Chapter 126: The Death Video

Returning to the station meant losing our freedom. Huang Xiaotao still planned to visit Officer Ma first. On the way, she said, "I can't figure something out. If Li Wenjia really had that kind of power, she could have hypnotized me on my way home from work and killed me without anyone noticing. Why go to all this trouble?"

"Criminals don't think that way," I replied. "If she just quietly killed you, she wouldn't get the thrill she wants. She wants to isolate you, to make you afraid and terrified, like a scared, abandoned dog—just like you once took everything from her."

"You took everything from her?" Huang Xiaotao looked puzzled.

"Her parents died when she was young. Her brother was her only family. Li Wenhai was arrested by you, then died in prison. Imagine how much she must hate you," I said helplessly.

Huang Xiaotao chuckled, "You say you don't understand psychology, but your criminal profiling is pretty spot-on!"

We arrived at Officer Ma's apartment, an old residential building. On the stairs, Huang Xiaotao said, "Ma has been a detective all his life. His son was killed in retaliation by criminals. Now he and his wife are the only ones left. If anything happened to him, I would never forgive Li Wenjia."

When we reached the door, a strong smell of blood hit us. Huang Xiaotao lost control and kicked the door furiously.

With a crack, she broke the lock and rushed in shouting, "Master!"

On the floor lay an elderly woman, soaked in blood, a knife stabbed deep into her chest. Next to her was a DV camera set on a tripod.

The furniture inside was old, the walls decorated with police awards and a family photo of three. I checked the old woman's pulse and temperature. "She's been dead for about a day."

"This is Officer Ma's wife!" Huang Xiaotao's lips trembled. "Li Wenjia, you monster in human skin!"

I took the DV and glanced at the footage. What I saw shocked me: Huang Xiaotao kneeling over the elderly woman, stabbing her repeatedly, and then giving a chilling smile to the camera.

"What's in the video?" Huang Xiaotao asked.

"Nothing," I quickly shut off the screen.

"Song Yang, are you hiding something from me? Let me see!" she demanded.

"No, you can't watch this!" I dodged her.

"Hurry!" She stomped impatiently.

I knew she had to see it. I warned her not to get upset; the video was definitely fake. Still, I was uneasy. Although I'd been with Huang Xiaotao all night, the woman had been dead for 24 hours—I couldn't be sure what Huang Xiaotao had done in that time.

Maybe she was hypnotized, unaware of her actions. Li Wenjia didn't want to kill her, but to turn her into a criminal locked behind bars.

Huang Xiaotao's eyes widened as she watched the video, repeatedly whispering, "This isn't real! This isn't real!"

Suddenly, she stood up and pulled out a gun. My heart sank—damn, she was hypnotized too!

But no, she removed the magazine, then took out the bullet from the chamber, handing them all to me. "Song Yang, I can't even trust myself now. You keep the bullets."

I said, "If Li Wenjia really planted commands in your mind, she would have made you kill yourself already. The video is fake. She's a master at playing with minds. She wants us to distrust each other."

Huang Xiaotao shook her head. "No, better safe than sorry. I trust you more than myself."

Her words warmed me. We didn't leave the apartment but called the station to send backup immediately.

While waiting, I took a glass cup from the table and pressed it to the old woman's body, listening to her bone sounds. The room wasn't air-conditioned but had an open window, the temperature about the same as outside. I narrowed the time of death to around twenty hours. With my skills, I could prove the killer wasn't Huang Xiaotao, but I lacked the right tools here.

Soon, Sun Laohu arrived with his team. He froze when he saw the bandage on my hand and scolded Huang Xiaotao harshly, "How are you protecting Song Yang? Didn't I tell you? Even if you lose your life, don't let him get a scratch!"

I reassured him it was just a superficial injury, then showed him the video. Huang Xiaotao kept her head down, biting her lip tightly. After watching, Sun Laohu said, "Xiao Zhang, take this video back for analysis."

A crime video could reveal many clues: edits, forgeries, ambient sounds. But the tech team was off duty.

Sun Laohu cursed, "Then call them all back!"

I interrupted, "Wait, Uncle Sun. I have a better candidate."

I was referring to Lao Yao, whose hobby was video editing. Sun Laohu agreed. I called Lao Yao, who was ecstatic, "Little Song Song, I found what you wanted!"

"Hold on. Bring your gear to the station, and stop by my dorm to grab the tote bag from my wardrobe," I instructed.

Lao Yao complained about the late hour and lack of transportation, but Sun Laohu confidently offered a police car pickup.

When I relayed Lao Yao's demand for a handsome cop driver, Sun Laohu laughed and sent an officer who resembled Tony Leung. I smiled, knowing Lao Yao would be thrilled.

Sun Laohu dispatched officers to search for the missing Officer Ma. After the old woman's body was bagged, I used a UV light to scan the floor repeatedly—only her white hair showed up. No footprints, no stray hairs—too strange. Even the most careful killer would leave traces.

Finally, I found a fiber, oddly smooth and tough, definitely not hair. I handed it to Xiao Zhou for testing. With experience, he picked it up and said, "Song Yang, this isn't hair. It's organic fiber."

"Then test it and tell me the composition," I said.

"Got it," Xiao Zhou nodded.

There should be more evidence here, but I had nothing on hand. On the way back to the station, Huang Xiaotao and I sat together in a police van. She wasn't handcuffed but sat behind protective bars, marked as a suspect.

I comforted her, "Don't worry. I promise the killer in the video isn't you."

She sighed, "I don't care about that. I'm just scared Li Wenjia really implanted commands in my mind. Thinking of those crazed people terrifies me."

I looked at her earnestly, "No matter what happens, I'll protect you."

"Thank you." She rested her head on my shoulder. My cheeks burned. Huang Xiaotao had suffered so much tonight. She needed a shoulder to lean on.

Maybe it was the exhaustion from the long night, but as the vehicle rocked, Huang Xiaotao fell asleep on my shoulder. Looking at her innocent, childlike sleeping face, I silently vowed in my heart: I will protect you. No matter what.