The case of the teddy bear hiding a corpse, part 1.3
In the center of the living room, a teddy bear identical to the one found at the crime scene sat on the sofa, a delicate napkin tied around its neck, and three empty plates in front of it. The bear's right ear had clearly been repeatedly stroked, and its fur was matted.
"She's waiting for us," Li Weimian said softly.
Fan Jinci went straight to the refrigerator. Upon opening it, he found a dozen vacuum bags neatly arranged in the freezer compartment, each labeled with a date and the word "specimen." He took one bag and examined it against the light; inside was a piece of human tissue as thin as a cicada's wing.
"A section of the prefrontal cortex." His voice unusually trembled. "Professional level."
In the bedroom, Yu Yan discovered an even more chilling arrangement—the walls were covered with photos of Liu Xiaoyu, from infancy to the week before his death, each photo accompanied by detailed records of his "bad behavior." In the very center was a medical chart illustrating the functions of different brain regions, with the frontal lobe heavily circled in red.
"She's studying the child's brain," Li Weimian said, her voice strained.
Situ Jin's exclamation came from the bathroom. The bathtub was filled with formalin solution, soaking three dissected brains, labeled "Father," "Mother," and "Child."
"Let's close the case." Wen Lin closed his notebook. "The standard template for a psychopathic killer."
Yu Yan frowned: "Too perfect."
Situ Jin was inspecting the kitchen knives when she heard this and looked up: "What do you mean?"
"Everything fits the profile too perfectly." Yu Yan looked around. "Professional medical knowledge, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, an obsession with children... it's like someone is playing this role exactly as described in the textbook."
Li Weimian was suddenly startled: "You mean..."
Fan Jinci had already walked to his desk and was quickly flipping through Lin Meimei's schedule. Suddenly, he stopped on a page: "She has an alibi from last Friday night."
The crowd gathered around. The schedule clearly stated: "19:00-21:30, Community Health Lecture, Speaker: Dr. Chen (Confirmed Attendance)".
"The time of the incident," Wen Lin's eyes widened, "but the evidence here..."
"A contradiction." Fan Jinci pushed up his glasses. "Either she forged the records, or..."
"Or someone framed us," Yu Yan interjected, his eyes flashing with an alarming light. He turned to Li Weimian: "Reanalyze the scene."
Li Weimian closed her eyes, her fingers tracing lines in the air unconsciously: "Teddy bear...why are there two? What is the murderer comparing...the right ear was touched...left-handed..." She suddenly opened her eyes, "Lin Meimei is indeed left-handed, but the teddy bear at the crime scene had its right ear touched—if someone is left-handed, they would touch the left side more naturally!"
Fan Jinci had already dialed the number: "Technical Department, re-examine the fingerprints on the teddy bear. Focus on comparing the fingerprint on the right index finger."
The twenty minutes of waiting for the results felt like an eternity. When the phone rang, everyone held their breath.
"Two different sets of fingerprints have been confirmed," the technician's voice came through the speaker. "One set matches Lin Meimei, but the main traces of manipulation come from a right-handed user... and there's a new discovery—the letter 'M' is etched inside the bear's eye."
Wen Lin quickly checked the records: "Community doctor Chen Ming! The contracted family doctor for Sunshine Community!"
Yu Yan rushed towards the door: "He's in charge of Liu Xiaoyu's vaccination records."
Li Weimian's face turned deathly pale: "That health lecture... he deliberately had Lin Meimei attend to create an alibi, and then..."
Fan Jinci quietly took out the tissue sample he had found in Lin Meimei's refrigerator from the evidence bag and examined it again under the light: "The angle of the incision...it's not left-handed. Someone rearranged this 'evidence'."
The sirens pierced the night sky once more. This time, the destination was a community health center.
The medical center was pitch black. Upon breaking down the door, a strong smell of disinfectant hit them. Fan Jinci went straight to the refrigerated display case and found a box labeled "vaccine"—but inside were dozens of small glass vials containing liquids of various colors.
"It's not a vaccine..." He picked up a bottle and held it up to the light, "...anesthetic."
Yu Yan found a photo album in his desk drawer, filled with pictures of Liu Xiaoyu, but each one was marked with a red cross. The last page had a yellowed newspaper clipping: "Investigation into the Sudden Death of a Prodigy," accompanied by a picture of a weeping woman holding a little boy—the boy looked seven-tenths like Liu Xiaoyu.
"Revenge?" Wen Lin guessed.
Li Weimian shook her head: "It's more complicated... He's conducting an experiment." She pointed to a brain scan image on the wall, "Look at this marking—he's comparing two brain structures."
Fan Jinci suddenly walked towards an old-fashioned freezer in the corner. After opening it, his back stiffened noticeably.
"What did you find?" Yu Yan asked.
Fan Jinci stepped aside. A dozen or so teddy bears were neatly arranged in the freezer, each with faint stitching marks visible inside.
"Not just one." Fan Jinci's voice was as cold as ice. "He's a serial killer."
Situ Jin suddenly ran out from the inner room, her face deathly pale: "You need to take a look at this..."
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