Chapter 12: Revealing the True Killer

For the next two days, Chen Shi continued working as a taxi driver, maintaining his image as a talkative guy who could chat with anyone who got in his cab.

The police had interviewed all of Chen Shi's friends, including the ones he had had skewered lamb with the night of the murder. But, as expected, they found nothing. This was the update Chen Shi got from his friends via WeChat and phone calls.

Lin Dongxue had the technical team conduct a drug test, and they confirmed that ether was found in the victim's system. She told Chen Shi the news.

That morning, Chen Shi was chatting with a passenger about Southeast Asia's economy when his phone rang. It was Lin Dongxue.

"Found her!" Lin Dongxue said excitedly. "The victim had a close friend named Gao Xiaohui. She's a doctor at a private hospital."

"Send me the address."

"I'll send it over WeChat."

"Where are you now?"

"She finishes seeing patients at noon. I'm going up to talk to her now!"

"Wait!" Chen Shi said.

"Hurry, I'm almost done here!" Lin Dongxue hung up.

Lin Dongxue stood in the hospital lobby, registration slip in hand, took a deep breath, and entered the elevator. Gao Xiaohui was a dermatology doctor. Lin Dongxue knocked and entered the office. A neat, poised woman with a bun smiled and asked, "How can I help you?"

Lin Dongxue showed her badge. "I'm a police officer. I need to ask you a few questions."

Gao Xiaohui raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you must be asking about Gu Mengxing. I heard about it online. It's hard to accept. We were college friends... I never imagined…"

She dabbed her eyes with a tissue, showing sadness.

This was Lin Dongxue's first time confronting a potential killer, and though she felt nervous, her determination to solve the case kept her calm.

"When was the last time you saw Gu Mengxing?"

"A few months ago. She invited me to dinner."

"And what were you doing the night of the murder?"

"You're being very direct," Gao Xiaohui said. "Are you accusing me? We were good friends."

"I'm just asking." Lin Dongxue blushed slightly.

"I was having dinner with colleagues. I have the receipt from that night, let me show it to you."

Gao Xiaohui handed over the receipt, and Lin Dongxue examined it, unsure of what to make of it. She bit her lip. Gao Xiaohui smiled.

"Any more questions? If not, I'm off. I need to catch lunch."

"Do you have any personal issues with Gu Mengxing?"

Gao Xiaohui's eyes widened. "No, we were close friends!"

Frustrated, Lin Dongxue clenched her fist. Just then, Gao Xiaohui stood up. "Sorry, I need to go. The cafeteria will be closing soon."

Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Chen Shi stood there, slightly flushed, clearly from running up.

"Dr. Gao, sorry to interrupt. I have a few more questions."

"Who are you?"

Lin Dongxue, relieved, said, "This is my partner. He was just downstairs parking."

Chen Shi nodded at Lin Dongxue, signaling her to stay quiet. He stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and gestured to a chair.

"Please, Dr. Gao, sit down."

"I'm off duty now. Can we make this quick?" Gao Xiaohui looked impatient.

"That might not be possible," Chen Shi said with a smile. "Let's talk about how you killed Gu Mengxing."

Gao Xiaohui's eyes widened. Lin Dongxue was equally surprised. She'd never been trained to confront a suspect so directly.

"What are you talking about?" Gao Xiaohui raised her voice. "What does Gu Mengxing's death have to do with me? You're accusing me without cause. I can sue you!"

"Dr. Gao, we've met before, haven't we?" Chen Shi pointed to his face.

"Met before?"

"That night was dark, maybe you didn't see me clearly, but I remember you. You were in my cab."

"You're...?" Gao Xiaohui's face shifted, panic starting to show.

"Looks like you recognize me now. I'm the driver who picked you up that night!" Chen Shi smiled. "And your destination was very close to the crime scene."

Gao Xiaohui crossed her arms, frowning and biting her lips—small movements Chen Shi didn't miss.

He pulled out his phone and showed her a picture—the coat he bought from the trash-picking woman. "Do you recognize this?"

Gao Xiaohui bit her lip. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"That night, the temperature was between 10 to 16°C, and this coat would've been perfect. But I remember, when I picked you up, you were wearing something very light. I thought, isn't this lady cold?"

"What are you saying?"

"Isn't this your coat?"

"No, I've never seen it before."

"Really? What if the police find your fingerprints or hair on it? How will you explain that?"

Gao Xiaohui fell silent. Chen Shi hadn't done any forensic tests, but from her reaction, he was almost certain she was the killer.

"Don't worry. Let me finish. That night, Gu Mengxing checked into the Fengzhi Lin Hotel with someone around 8 PM. You met her there, walked with her to the river, and used ether to knock her out. Then you strangled her with a rope. But the ether didn't work fully, and she woke up, struggling. She grabbed something—your coat button.

"Afterward, you took her bag and fled. But you realized you lost a button from your coat. You panicked. If that button was found at the crime scene, it would be conclusive evidence. So you did two things: first, you got rid of your coat, then took a taxi back to the crime scene. But the driver—me—was too friendly, and while talking to you, you suddenly remembered the viral ride-share murder case. So, you used Gu Mengxing's phone to send her boyfriend a few texts.

"After you got out of the cab, you went back to the river, found the button, staged the scene, tore her clothes, rearranged her body, and threw her bag into the water. Your plan almost worked. The police were close to thinking it was a ride-share murder. You even got me in trouble. But your biggest mistake was getting into my cab."