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It seemed that she was a bit tired, and Jiang Xiaochun also stopped her movements, no longer fidgeting. However, she still held herself tightly, burying her head low. From this appearance, it seemed that Jiang Xiaochun was determined to remain silent, unwilling to speak at all.
What followed was a silence among us; the three of us sat facing each other without uttering a word. I observed Jiang Xiaochun and noticed that the ring that had been on her finger was now gone. This confirmed my suspicion; otherwise, Jiang Xiaochun wouldn't have removed the ring without reason. This also indirectly verified that Xu Man was likely telling the truth.
Seeing that Jiang Xiaochun remained tight-lipped, I had no choice but to continue recounting the entire process of the crime.
I looked at Jiang Xiaochun and said, "The murderer never knew who killed Lu Zhiqiu, so the murderer planned to kill everyone involved. Over the seven years, the murderer had figured out everyone's addresses. However, the murderer needed a reason to go out; if there wasn't one, they would have to create one themselves."
Shaking my head, I continued, "Thus a plan began. The murderer deliberately started to act mysteriously. Although the murderer couldn't be sure that Hu Pei was definitely the killer, Hu Pei was certainly connected to Lu Zhiqiu's murder case. But the murderer couldn't kill Hu Pei just yet; they knew that once they started killing, there would be no stopping. If they left after committing murder, it would be easy for them to expose themselves."
"So the murderer decided to start killing from outside the province and then return to Dongxing City to commit murder. This way, the likelihood of being suspected would be greatly reduced. Therefore, the murderer first needed to create an illusion of ghosts haunting the area to confuse Hu Pei; with Hu Pei's guilty conscience, it would be easy for them to fall for it."
"Hu Pei did something that the murderer anticipated; she truly believed there were ghosts in this world. After all, if someone close to her were to act mysteriously, it would be easy for Hu Pei to believe it. For her daughter's safety, Hu Pei sent her back to their old home, and the murderer followed her back."
As I laid out the facts, I also shared my speculations: "But not long after, the murderer claimed that Hu's Mother had to go on a business trip. Of course, Hu's Mother didn't pay much attention; she was busy taking care of her granddaughter. Did the murderer really go on a business trip? No, the murderer went out to kill people. After killing those outside, the murderer returned."
I shook my head and continued, "The hardest cases to solve are those where you are suddenly killed by a stranger on the street; these senseless cases are the most difficult to crack. The local police probably couldn't figure out who the murderer was or that they were killing in connection with a case from seven years ago."
I stood up and looked at the books on the shelf. "The murderer returned from their 'business trip,' so now it was time to act. Upon returning, the murderer first went to their new home and scared her husband to death. The only tool used was a photograph—one of Lu Zhiqiu. How could Hu Pei have imagined that everything she did was part of a plan set by the murderer?"
"The murderer intentionally left that old phone with Hu Pei so that when police investigated, they would follow along with the murderer's line of thought. When they saw this photograph, they would naturally investigate its connection to Lu Zhiqiu's murder case from seven years ago. But this murderer was clever; at first, they didn't point any clues toward Deng Xuemei as they wanted police suspicion directed elsewhere but instead designed another lie on top of an existing one—that's what made this murderer so formidable."
Thinking about this made me unable to help but look at this woman in front of me; her cunning was truly profound. But then again, how could a woman who had been lurking for seven years not possess deep cunning?
I continued, "From this moment on, the Murderer began to subtly guide the police investigation. I was previously unclear about the order in which the Murderer killed, but now I understand that the Murderer transmitted a false clue to us within the sequence of murders, leading us into the trap set for us."
I let out a cold laugh and said, "The Murderer first scared Hu Pei to death, then left behind a phone to guide the clues. After that, it was just a matter of waiting for the police to come knocking. When we found Hu Pei's family, another tragedy unfolded. I believe the Murderer intentionally took Hu's Mother out for groceries, leaving her daughter alone at home for a reason."
"The Murderer had long planned the method of killing; Hu Xiaoxue was the first victim to have her eyes gouged out. The death of Hu Xiaoxue served two purposes: first, it was a test to see if this method of killing was feasible. Even if it failed, a girl would likely be unable to explain what had happened, and no one would suspect who the Murderer was. Second, the Murderer intended to use Hu Xiaoxue's death as a cover to eliminate suspicion from herself. After all, who would believe that a mother could be so cruel as to kill her own daughter?"
I noticed Jiang Xiaochun visibly flinch but then regain her composure.
I continued, "If we hadn't learned that Hu Xiaoxue was not the biological daughter of the Murderer, I wouldn't think this way either. But the Murderer believed she had killed everyone who knew her secret. However, she seemed unaware that in order to keep a secret, she must also forget it herself."
Shaking my head with a sigh, I added, "Through her observations, the Murderer knew that Hu Xiaoxue had secretly been wearing her contact lenses. So she added a corrosive solution into the case. The power of the Corrosive Liquid isn't particularly strong; human skin can touch it briefly without issue. But once it is worn in the eyes, its effects become apparent."
I spoke again, "Excitedly, Hu Xiaoxue put on her mother's contact lenses. Moments later, she felt a burning pain in her eyes. It was an excruciating pain that came with an itch—an itch so intense that she wanted to gouge her eyes out. And that's exactly what Hu Xiaoxue did; she tried to remove the contact lenses from her eyes but was too panicked and in too much pain to calm down and do it properly."
Recalling the scene when I saw Hu Xiaoxue's body still fills me with sorrow. I said, "Hu Xiaoxue was in unbearable pain and discomfort; at just seven years old, she made one of the biggest decisions of her life. The genes inscribed in her body told her that gouging out her eyes was currently the most effective way to stop the pain and itch. Thus, a seven-year-old girl literally gouged out her own eyes. She could see nothing anymore; she leaned against the wall waiting for her mother to come back and save her."
"When the Murderer and Hu's Mother returned and saw this scene, despite having anticipated it well enough, even the Murderer was startled by her own 'masterpiece.' But she did not forget her mission; she immediately let out a scream and collapsed on the ground. When she got up again, she took out a knife and carved a smile on Hu Xiaoxue's face."
"She kept slicing away; I suspect she was terrified inside as well. But once she started, there was no turning back."
"With this act, the Murderer successfully portrayed herself as a mother driven insane by the unbearable grief of losing her daughter. She began spreading tales of ghosts, claiming that it was a ghost that killed her daughter. Under such dramatic circumstances, when police encountered subsequent cases involving eye-gouging murders, they would naturally feel apprehensive."
I couldn't help but exclaim, "Who would have thought that the Murderer studied architecture? In reality, psychology would suit her better because she understands human nature far too well. Once the police painstakingly dismantled the ghost story behind these murders, they would inevitably fall into another false clue left by the Murderer without any doubt."
"I digress," I continued. "The Murderer became a madman from that moment on. After witnessing the scene where the Murderer slashed the daughter's face, no one believed the Murderer was feigning madness. The Murderer achieved their goal; at that moment, they eliminated their own suspicion and gained the freedom to move."
I glanced towards the door and said, "When I first saw Hu's Mother, although her mental state was poor, it wasn't to this extent. But when I saw Hu's Mother just now, her condition was alarming. We can deduce that a person suffering from mental illness led Hu's Mother to buy some sleeping pills and sedatives for this deranged mother."
"However, those medications didn't end up in the Murderer's mouth; instead, they were fed to Hu's Mother by the Murderer." I explained, "At that time, the Murderer developed a peculiar habit of only eating food that others had already touched and only drinking running water. I initially thought this woman feared being poisoned by the Murderer after realizing she wasn't dead, but it seems that wasn't the case at all."
I raised a finger and shook my head. "The Murderer pretended to be mad but wasn't truly insane; everyone else believed the Murderer had genuinely lost their mind. The Murderer refused to take medication because the side effects of psychiatric drugs were too severe for a seemingly normal person. At the same time, the Murderer feared that Hu's Mother would mix those sedatives into her food, which led to this peculiar behavior that made her appear even more insane."
"Thus, the Murderer only ate food that others consumed in front of her and only drank flowing water. Because of these two conditions, no one could drug her." I looked at Jiang Xiaochun and said, "And where did those medications ultimately go? I believe you must have given them to Hu's Mother. As she is older, napping is essential for her, and she goes to bed early at night. If you mixed sleeping pills or sedatives into her water or food, Hu's Mother could sleep soundly until dawn."
"This way, the Murderer had ample time to carry out her next plan without anyone noticing her absence. From the very beginning of this case, she distanced herself from it entirely, making it impossible for anyone to suspect her. And what the Murderer planned next would further showcase her cunning."
"It was a long path of misdirection aimed at placing suspicion on others..."
I shook my head helplessly. "In fact, there was one thing we really hadn't figured out before..."
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