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Rubber Fragments
墨書 Inktalez
It was a sweltering summer night in 2002 when I was newly assigned to the Criminal Investigation Unit and witnessed a tragic scene: a thirteen-year-old girl was brutally murdered right before my eyes.
The girl lay in a pool of blood, her terrified gaze seemed to question why I hadn't arrived sooner. I felt an overwhelming sense of anger and guilt, wishing I could immediately tear the murderer apart.
Calm down, I forced myself to remain composed as I carefully searched the crime scene. Soon, a detail caught my attention: the victim was tightly clutching a light yellow rubber fragment in her hand.
"This isn't..." I suddenly stood up, a bold hypothesis flashing through my mind. If this guess were confirmed, it would mean we were all being toyed with by the killer.
"Everyone pay attention, seal off all exits! The murderer may still be nearby!" I shouted into the walkie-talkie, my tone leaving no room for doubt.
The officers quickly sprang into action, setting up a perimeter and checking suspicious individuals one by one. The stifling air seemed to freeze, with only the low growl of police dogs and the crackling sounds from the walkie-talkies adding to the tension.
I crouched down to examine the rubber fragment in the girl's hand; it was clearly part of a light yellow rubber glove's fingertip. This indicated that the killer had not rushed to escape after committing the crime but had calmly removed his gloves instead, showing he was very confident and perhaps even enjoyed this feeling of control.
"Director Wang, look at this." I approached Director Wang, who had just arrived at the scene, handing him the rubber fragment. "The killer was very cautious and left no fingerprints or traces, but this..." I paused, "suggests he is likely hiding right under our noses, observing our every move."
Director Wang furrowed his brow as he took the fragment and examined it closely, his expression growing more serious. "Immediately conduct a thorough search; we can't overlook any corner!" he ordered decisively, his voice deep yet powerful.
Officers began searching the buildings, bushes, and sewers surrounding the crime scene with flashlights. Time passed slowly; sweat soaked my clothes, but my gaze remained sharp as I searched for any suspicious clues.
Suddenly, my eyes locked onto a window on the third floor of a nearby apartment building. The window was half-open, and through the curtain's gap, there seemed to be a faint red light flickering—much like the glow of a burning cigarette.
"There!" I pointed at the window and quickly walked over.
"Third floor, Room 302; there's something unusual about that window," I whispered to the officers behind me while gripping my gun tightly.
Two officers understood immediately and cautiously approached the room while I followed closely behind, my heart racing with an intense intuition that told me the killer was inside.
I took a deep breath, gripping my gun with my right hand while gently turning the doorknob with my left. The door wasn't locked and slowly opened. The room was dimly lit and filled with a pungent smell of smoke; the curtains were drawn tightly shut, and clothes and miscellaneous items were scattered on the floor as if someone had rummaged through them.
"Is anyone there?" I asked in a low voice, scanning every corner of the room warily.
The room was silent; no one responded. Only an unextinguished cigarette stood alone in an ashtray, wisps of smoke rising eerily in the dim light.
"Search!" I signaled to the two officers behind me while stepping deeper into the room.
The two officers immediately spread out to meticulously search every corner of the room—underneath beds, inside closets, even checking the lampshades on the ceiling.
I walked over to the window and suddenly yanked open the curtains; blinding sunlight flooded into the room and illuminated my doubts: The window was tightly closed with no signs of having been opened recently.
"Strange..." I muttered under my breath, frowning deeply. Could it be that my earlier judgment was wrong? Wasn't the killer hiding here after all?
Just then, my phone suddenly rang; it was Director Wang calling.
"Hello, Director Wang," I answered, my tone laced with confusion and unease.
"Chen Ge, something has happened!" Director Wang's voice was low and urgent, carrying a sense of foreboding. "At the Abandoned Building in the south of the city, another body has been found! Just like in the previous case, the victim is..."
My heart sank, a chill rushing from my feet to the top of my head. We had been played by the killer! He deliberately left clues to mislead us while he took the opportunity to strike again!
"I'll head over right away!" I hung up and turned to the two officers. "Gather the team!"
The two officers quickly tidied up the scene and followed me out of the room.
I hurried down the stairs, replaying Director Wang's words in my mind: "At the Abandoned Building in the south of the city... another body has been found..."
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