Eyes that are the same as those of evil

Chapter 29 Ghost Hotline - Serial Murder Case 9
Could the killer really predict the order and timing of their discoveries? How could she ensure they were following her schedule?

What was the killer trying to do?
Zheng Yan was a bit confused. Were the clues they had found so far true? Were they useful? Or were they deliberately set up by the murderer?
A breeze carrying willow catkins blew through the university campus, bringing him back to his senses. He got into the car with Tan Jia and quickly turned around to head towards the mailing address.

Although the details of the case are still unclear, as long as we keep running, there is a chance we will find the truth.

Tan Jia wanted to ask if she could leave, since they were driving so fast. She had been away from extreme sports for a year and wasn't used to this kind of high-speed driving.

Moreover, Zheng Yan talked to her while driving.

"Xue Jing's death is different from the previous two deaths. Let's start from the beginning and examine everything again. Do you think something is wrong?"

Tan Jia tried to push his head back down and began to think seriously.

“Now there’s a vague connection between the victims, so the killer didn’t specifically target people with depression… Maybe it’s because of something that happened back then? That incident involved three victims and the killer. And the killer deliberately exposed the bodies in crowded places, perhaps not only to make it easier to escape from the crowd, but also to let more people know about these things, the bigger the commotion, the better.”

"If I were the murderer... I mean, if I wanted to turn this into a hot topic, I would need more sensationalism, such as a ghost hotline, specifically targeting vulnerable groups to incite public outrage, or using unusual methods of murder, preferably making it very difficult for the police to investigate."

Zheng Yan: "I've considered your idea, but these kinds of things usually happen when the murderer wants to use the opportunity to reopen another wrongful conviction case, so they kill accomplices, family members of the murderer, and investigators related to the wrongful conviction case from back then. But Qu Li and the other two seem more like victims, so why would the murderer kill them?"

"Because the murderer is an even more tragic victim? I've seen many cases of incarceration where the deaths were often caused by the victims killing each other. Once the murderer becomes a terrifying presence that they can't overcome, their fear and anger will erupt towards other victims who refuse to lend a helping hand."

Moreover, if we continue analyzing in this way, many clues will make sense—

Qu Li and the others might be survivors of the wrongful conviction from years ago. They survived because of the immense suffering they endured, but also developed mental illnesses. The murderer is another survivor, which is why she was able to gain the trust of the three women. Because they are all victims, she hopes that the police can use their cases to uncover the truth of what happened back then, which is why she made the contradictory call to the police to warn them.

She wanted to cover up her crime while simultaneously wanting the police to know her plans. This fits the killer's twisted psychology perfectly.

Tan Jia simply offered one possibility in his divergent thinking, and then fell silent.

If this is the truth, then it's truly pitiful and lamentable.

"I would rather it hadn't ended like this."

"I hope so too." Zheng Yan turned the steering wheel and veered onto an old road in the city.

This area was the first place in Jiujiang to be developed, and many buildings still retain the style of the early 2000s, while the residential areas are somewhat outdated.

However, there are many schools, so the number of people coming to buy houses is only increasing.

The mailing address was in a school district residential complex, but the floor and apartment number were not specified. Packages are usually placed in parcel lockers outside the complex.

Zheng Yan inquired with the property management about owners or tenants with the surname Bian. This surname was quite unique and easy to find, but there was no such person in the community.

They then went to the company that owned the parcel locker to check the surveillance footage, and that's when they found a clue.

In the surveillance video, last night a slender figure approached the express delivery locker with her head down, took out her phone to scan the code to retrieve the package, and then, without opening it, took the package and went straight back the way she came.

Wearing a mask, her face was obscured, but it was clear she had long black hair, wore a black sports jacket, and had slender wrists, matching the description of the murderer in Tan Jia's dream.

“She doesn’t live in this neighborhood,” Zheng Yan said. “She walked into the monitored area from the lower left of the camera, and the entrance to the neighborhood is directly to the right of the camera.”

“But she must be nearby and know the way packages are delivered here, otherwise why would she choose this as her delivery address?” Tan Jia said.

Zheng Yan nodded and immediately contacted the local police to assist in visiting and investigating nearby residents.

The investigation and visits were a very time-consuming task. In April, the sun was shining on the thick clothes that Tan Jia hadn't had time to take off, and he felt like his soul was about to evaporate. The jujube dough figurine that he had painstakingly made was half-cooked in his pocket.

She requested to view the surveillance footage. The person in the video left the community's parcel locker, appeared about twenty minutes later on a road full of parked cars, then turned into an alley and went into a shop.

"Ah Xiang's funeral..."

What do you mean?
Tan Jia watched as the person in the video bought a bag of offerings; the incense and candles were so long that a little bit of them were sticking out from the edge of the pocket.

Looking at the time again, it was 9:43 PM last night.

Why did she buy a bunch of incense, candles, and paper money after receiving Xue Jing's letter? Who was she going to worship? Xue Jing?

If she was going to pay respects to Xue Jing, then she must have known all along that Xue Jing would die sometime between last night and this morning.

Is she the murderer?

Tan Jia kept watching the video as she entered a hotel, while dialing Zheng Yan's number.

"Captain Zheng, we've found her address. She's not from here at all; she's staying at a hotel."

This contradicts their assumptions.

The killer was familiar with the area around the bus stop where Chen Yingying was hanged, but couldn't find anyone matching the description there. The person in the video seemed familiar with the neighborhood, but surprisingly, didn't live there.

Zheng Yan: "I'll go to the hotel right away and ask. Have you seen her movements today?"

“Let me see… She appeared at a crossroads at 7:30 in the morning. There’s a hospital and a school in that direction, and it’s also the only way to the high-speed rail station.”

Where does she want to go? What does she want to do there?
Zheng Yan sensed something was wrong, so he returned, picked up Tan Jia, and headed in that direction.

He drove fast, and even took the time to call the Ministry of Transportation to inquire whether a girl surnamed Bian had bought a ticket out of the city that day.

However, the call didn't go through; instead, I received another call first.

The person on the other end said something, and Zheng Yan repeated in surprise, "What did you say?" before slamming on the brakes and stopping.

Tan Jia nearly hit her head due to inertia, but was stopped by the seatbelt. Her green hair swished through the air in a wave.

...She never wants to ride in Zheng Yan's car again!

"Captain Zheng, is there any new information?" she asked with a long face.

Zheng Yan looked extremely grim: "We had Xue Jing's roommates check the surveillance footage near the two previous crime scenes, thinking that the person suspected of being the murderer who appeared at the bus stop might have also been near Xue Jing. It turned out that the person suspected of being the murderer was Xue Jing."

Tan Jia's eyes widened in disbelief, but a sudden inspiration struck him.

Yes, how did she make the mistake of relying on empiricism? Who says the deceased can't be the murderer? Xue Jing's image also matches the characteristics of the murderer in her dream.

but……

"But if Xue Jing killed Qu Li and Chen Yingying, and even called to warn them, why would she die along with them? If death is truly used to expose a wrongful conviction, there must be a witness... Could this Bian be that witness?"

I see some people in the comments section have already vaguely guessed what happened; the wisdom of the masses is truly remarkable. I'll definitely make the next case even more convoluted (crying).

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(End of this chapter)