Chapter 37: The Question of Motive

“I had my doubts about this too,” Congo said with a bitter smile, rubbing his hands together. “This really isn’t a good sign.”

“Exactly. When I first heard that Zhang Dong and Lin Zhen had been in contact behind everyone’s back, I was almost dumbfounded,” Yan Xue sighed. “Lin Zhen is truly an enigma. It’s hard to even describe her! It feels like she never plays by the rules. You could say she’s unique or fiercely independent, but even those labels seem to overestimate her. She acts purely on impulse, rarely thinking things through.

“But if you say she’s impulsive and thoughtless, she also has her own little tricks and schemes up her sleeve!

“What we can confirm now is that Zhang Dong not only knows Lin Zhen is alive, but he also knows about her deceptive swap-and-switch tactics. That completely rules out the possibility that he mistook Bai Yue Ni for Lin Zhen and killed her by accident. If he had targeted Bai Yue Ni deliberately, plotting to kill her, that seems unlikely too—after all, those two barely had any interaction!”

“True, there’s no obvious motive for Zhang Dong to harm Bai Yue Ni. But we can’t entirely rule out the possibility that he mistook Bai Yue Ni for Lin Zhen. After all, everything he’s told us so far is one-sided. What if he hasn’t been fully truthful about the timeline of events? What if he first mistakenly killed Bai Yue Ni and only then learned about Lin Zhen’s plans and whereabouts? That would change everything.”

Yan Xue rubbed her temples, leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh.

“Why... why?” she lamented weakly. “Why can’t life just be easy and peaceful every day? Why do people have to constantly flirt with danger and break the law?

“If I didn’t have to do anything, just eat, drink, and enjoy myself every day, with my parents supporting me financially so I never had to worry about money, I would definitely choose a job based purely on my interests—something lawful, something that makes me happy and comfortable. I wouldn’t stir up any trouble.”

“That’s why people need to keep busy, have their own pursuits, goals to strive for. Otherwise, life gets too dull and empty. When people are too idle, they get restless and end up doing foolish things just to seek thrills!” Congo smiled.

“Right now, we’ve identified about one-third of the people who attended that masquerade party that night. None of them had a motive to kill, and some didn’t even know Lin Zhen or Bai Yue Ni. The remaining two-thirds are harder to identify for various reasons.”

Bai Xue felt a headache coming on. She sighed. Lately, she’d been dealing with a lot of troubles, and this case was starting to frustrate her as well. It didn’t seem especially complex, yet they couldn’t zero in on any strong suspects for deeper investigation. Every time they found someone suspicious, the lead was quickly dismissed.

It was like being trapped in a hall of mirrors—everywhere looked like a path, but walking forward only led to dead ends.

“Don’t get anxious,” Congo said, noticing Yan Xue’s state. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small item, and tossed it lightly in her direction.

Yan Xue instinctively caught it. It was a chocolate toffee.

“What’s this? Treating me like a child?” she smiled softly.

“Who says adults can’t indulge in a little sweetness now and then?” Congo shrugged, pulling out another piece, unwrapping it, and savoring the candy with a pleased expression. “Sweet stuff really does brighten the mood.”

Yan Xue didn’t usually consider herself a candy lover, but seeing Congo enjoy it so much, she followed suit. The toffee was rich and sweet; after a few chews, the dark chocolate center melted, releasing a bittersweet aroma that balanced the sugary coating, leaving a lingering fragrance on her lips.

“Strange! I can’t explain it, but chewing this really does make me feel better,” Yan Xue said, surprised. She realized she hadn’t been comforted with sweets since she was a child.

“There’s nothing magical about it. Sugar triggers dopamine release in the brain, making us feel happy. But that’s not the real reason. Sugar is just a prop. What truly comforts people is the act of someone caring about their feelings. People in trouble or distress feel lonely and helpless. When someone pays attention to their emotions, that alone is what brings real comfort,” Congo said casually, yet with a note of seriousness.

“I’ll buy some candy for backup, then. When we hit a wall, we can cheer each other on!” Yan Xue agreed wholeheartedly. Ever since she transformed into the “Whirlwind,” she was seen by relatives and classmates as invincible and unstoppable, so she received more advice than comfort.

But deep down, whenever she felt troubled, just as Congo said, she felt isolated, like standing alone on a deserted island, cut off from the world. Others either assumed she was invincible and never hindered, or tried to challenge and convince her, with no one truly caring about her feelings.

“No problem. After we wrap up the case, we’ll hit the supermarket for supplies!” Congo grinned. “For now, we have one less thing to worry about. Zhang Dong is a semi-addict. Given the nature of addicts, his trustworthiness is questionable, but thankfully we don’t have to worry about him running off. He’s in withdrawal, and unless he sprouted wings, he can’t escape.”

“That’s true. So no need to trouble ourselves with him for now. Maybe we should talk to Bai Yue Ni’s parents again,” Yan Xue suggested, sharing her bold idea. “What if the actual situation isn’t as straightforward as we initially thought? What if Bai Yue Ni wasn’t mistaken for Lin Zhen and killed by accident, but rather the killer targeted her deliberately? What if we’ve been investigating the wrong angle?”

Congo nodded in agreement and added, “I’ve thought about that too. Lin Zhen has a wide social circle, mixed company, and often meets strangers. From a crime risk perspective, she definitely faces higher dangers than the more conventional Bai Yue Ni.

“Besides, Bai Yue Ni’s parents told us over the phone that she had no known enemies.

“From the crime scene, it’s clear the motive wasn’t robbery. The attack was swift and precise, targeting the junction of the victim’s skull and neck. That alone shows it was a well-planned murder, not a spur-of-the-moment act.

“Bai Yue Ni was from out of town, with no relatives or friends in the city, and died in Lin Zhen’s house. So it’s more likely the killer’s actual target was Lin Zhen, and Bai Yue Ni was killed by mistake.

“But there’s still something that doesn’t sit right. Have you thought about why the killer used a metal skewer as the weapon? And why leave it stuck in the body?”

“That’s true. Lin Zhen’s place was a mess—there were kitchen knives, fruit knives, scissors—anything could have been used. Why choose a metal skewer? The method of killing showed professionalism, but the weapon choice feels rushed and odd.”

“So here’s my theory,” Congo said, smoothing out two candy wrappers from earlier on the table, “Our suspect might not be as experienced as we think. This could have been a spontaneous act, triggered by a perfect storm of circumstances.”

“But how could a complete amateur, acting on impulse with no preparation, know exactly where to strike for a lethal blow?” Yan Xue found it hard to grasp. “The spot at the back of the head—last time I heard about that was when I was very young. Adults talked about it at home, and later, some senior detectives at the bureau mentioned it.

“They said that years ago, there were roaming robbery gangs who would strike unsuspecting victims on the back of the head with hammers before robbing them. Many victims died from their injuries.”

“Let me ask you something,” Congo suddenly veered off-topic. “You told me your cousin used to bully you, right? Even hit you? I’m remembering correctly?”

“Yes, you’re right. I told you about that,” Yan Xue nodded.

“Back when the age and strength gap between you and her wasn’t so big, you couldn’t fight back. But did you ever imagine how you would retaliate if you could?”

“Of course, I thought about it—more than once,” Yan Xue’s eyes lit up with sudden understanding. “Oh! I see what you mean now!”