As a second-tier city, Harper City is located near the coast, boasting a prime geographical position and a pleasant climate. It is an important city in Lin Dong Province, known for its economic development. The Peace District is the old town of Harper City, which means it doesn't quite match the vibrancy of some of the newer districts.
Binyi Road, the oldest street in the Peace District, is relatively narrow, and the surrounding residential buildings appear quite worn down. However, the affordable rent has attracted many migrant workers to live here.
The Xinguang Community is situated around BinyiRoad. Built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it once looked trendy but now shows its age.
Around 6:30 AM, Angelina Walker, dressed in a purple and blue knitted sweater, black jeans, and a pair of shiny black high heels, walked towards her rented apartment with a cheerful demeanor. She was swinging a high-quality replica designer bag that she had splurged on for 900 bucks just a couple of days ago.
Angelina had come to work here last year with her good friend Jenny Stone from the same county. Now, they shared a small two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of Building 3 in the Xinguang Community.
Reaching the door, Angelina hesitated for amoment before knocking.
"Knock, knock." The crisp sound echoed loudly in the quiet morning.
"Still not up?" Angelina pouted. It was Monday, and since Jenny's workplace wasn't too close, she should have been awake by now.
Shaking her head, Angelina took out her keys. The two girls had a habit of locking the door from the inside at night, so she didn't expect much. However, when she inserted the key into the lock, it surprisingly clicked open.
Not thinking much of it, Angelina assumed Jenny had forgotten to lock the door last night. The apartment was small; upon entering, the livingroom and bathroom were immediately to her right. Walking six or seven steps forward led her to the end of the hallway, with two bedrooms on either side.
Angelina approached the left bedroom door, where Jenny's room was, and twisted the doorknob, only to find it locked from the inside.
"Jenny, Jenny!" Angelina knocked on the door. "It's time to get up! If you don't hurry, you'll be late for work!"
After waiting a few seconds with no response, Angelina shrugged it off, holding her keys as she turned to head toward her own bedroom door.
Just as Angelina Walker turned around, she suddenly sensed something was off. She whipped back to see a small pool of fresh blood seeping from the crack under the door, and the tip of her black patent leather high heel was right in the middle of it.
"Ah!!" Angelina screamed, pounding on the door. "Jenny! Jenny!" There was no response from inside.
Stepping back two paces, Angelina gathered all her strength and slammed her body against the door, but her small frame barely budged it.
After a moment of panic, Angelina regained her composure. She quickly dashed outside and ran to a green iron door across the hall, banging on it with all her might. After a moment, a somewhat irritated male voice called out, "Who is it? It's early in the morning..."
"Kyle! Kyle! Hurry, something seems to have happened to Jenny!" In her urgency, Angelina's voice became sharp and frantic.
"What!?" The door burst open, revealing a strong young man who rushed out. "What happened to Jenny?"
"Come with me!" Without time to explain, Angelina grabbed Kyle and pulled him back to the room.
Upon seeing the small pool of blood on the floor, Kyle wasted no time and kicked the door with force.
Bang! Bang! With his height and strength, and the door being somewhat old, it gave way after a few kicks.
"Ah!!!" As the door swung open, both of them were met with a horrifying sight. Angelina let out a piercing scream, while Kyle's face turned pale, disbelief etched across his features as he stared at the scene before him.
On the floor lay Jenny Stone, half-turned, her lower body bare, her top pushed up to her chest, covered in bruises. Her eyes were wide open, seemingly terrified as she looked at the two of them.
At 7:30 in the morning, when people were rushing to work, every hurried passerby glanced curiously at the several police cars parked in front of Unit 3. Nearby, a small group of neighbors had gathered, whispering amongst themselves.
Just then, a white car sped in from a distance, its rooftop flashing with a police light, though it didn't blare its siren. Pedestrians quickly stepped aside as the car came to a screeching halt behind a black SUV.
With a "click," the car door opened, revealing a well-dressed woman in her thirties, with long hair cascading down her shoulders. She looked polished and capable. She pulled out her badge from her jacket pocket, flashed it at the officers stationed below, and walked into the building.
Meanwhile, inside the fourth-floor rental, several police officers had already gathered, questioning Angelina and Kyle separately. Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed as the female officer from downstairs entered the room.
Upon seeing her, several busy officers at the crime scene greeted, "Elena!"
Elena Steve, the captain of the second squad of the Peace Division's Criminal Investigation Team, nodded at them. Just then, a sharp and capable young officer approached. This was Brock King, a relatively new member of the second squad. He was clever, serious about his work, and a valuable assistant to Elena.
"Elena, here's the situation. The victim is Jenny Stone, a migrant worker. She was found dead in her apartment around 6:40 this morning by her roommate, Angelina Walker, and neighbor, Oscar Hawke. The scene is quite gruesome. Devon is still investigating, but there's something noteworthy: the two who discovered the body said that Jenny's room was locked from the inside. So, at first glance, it appears to be a locked-room murder."
"A locked-room murder?" Elena Steve repeated thoughtfully, nodding as she walked toward the bedroom where the crime had occurred.
Inside the bedroom, Jenny Stone lay with her terrified eyes wide open, her face twisted in agony. Elena frowned slightly. As a woman who had risen to the position of squad leader at such a young age, she had seen her fair share of horrific scenes. Although the crime scene was chilling, Elena quickly shifted her focus to the victim. Taking the disposable gloves that Brock handed her, Elena began to carefully examine the body of the young woman who had clearly suffered greatly in her final moments..