Fang Mu nodded. He flipped through the case files in his hands. "Just now you said that the victim wasn't raped that night?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Hmm, this is rather interesting," said Fang Mu, deep in thought. "It was Ridgeway's custom to have sex with his victim's before strangling them to death. So if the killer wanted to perfectly copy his crimes, why didn't he have sex with Zhang Yao?"
"There could be a ton of reasons for this. Time, place — perhaps even the killer's mood." Tai Wei chuckled, but then immediately realized that it was inappropriate. His smiled disappeared.
"Mood?" Fang Mu gave a grim smile. "He wanted to destroy me mentally. Now perhaps he, too, is reaching his breaking point."
He reached out and grabbed one of the photographs. It was of the excerpt that had been found in Zhang Yao's shoe.
"Resplendent Sunset?" Fang Mu looked the photograph over. "I remember reading this when I was a kid. I think it was written by Xiao Hong."
Tai Wei moved closer. "You think this is a clue to the killer's next crime?"
Fang Mu thought for a moment. "If nothing else unusual was found at the scene, then yes, tentatively, I believe we can regard it as one. What's the police opinion on the excerpt?"
After hesitating for a moment, Tai Wei said, "Zhao Yonggui believes the paper fell inside the shoe by accident. Therefore, he thinks that there's a kid in the killer's household who's currently attending elementary school. As for the rest of it, I'm not too sure." Tai Wei sighed. "Old Zhao doesn't really want me to take part in this case. Not that he has anything to worry about though — it's already under the jurisdiction of the State Enterprise Investigative Division. At this point all I can do is using some of my connections to find out what's going on."
"All right, then I'll look it up online." Fang Mu sat in front of his computer and searched for the text of Resplendent Sunset. Once he found it, he began reading it slowly and carefully.
Seeming a little bored, Tai Wei grabbed a book from the shelf and flipped through it. He then stood in front of the window, took out a cigarette, and began to smoke.
"Not many people out on campus today," he said.
"Yeah, exams are coming up soon," said Fang Mu absently, his eyes not leaving the screen. "They're probably all inside studying."
"Are you going to have exams soon, too?"
"Huh? Oh, graduate students don't have exams." Smiling without real humor, Fang Mu patted the monitor. "This is my exam."
Tai Wei just shook his head.
Fang Mu's attention returned to the screen, but now he seemed unable to absorb anything he was reading.
Exam?
"Tai Wei…"
Tai Wei had been staring at a tall, beautiful girl standing outside the building, and it took him a moment to register that Fang Mu was talking to him. His voice sounded a little shaky.
"Yeah?" Tai Wei turned around.
Fang Mu was staring at him, his face wearing an inscrutable expression. "I think we've been ignoring something very obvious."
"Oh? What's that?" Tai Wei was suddenly all ears.
"Tell me, what kind of person devises problems to test other people?"
"That's obvious; a teacher, of course." Although Tai Wei casually blurted it out, his eyes immediately widened. "Are you saying that the killer is a teacher at the school?"
Fang Mu nodded. "It's a definite possibility."
"Now hold up." Tai Wei's eyebrows knitted together as he feverishly pondered something. "Previously you said that our man is most likely between the ages of thirty and forty, well-educated, financially stable and clean cut, with a jealous, competitive personality, correct?"
"Yeah, that's what I said."
"In that case, there are way too many people like this on your campus. In my experience, practically all college professors fit this profile."
"We might not know who it is," said Fang Mu, pulling on his jacket, "but I know someone who might. Follow me!"
It was Professor Qiao who opened the door. Although he didn't seem surprised by Fang Mu's sudden visit, his expression shifted slightly when he saw Tai Wei was standing behind him.
He pointed at the slippers placed beside the door, and then turned and walked alone into the study.
After removing their shoes and putting on slippers, Fang Mu and Tai Wei followed after him. Professor Qiao had already lit a cigarette and was sitting on the couch, smoking gloomily, his expression somber.
Seeing the professor's mood, Fang Mu didn't quite know what to say. Tai Wei was first to speak. "Teacher Qiao… Oh, I mean Professor Qiao, how are you, sir?" he said politely. "I'm Tai Wei from the city bureau. This is my police ID."
Professor Qiao didn't even turn his head, just made a brief sound of recognition. Nor did he take the police ID that Tai Wei was holding out for him.
Tai Wei's arm hung awkwardly in the air for several seconds. Miffed, he angrily pulled it back. Seeing that Fang Mu wasn't talking, he poked him hard in the side.
Given no choice, Fang Mu forced himself to say, "Professor Qiao, there is something I wanted to ask your advice about."
"Yes?"
Fang Mu looked at Tai Wei. Then, summoning his courage, he said, "Professor Qiao, do you know anyone on this campus who's fairly adept at psychological analysis?"
Professor Qiao tapped out the ash from his cigarette. "I do."
"Who?" Fang Mu asked. Both his and Tai Wei's ears pricked up at once.
"Me." Professor Qiao paused. "And you."
At once the air in the study seemed to solidify.
Fang Mu stammered: "I…what I was trying to say…"
"That I already know." Professor Qiao then placed the butt of his cigarette in the ashtray on the table, grabbed a book, and began to turn its pages.
When Fang Mu and Tai Wei saw this, they had no choice but to turn to take their leave.
Tai Wei did not look pleased at all. Without even saying goodbye, he left. Fang Mu followed. Tai Wei angrily pulled on his shoes and pounded down the stairs.
After putting on his shoes, Fang Mu looked up to see Professor Qiao standing in front of him. He was watching Fang Mu, his expression meaningful.
"Professor…I…think I'm going to be leaving now," Fang Mu excused hesitantly.
Professor Qiao suddenly reached out and placed one hand on Fang Mu's shoulder. He squeezed it tightly.
"Take care of yourself," he said, then his voice went quiet. "This will all be over soon."
This said, he pushed Fang Mu out the door and then slammed it behind him.
Tai Wei was waiting for Fang Mu in his jeep outside. As soon as Fang Mu got in, Tai Wei stepped angrily on the gas, and the jeep immediately lurched forward.
"That old guy was obviously screwing with us," said Tai Wei, honking impatiently at the bicyclist in front of them. "You think he could be the killer?"
"Don't talk nonsense." Fang Mu was still thinking about the last thing Professor Qiao had said.
"This will all be over soon."
Was it possible that he already knew who the killer was, and was about to bring him to justice?
Previously when Fang Mu had learned that Professor Qiao was joining the investigation, he had felt greatly reassured. Now, however, he didn't feel relaxed in the slightest. Rather, he was even more anxious.
Tai Wei pulled up in front of Fang Mu's dormitory. After Fang Mu got out, Tai Wei turned to him and said, "It looks like we're gonna have to investigate this ourselves. Shit, before this was all easy. But now that I can't look into anything openly, I'm just going to have to investigate things on my own."
"All right. Well, you'd better start by looking into whether any teachers also work in the counseling centers of any of the city hospitals."
"Yeah, I got it. And you be careful." Tai Wei started up the jeep and drove off.
Fang Mu watched as Tai Wei's jeep disappeared around the corner. He looked up at the sky. Huge, lead-black clouds were rolling overhead, seeming to indicate that a blizzard was quietly approaching.