Chapter 228 - 154: Madwoman! Bitch! Identity

This alley was... special.

"Based on her facial features, the madwoman is Lin Miao."

"And analyzing the inexplicable display of emotion, the one who was flayed is Lin Miao—the madwoman’s sister."

Li Jianye stated the facts, his voice echoing through the alley.

The other two members of the special task force were cupping their ears, trying to hear as much as possible.

Zhang Liang waved his hand. "Xiao Zhao."

One of them hurried over. He was a member of the Special Fifth Bureau’s task force. He walked up to Xu Huo, a fawning smile on his face, and leaned in to listen from up close.

"Go take a look inside."

Xu Huo didn’t shoo him away. He glanced around.

The neighbors had their doors shut tight. Of course, there were also a few old men and women who left their doors open, cracking melon seeds as they watched the commotion.

He put on shoe covers and other protective gear, then stepped into Lin Miao’s house.

The house wasn’t large: two bedrooms, one living room, and one bathroom.

The interior had a nostalgic feel. The furniture was simple—a TV, a refrigerator, a table, a sofa, and not much else.

To the right was the sister, Lin Miao’s, room.

The inside was even simpler.

A desk, a bed, a wardrobe, and besides that, just piles of books and a small desk lamp.

There was no air conditioner, only an electric fan.

The room got good light. The window was flush against the wall, and during the day, the sunlight streaming in would have created a pleasant scene.

As for the bedroom on the left...

"CREAK~"

The moment they pushed the door open and flicked on the light, a lurid purple glow shot out from the bulb, flooding the entire room.

An ambiguous, almost intimate atmosphere instantly filled the air.

There was nothing else in this room but a bed and a wardrobe. The only other thing... was toilet paper.

A massive amount of toilet paper was stacked against the wall at the foot of the bed.

There were also torn-open condom wrappers.

"CLICK!"

With the sound of a shutter, the police photographer documented the scene.

Then, several officers put on milky-white gloves, squatted by the trash can, and began searching for something.

Before long, they used tweezers to pick out several transparent latex items.

Xu Huo glanced at the dim, oppressive room, shook his head, and walked back outside.

There was no bright light in the room, only a tiny window. It was stuffy and suffocating.

As soon as he stepped out, even the foul stench from before seemed somewhat fresh in comparison.

"There’s still food on the living room table."

"Judging by the time, it’s most likely leftovers from two and a half days ago."

"From this, we can determine the incident occurred two and a half days ago, or perhaps even earlier."

"There are no signs of a struggle inside the house. The water meter shows normal usage."

"Luminol didn’t detect any blood spatter from a homicide."

A series of forensic details were read out for everyone to hear.

The summary was...

"This is not the dump site, nor is it the murder scene."

"Given that the madwoman is Lin Miao and the deceased is her sister, we can basically rule out the possibility that Lin Miao was the perpetrator."

Li Jianye scribbled in his notebook as he spoke.

"The only blood traces at the scene are from the self-mutilating act of sewing on the skin."

"There are also signs of rummaging. The methods were crude; it was most likely the murderer’s handiwork."

"Putting the information together: Lin Miao most likely found the location where her sister was killed, took the skin, and then performed the sewing. This all led to the initial report that opened the case."

"And the murderer, while she was outside and discovered by the police, came to Lin Miao’s home to search for something—most likely the skin."

Zhang Liang’s brow furrowed.

’A student who just got into college...’

’Who could she have made an enemy of?’

’And even if she had an enemy, for them to go so far as to flay her alive!’

’Why?’

’What kind of deep-seated hatred would lead to this?’

’It makes no sense...’

In a daze, several previous cases he had handled flashed through Zhang Liang’s mind.

"Boss, it couldn’t be one of those... cults, could it?"

Zhao Gang, the task force leader from the Special Fifth Bureau, couldn’t help but mutter quietly to Zhang Liang.

"To flay someone’s skin for no apparent reason..."

The first time the Special Fifth Bureau took notice of Xu Huo was because of the "Modern Jesus" case in Jiangsan City.

What was so special about that case?

A suspected cult!

This current case, flaying someone alive... it had an unnervingly similar feel.

"It’s possible. Let’s keep that theory in mind for now."

Zhang Liang said in a low voice, not dismissing the idea.

After speaking, he looked up but didn’t see Xu Huo.

He scanned the area and finally spotted him standing not far away.

Xu Huo was there, along with a heavyset woman.

Zhang Liang paused for a moment, then hurried to catch up.

As soon as he got close, he could hear their conversation.

"You know Lin Miao?"

"Of course, I do. We’ve been neighbors for years. How could I not know her..."

"So you know her well?"

"I wouldn’t say well."

"What kind of person do you think Lin Miao is?" Xu Huo asked.

The woman paused. A look of contempt crept onto her face, and resentment flickered in her eyes.

"A whore!"

"A complete and utter whore!"

she said with disdain.

’A... a whore?’

’The sister of a whore... got into the nationally renowned Capital City University?’

’The sister of a whore... was taken and flayed alive?!’

’What was the use of taking the skin?’

’And the murderer? What did he want?’

’A person’s skin, flayed from a living victim... to commit murder for that, what on earth was the motive?!’

In a flash, Xu Huo narrowed his eyes.

He and Zhang Liang exchanged a look.

’Perhaps this woman in front of them... knew the answer.’

"Elaborate."