Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: There’s a Body in the Wall

Several medical examiners hurried over to take a closer look.

Staring at the blood-seeping wall, Jiang Li grew more certain of her theory. ’Maybe the body really is inside the wall.’

"Officer Lu!"

Jiang Li turned and called out to Lu Xingye, who hurried over as soon as he heard her.

Jiang Li pointed at the wall and voiced a bold theory. "I suspect the body is hidden inside this wall!" An image from her dream flashed through her mind: that cramped space, the rough, uneven surface pressed against her nose... ’Maybe that was the wall!’

Lu Xingye’s expression turned grim. He pulled out his phone, ready to call Huo Qing, but one of the medical examiners in the corner cut him off.

"This isn’t human blood, it’s just pig’s blood. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill." Ge Hong shot Jiang Li a derisive look.

"I’ll admit, it’s a creative theory," she continued, "but police work relies on evidence, not just wild guesses.

You claim a body might be hidden in this wall, but it’s only ten centimeters thick. How could it possibly hide a person?"

Lu Xingye frowned at Ge Hong. "Forensic Doctor Ge, anything is possible. You can’t prove there *isn’t* a body in there, either. So please, show Jiang Li some respect."

Her pride stung, Ge Hong glared at Lu Xingye. ’Some punk from C City thinks he can disrespect me just because he has some connection to Huo Qing?’

"Don’t forget you’re just an intern, Lu Xingye," she snapped. "If it weren’t for Huo Qing, what right would you have to throw your weight around here?"

Ge Hong ripped off her gloves and jabbed a finger at Lu Xingye’s nose as she berated him.

"And what if there *is* a body in there?" Jiang Li pulled Lu Xingye back, her expression cold as she stared at Ge Hong.

"If there’s a body, I’ll do whatever you say from now on. If there isn’t, then you little brats can stop meddling in police business!"

Ge Hong gave a cold snort as she looked at Jiang Li and Lu Xingye.

"Ge Hong, I heard they’re the ones who found the leads on this case. We’re all colleagues, don’t be so hard on them."

A colleague beside her gave her a disapproving tug. ’She’s in her thirties or forties, why is she getting so worked up over a couple of kids?’

’Everyone’s young and reckless at some point.’

"Shut up! I’m not a spineless coward like the rest of you," Ge Hong snapped at her colleague, her face flushed with anger.

"Fine, I’ll be a witness to that."

A pleasant voice rang out from nearby. Jiang Li looked over to see a man in his twenties, dressed in a white coat, leaning against the wall and watching them with amusement.

"Ning Sinian, what are you doing meddling in this?" Ge Hong asked, annoyed.

Ning Sinian’s lips curved into a smile. He strolled forward with his arms crossed. "I came to see our esteemed Forensic Doctor Ge picking on her juniors."

"Fine, you’re on!" Ge Hong’s temper flared. After spitting out the challenge, she angrily stormed off to the side.

Ning Sinian’s friendly gaze fell upon Jiang Li and Lu Xingye. "It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ning Sinian."

"Hello. Jiang Li." After introducing herself, she took a step back. She was wary of men like him now.

’What if he’s another wolf in sheep’s clothing...’

Lu Xingye gave Ning Sinian a brief handshake before turning to Jiang Li. "Come on, let’s go take another look inside."

The four of them headed upstairs.

Ning Sinian glanced at Wu Ming, who was wearing her hair in a bun, and couldn’t help but chuckle. ’They’re really letting all sorts of people into the police force these days.’

Wu Ming linked arms with Jiang Li as they walked up.

The stairwell was very echoey, and their footsteps resounded with a THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

Jiang Li recalled what the old woman had said about thumping sounds, and crying.

She ran her hand along the wall as she walked.

Ning Sinian followed, watching the three of them ahead.

"Wait. This cement is different."

Lu Xingye stopped at a corner and crouched down. He ran a finger over the seam where two sections of wall met. It was obvious the plaster on the right was newer than the plaster on the left.

Lu Xingye stared at the corner, then pulled out his phone to call the landlord, Zhao Chunmei.

It wasn’t Zhao Chunmei who answered, but one of her children. They claimed she was so frightened by the incident that she was bedridden and couldn’t come to the phone.

Lu Xingye glanced at Ning Sinian. "Is that so? As it happens, we have a doctor with us. We can bring him over to have a look at the landlord."

Ning Sinian, who had been enjoying the show, was taken aback. ’...? I’m a forensic doctor, not a GP. Is he serious?’

"Uh, no, you don’t need to worry about it! Didn’t my mom already say you can investigate however you want? Why would you need to come over now?"

"This is a police investigation. We require your cooperation!"

Lu Xingye’s tone was firm. The voice on the other end grew faint before finally giving an address in Building 8, right next door.

So, Lu Xingye and Jiang Li went to pay a visit.

A woman in her thirties opened the door. "My mom isn’t well. Please don’t upset her."

She stepped aside to let Lu Xingye and Jiang Li in.

Lu Xingye discreetly scanned the room before walking to Zhao Chunmei’s bedside.

"Ohh, ouch..."

The moment they approached, Zhao Chunmei started moaning and groaning.

"Aunt Zhao, please don’t be nervous," Lu Xingye began. "We just wanted to ask, has the corner on the fifth floor been replastered recently?"

Zhao Chunmei’s body went rigid. The groaning stopped. She sat bolt upright, staring at him in terror. "What? Replastered? Which son of a bitch did that!"

Looking at her furious reaction, Lu Xingye thought, ’It seems she really doesn’t know.’

Zhao Chunmei trembled with rage. ’Doesn’t that mean... Doesn’t that mean someone found it? Who could it be?’

Zhao Chunmei’s breathing grew ragged, and the woman beside her quickly gave her some medicine.

After calming down, Zhao Chunmei waved a dismissive hand at them. "I really don’t know anything about that. I’m too scared to even go near that apartment myself."

She trailed off, and then the theatrics resumed—her head ached, her chest hurt, her whole body was in pain.

Jiang Li watched Zhao Chunmei, then took a few casual steps around the room. Her sharp senses caught the faint, metallic scent of blood.

She looked back at Zhao Chunmei and immediately saw the guilt in the older woman’s eyes.

"Aunt Zhao, have you bought any pig’s blood recently?"

A flash of panic appeared in Zhao Chunmei’s eyes. "W-what are you talking about? Of course not."

Lu Xingye stood up straight, his expression serious. "Aunt Zhao, if you continue to be this uncooperative, you’ll have to come down to the station with us."

"Alright, fine, I bought some!" she confessed. "I just wanted to cleanse the place of bad luck. After all, I still have to rent that apartment out eventually.

You said Xiong Wangtian’s mother died in there. I kept thinking about it, and it gave me the creeps, so I bought some black pig’s blood to ward off the bad juju."

Zhao Chunmei explained with a sigh of resignation.

The excuse was plausible enough.

The atmosphere grew tense. Just then, Lu Xingye’s phone rang. He pulled it out and saw it was a call from Huo Qing.

"We’ve got something," Huo Qing said. "After checking, the date seems to be shortly after construction began on that building. We’ve already contacted the original developer."

Lu Xingye glanced at Zhao Chunmei, then said to Jiang Li, "Let’s go."

After they left, Zhao Chunmei got out of bed, put on her shoes, and furtively slipped out of the apartment.

Downstairs, Jiang Li and Wu Ming watched Zhao Chunmei’s every move from behind a tree.