I went to talk to the rich heir, and he said that at the time, he noticed the other boxes looked a bit dirty or had been opened. Only the second box on the left was intact, so he picked that one.
I thought the culprit was incredibly meticulous, considering even such details.
After the forensic doctor who had been sent out came back and whispered a few words into Dr. Zhang's ear, his face showed utter shock. He started coughing awkwardly and said, "Zhao Simeng, you really are something. It seems I was wrong after all. I should never have listened to Dr. Huang. Everyone knows how arrogant he is. I'll admit my mistake here and now!"
"No need to get so tense. I don't mean anything by it. As long as we've found some clues, that's what matters," Zhao Simeng replied politely without reproach.
However, Dr. Zhang suddenly seemed to admire her and began bombarding her with questions about coroner techniques. Zhao Simeng casually replied, "If you have time, go watch Justice Sung on TV. There's plenty to learn from there!"
"Oh, thank you. I think you should also take a look at some forensic books—they'll help improve your autopsy skills," Dr. Zhang suggested.
Shortly after, Li Siqi and Gao Qiang, who were inspecting the scene, found the victim's phone on the bedsheet. We collected it along with the previously discovered phone. With technicians like Xie Deguang or Li Hong handling it, we should be able to retrieve a lot of communication records.
We needed to investigate who the deceased had been in frequent contact with recently. If there were any common individuals, it could lead to a breakthrough.
At this point, we were outside the hotel, preparing to transport the body back to the station. As we got into the car, Zhao Simeng turned back and said to Dr. Zhang, "I already finished reading all the forensic books during my four years at university."
We drove off, leaving Dr. Zhang standing there in stunned silence. His expression was so bewildered that you could probably fit a steamed bun into his gaping mouth.
In the police car, I gave a thumbs-up and praised Zhao Simeng, "That was a knockout punch. Full marks!"
"Stop exaggerating. I just can't stand people criticizing my skills," she replied.
Liu Keying chimed in, "Sister Simeng, you're amazing. Can you teach me some autopsy techniques too?"
"Maybe some other time," Zhao Simeng said, sounding tired. She leaned back against the car seat cushion and closed her eyes to rest.
We drove toward the police station and quickly arrived. With the efforts of both Zhao Simeng and Liu Keying, we discovered that the deceased woman had a promiscuous past and was named Chi Xiaoying. It seemed her private life was quite messy. The first victim, on the other hand, was obsessed with beauty. Was there a connection between them?
I gathered everyone in the criminal case conference room and pinned photos of the two deceased women onto the whiteboard. "So far, we have two women who died of poisoning. Since the same needle marks were found, I suspect the same person is responsible."
"Why would the killer target these women?" Xiao Yuande asked.
Some officers speculated, "If they're targeting women, the killer is probably a man. Could it be unrequited love or something else?"
Everyone believed that since women were the target, the killer was likely male. The discussion went on, but Zhao Simeng remained silent throughout. Liu Keying couldn't attend since she was still a student, and Director Liu wouldn't let her participate in such meetings.
When we cross-referenced the victims' social circles and communication records, we didn't find any particularly noteworthy connections. We were at a loss until an officer rushed in and reported, "Bad news, Captain He! We just received a report of another female body found at the Xinming Restaurant. She's approximately 24 years old!"
"Let's move!" I told everyone to put their thoughts aside and head to the restaurant. Along with the team and Zhao Simeng, I left the conference room, and we quickly arrived at the scene.
I asked Zhao Simeng to examine the body while I approached the waiter who found the deceased and asked, "How did you realize she was dead?"
"Miss Nanmen comes to our restaurant every day to order a cream cake and coffee. Today was no different. I noticed that after she finished eating, she leaned forward on the table. At first, I thought she was just tired and resting, but she stayed in that position until noon. That's when I felt something was off and went to tap her shoulder. When I touched her, I realized she wasn't breathing."
The waiter's account wasn't very clear. I turned back to Zhao Simeng and asked, "Any findings?"
"She was poisoned. I found a similar needle mark on her neck. I've drawn some blood; let Sima Chao test it."
Sima Chao, who was already nearby, took the sample and said confidently, "This time, I've got it. Forensic doctors are the experts in toxicology."
"Then get it done quickly!" I urged.
"Why don't we make a bet to see who identifies it faster?" Sima Chao joked, never missing an opportunity to compete.
"Fine, let's bet a meal!"
With that, Sima Chao left. Meanwhile, Liu Keying said, "Brother He Sheng, when I was studying criminal investigation, I heard that many poisoners don't use traditional poisons directly."
"Oh? What do they use then?"
"They use everyday substances that seem harmless in small amounts but become dangerous in larger doses."
Hearing this, Zhao Simeng added, "Exactly. It seems you've learned quite a bit from your studies. If the killer had used straightforward poisons, we would've caught them by now. After all, many poisons aren't easy to obtain. Tracing their sources would quickly lead us to the culprit."
"That's right. If they used ordinary substances, it complicates things for us."
The two of them chatted, and the atmosphere felt much lighter than before. I commented, "Simeng, you two actually make a good team."
"Haha, this little one is here to learn this time. Next time, don't come. This is a battlefield, not your school," Zhao Simeng replied.
Liu Keying agreed, saying she'd return to school after this case and come back to work at the police station after graduation.
That sounded good to me. I was looking forward to her joining, given our good relationship.
At this point, I noticed that the deceased's left index and middle fingers had yellow stains—signs of a smoker. Her knees also had crumpled marks, likely from clutching them in fear. It seemed she had seen something that terrified her. Additionally, she was left-handed and a habitual smoker. Could the killer have targeted her based on this habit?
While I was pondering, a busy-looking Sima Chao returned and said, "Simeng, you lost this time! I've already identified it. Can you guess what it is?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked for your help."
"It's three words!" he teased.
Hearing this, I immediately said, "Nicotine!"
"That's right! He Sheng, how did you know?" Sima Chao looked at me in surprise.
"The yellow stains on her fingers are typical of a smoker. Plus, I noticed her knees…"