The case of the teddy bear hiding a corpse 1.2
Li Weimian's pupils dilated slightly: "It wasn't a revenge killing... it was punishment. The murderer believed he was carrying out justice."
Fan Jinci bagged the last piece of evidence: "The time of death was approximately 72 hours ago, which is last Friday night. Liver temperature indicates that the murderer may have used a freezer to preserve some of the body's organs."
"Friday..." Wen Lin quickly flipped through his notes, "The neighbor said they heard a loud argument that night, which lasted until about one o'clock in the morning, and then it suddenly went quiet."
Li Weimian walked towards the children's room, which was unusually tidy. The sheets were perfectly flat, and the toys were arranged in a perfect straight line. She opened the wardrobe, where all the clothes were hung up according to color.
"The killer tidied this place up," she said softly, "after the murder."
Yu Yan followed him in and saw a children's drawing on the desk: a huge black figure leading a little boy. "What is this?"
Li Weimian stared at the painting: "A child's nightmare...or a prophecy." She turned to Yu Yan, "We need to investigate all the police reports this family has filed in the past two years, especially those involving children."
Situ Jin said timidly at the door, "Suspicious traces have been found in the underground parking garage."
In the freezer in the corner of the garage, neatly arranged chunks of meat packaged in vacuum bags were examined and confirmed to be human tissue.
"Family dinner," Li Weimian suddenly said, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "The murderer is rebuilding this family."
Yu Yan frowned: "What do you mean?"
"The limbs were rearranged, the head put back in the teddy bear...like children playing house." A chill flashed in Li Weimian's eyes. "The killer was creating a 'perfect' family picture."
Wen Lin's phone vibrated. He glanced at it: "Lin Qiaoqiao has a younger sister named Lin Meimei, who is a child psychologist. The two sisters had a falling out over their children's education."
Li Weimian looked up abruptly: "A counselor? Where does she work?"
"Sunshine Children's Mental Health Center." Wen Lin read out the information. "Specializing in behavioral correction for children with problems."
Fan Jinci suddenly spoke up: "The angle of the cut indicates that the murderer is left-handed."
"Where's Lin Meimei?" Yu Yan asked.
Wen Lin quickly swiped the screen: "Judging from the photo... she's wearing a watch on her left wrist."
Li Weimian was already walking towards the door: "We need to see her. Now."
As the police car drove out of the residential area, Li Weimian watched the apartment buildings gradually disappear in the rearview mirror. The teddy bear's empty glass eyes seemed to still be watching her, and the stitches at the corner of its mouth looked like an eerie smile in the sunlight.
"She hates that child," Li Weimian suddenly said.
Yu Yan tightened his grip on the steering wheel: "Who?"
"Lin Meimei." Li Weimian's voice seemed to come from afar. "She thinks her sister's child is a monster that needs to be 'corrected.' And that teddy bear... it might be a gift she gave to her sister, symbolizing their shared childhood."
The siren shattered the afternoon tranquility. Li Weimian closed her eyes, the image of the killer carefully sewing up the teddy bear flashing through her mind—each stitch meticulous, as if completing a work of art. That almost devout focus was more chilling than pure violence.
When the receptionist at the Sunshine Children's Mental Health Center saw four police officers walk in, she nearly dropped her mug.
"We're looking for Lin Meimei." Yu Yan flashed his police ID, his voice like a drawn sword.
The receptionist's lips trembled: "Ms. Lin... Ms. Lin asked for leave today... She said something happened at home..."
Fan Jinci stood at the back, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting a cold light. He noticed a "Child Behavior Correction Manual" in the corner of the reception desk, with a blurry fingerprint on the cover—a unique spiral pattern on the index fingertip that matched the one he had extracted from the teddy bear's ear.
"Where does she live?" Wen Lin had already opened his notebook.
Li Weimian suddenly walked to the photo wall behind the reception desk, pointed to one of the group photos, and asked, "When was this taken?"
In the photo, Lin Meimei is smiling and hugging several children, her left hand resting on the shoulder of a little boy in a red shirt. The boy's back is to the camera, but the whorl on the back of his head is exactly the same as Liu Xiaoyu's.
"Last...last Wednesday..." the receptionist stammered, "that was Teacher Lin's special tutoring group..."
Fan Jinci and Yu Yan exchanged a glance. Special tutoring for his nephew? Without telling his sister?
As the police car drove towards Lin Meimei's apartment, Li Weimian kept reviewing the documents she had obtained from the mental health center. "Liu Xiaoyu was diagnosed with 'oppositional defiant disorder,' and Lin Meimei was his primary therapist. However, records show that the last three therapy sessions were conducted at her home."
"Illegal operation." Wen Lin frowned.
"Not only that," Li Weimian pointed to the last record, "Last Thursday's assessment report stated: 'The patient's symptoms worsened, intensive intervention is recommended.' The following night, the whole family was murdered."
Yu Yan tapped his fingers on the steering wheel: "Enhanced intervention...is that what you mean?"
No one answered. The air inside the car seemed to freeze.
Lin Meimei's apartment door was locked, but a faint, pungent odor wafted from the crack—exactly the same as the crime scene. Yu Yan drew his gun, and Situ Jin was about to kick the door down when Fan Jinci suddenly stopped him.
"Wait a minute." He crouched down, took a cotton swab from the first-aid kit, and carefully took a sample from the doorknob. "There's blood on it."
The moment the door was flung open, everyone held their breath.
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