not to contact me recently?”

Du Ruoxin stammered, “They may have found out…”

“Who?”

“Police. I was called to the city bureau again today.”

“What did they find?”

Du Ruoxin organized her thoughts, “The police found out that we know each other. They might be suspicious of us.”

Bai Luorui on the other side chuckled, “So, they didn’t arrest you, didn’t detain you, and even allowed you to call me?”

Du Ruoxin was stunned by this question. Yes, the two police officers seemed to have uncovered a lot, but they didn’t get to the core. They didn’t ask if she was the killer, didn’t detain her. They just repeatedly reminded her that a letter with a secret might be sent out. Then, why did they call her in? Was it really just to verify information, confirm that she knew nothing, and then let her go? No… there was more… they also asked something else…

Bai Luorui continued to reassure her, “Relax, they have no evidence. Without evidence, the police can’t do anything.”

Bai Luorui’s reassurance didn’t work well. Du Ruoxin’s heart kept pounding. The air conditioning in the car finally started cooling, and the vent was blowing directly at her. Du Ruoxin shivered from the cold. Suddenly, she remembered something, “They might know… know about what happened in the nursing home back then.” She felt like she was on the verge of collapse, gritted her teeth, and said, “I want to see you!”

Du Ruoxin bit her fingers while making the call, oblivious to the fact that she had bitten them until they bled. Frowning, she bit her fingers fiercely, as if she wanted to devour them. She had to meet her. The situation had deviated from their previous plans, and they needed to formulate a new response strategy.

Bai Luorui remained silent for a moment, as if weighing whether it was the right time to meet. Now, she had to calm Du Ruoxin down. This woman was still too agitated. If she spilled the beans, it would jeopardize everyone. After a few seconds of silence, her voice came through the phone, “Fine, the usual place. Be careful, make sure no one is following you.”

TN:
Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!