Central Park
By the time Han Bin arrived at the scene, the area had already been cordoned off with police tape.
Quite a few early-morning exercisers had gathered to watch.
Zeng Ping, Li Hui, and Zhao Ming were already there.
Han Bin scanned the surroundings. "Captain Zeng, what's the situation?"
"The victim, Zheng Wen, 31 years old, is a teacher. Around 8:30 last night, she was jogging in the park when she was ambushed from behind, drugged, and assaulted."
"This is the exact spot?" Han Bin gestured to the marked area.
Zeng Ping nodded. "She was dragged to a small path by the bushes and assaulted there. She regained consciousness around 4 a.m. and called the police."
"How is the victim doing?"
"She's okay physically. I had Tian Li take her back to the station."
"Did she get a look at the suspect?"
"The suspect was likely hiding in the bushes. When she jogged past, he ambushed and drugged her from behind. She didn't see his face."
Han Bin thought for a moment. "Did she hear anything unusual?"
"She was listening to music with earphones while jogging."
"Did the suspect leave behind any evidence?"
"We found white biological material and two unidentified hairs on the victim's thigh. It's all been sent for testing," Zeng Ping said.
"Well, that could give us something solid." Li Hui spread his hands.
"If the DNA matches someone in the database, that would be ideal. If not, we'll have to keep digging," Zeng Ping said. "Li Hui, question the park workers and the people exercising."
"Zhao Ming, check the nearby surveillance cameras for suspicious individuals."
"Han Bin, examine the scene again. See if you can find any new leads."
"Yes, sir," everyone responded.
….
The team split up and worked through the morning.
At 2 p.m., they reconvened at the police station.
Zeng Ping sat on the desk. "Let's hear it. Any findings?"
"The victim has been interviewed, but she's still emotionally unstable. I let her rest in the lounge," Tian Li said.
"No clear footprints at the scene. No signs of someone climbing in or out of the park either," Han Bin reported.
"What about surveillance?"
"There are cameras at the park's front and back entrances. A lot of people went in and out, so identifying everyone is going to be tough. I copied the footage; we can review it anytime," Zhao Ming said, holding up a hard drive.
"Li Hui, your side?"
"Most of the park staff go home by night. Only two gatekeepers were on duty, and they didn't notice anything unusual," Li Hui said.
"Any leads from the morning exercisers?"
"Those who jog at night and those who exercise in the morning are different crowds entirely," Li Hui gave a helpless smile.
"So we're saying... no new leads." Zeng Ping frowned and pulled out a pack of Yuxi cigarettes to share.
Han Bin lit one and took a puff. "Has the forensic lab said anything? If the DNA matches, we don't have to chase ghosts."
"Tian Li, go check with the forensic lab."
….
Soon, Tian Li returned, accompanied by a man in a white lab coat and glasses.
"Well, well, 'Glasses,' you finally left your lab," Zeng Ping joked.
The man adjusted his glasses with a finger. "Captain Zeng, I came out just to report this case. If you're going to tease me, I'll leave."
"Come on, I'm joking."
The man, nicknamed "Glasses," was Lu Wen, a forensic specialist and one of the few near-sighted staff at the department.
"There wasn't much evidence at the scene. Just the white biological material and two hairs. We've extracted DNA and submitted it for database comparison."
Han Bin flicked his ash. "How was the victim drugged?"
"Ether."
Zeng Ping frowned. "Ether is a controlled substance. Where did the suspect get it?"
"That's your job to figure out," Lu Wen shrugged with a 'not my problem' look.
"No usable fingerprints?" Han Bin asked.
"None."
"I asked the victim. She said the suspect likely wore gloves—she felt that when she was attacked. She doesn't remember anything after that," Tian Li added.
Zeng Ping offered Lu Wen a cigarette. "How long until we get the DNA results?"
"Hard to say. Depends on luck. Might not get a match at all." Lu Wen declined the cigarette. "Thanks, but I quit."
"Let me know the moment there's news," Zeng Ping said.
"Of course," Lu Wen replied and left the office.
Zeng Ping stubbed out his cigarette. "You all know where we stand on this case. Any suggestions?"
"Ether is regulated and not sold in regular pharmacies. We could investigate the source of the ether," Tian Li suggested.
Zhao Ming added, "We can continue reviewing surveillance footage. Anyone who appeared during the time frame and could've committed the crime is a suspect."
"We should interview people who exercise at night to see if there were any witnesses or new clues," Li Hui offered.
Zeng Ping nodded. "Good summary. Let's focus our investigation on those three areas. If no other questions, let's assign tasks."
"Of course you're staying behind," Li Hui smiled wryly.
"I'll personally look into the ether supply line," Zeng Ping said, then glanced around the room. "You four handle the surveillance footage during the day, and investigate at the park at night."
Li Hui frowned. "That's a lot of ground to cover. What's the game plan?"
"The attack happened around 8:30 p.m. So every male who left the park after that time is a potential suspect. Identify and screen all of them," Zeng Ping ordered.
"Captain Zeng, I'd like to talk to the victim again. See if there's anything she's still holding back," Han Bin said.
"Go ahead," Zeng Ping nodded. "But take Tian Li with you. The victim's still shaken up."
"Yes, sir."
….
Qindao Police Station, Interview Room
Click—the door opened.
Tian Li and Han Bin entered the room.
A composed woman sat on the sofa, with refined features and a slim figure. Tear streaks still marked her face.
"Ms. Zheng."
Zheng Wen looked up at them and nodded slightly.
"Ms. Zheng, this is Officer Han from the Criminal Division. He'd like to ask you a few more questions," Tian Li introduced.
"What kind of questions?"
Han Bin sat across from her. "Do you regularly exercise in Central Park?"
"Yes."
"Do you usually go alone or with someone?"
"It varies."
"Have you ever noticed someone following or watching you before?"
"No."
Han Bin pressed further, "Can you think of any other possible clues?"
"No. No other clues." Zheng Wen shook her head.
Based on her microexpressions, repeating the denial stiffly was a classic sign of lying.
Han Bin frowned. If the victim was hiding something, it could hurt the investigation.
"Ms. Zheng, are you sure you're not holding something back from us?"
"I've told the police everything I know." Zheng Wen leaned back and crossed her arms.
This was a textbook defensive posture. Han Bin was now certain she was hiding something.
"I know this incident caused you a lot of pain, and you may not want to revisit it, but if you withhold information, we might not catch him. He could hurt someone else."
Zheng Wen closed her eyes. Her expression shifted back and forth before she finally whispered:
"He… stole my underwear."
(End of Chapter)