Volume Seven: Phantom of the River City Chapter Two: The First Corpse

“Thank you for your kind words. Officer Phoenix, this way, please.” Li Zhitao noticed Yaoguang’s mind wandering and gently patted her on the shoulder. He then led them to the office of the criminal police unit, where another round of polite greetings ensued.

“Officer Phoenix, let me give you a summary of the case. The body parts were found on a visitor’s bench at a small public square in the eastern district of Jiangcheng. The remains were each vacuum-sealed and neatly arranged in a large kraft paper box. The victim’s clothes, also vacuum-packed, were placed at the bottom of the box. The main parts were the torso, legs, and feet, with the internal organs on top, each separately sealed in a transparent vacuum bag. No identification or personal belongings were found in the box. The body parts were discovered by a sanitation worker around seven in the morning. Mistaking the box for lost property, the worker opened it and was frightened out of their wits upon discovering its contents, then called the police. Since the square is frequented by many people for exercise or walks, the scene was trampled and chaotic, making it impossible to collect useful footprints. When the box was found, crowds gathered to gawk, further contaminating the scene. We found no fingerprints on the bench where the box was placed, nor on the box or vacuum bags—no fingerprints, no traces of blood. The body was also devoid of fingerprints. In short, the remains were meticulously cleaned. The victim’s clothes were washed, then soaked in disinfectant before being packed. The disinfectant used is a common type easily purchased on the street, so there’s no investigative lead there. The bench where the box was left is on the outskirts of the square, shielded by trees at the back. None of the square’s cameras cover that spot, and the bench is on a sidewalk away from the main road, so the street cameras can’t catch it either.” Captain Li gestured at the photos on the whiteboard as he spoke.

“Hold on, you said there were no fingerprints on the bench? That’s interesting. A public bench with not a single fingerprint—is that normal?” Yaoguang pointed at the photo.

“Impossible, sis. Public benches have all kinds of people sitting on them every day. The only way this could happen is if the bench was wiped down,” said Huo Mingkun.

“You’re right. The bench was wiped thoroughly clean. Normally, sanitation workers only wipe the seat and backrest, but in this case, even the legs were cleaned. This type of bench has an iron frame with wooden slats—very common in public areas. Even the gaps between the slats were scrubbed,” Li added.

“This is no ordinary killer—so particular about hygiene, even when disposing of a body,” Jiang Yun remarked.

“It suggests the killer has severe obsessive-compulsive tendencies, possibly even a fixation on cleanliness. This is clear from how the remains were handled and the crime scene was cleaned,” Xuan Chen observed.

“The killer is likely highly educated, with strong self-discipline and a perfectionist streak in everything he does,” Chu Tianyou commented.

“Captain Li, let us see the remains,” Yaoguang said.

“Certainly.” Li led them to the forensic lab. “This is Forensic Examiner Xiangxiang.”

“Hello. I’ll briefly summarize the autopsy report. The victim is female, estimated around thirty years old based on skin elasticity and the pubic symphysis. Judging from the torso, she was about 160 centimeters tall and weighed about fifty kilograms. The body was meticulously processed. The exact time of death is hard to determine, but judging by the softness of the muscle tissue, it was at least forty-eight hours ago. The remains were preserved using antiseptics and vacuum-sealed, so there are no signs of rot. The internal organs were expertly processed, with no fluids or tissues left to extract. Toxicology on the bones and muscles turned up no traces of poison. The torso showed no external injuries. Since the head and arms are missing, the cause of death cannot be determined. The body was dismembered with precision—a sharp blade cut the soft tissue, then the joints were separated. The chest cavity was opened with a Y-shaped incision using an instrument similar to large surgical forceps, and the organs removed one by one in order, with smooth, clean cuts. The examination shows an old, healed hymenal injury, no internal bruising, and no bodily fluids detected, so there’s no evidence of sexual assault or desecration. The victim’s DNA is not in the national database. That’s all for now.” Xiangxiang handed the autopsy report to Yaoguang.

“Thank you. May I see the victim’s body and internal organs, as well as the packaging and the box?” Yaoguang asked.

“Of course.” Xiangxiang took the remains from the refrigerator and laid them out in order on the operating table.

Yaoguang examined them closely. As Xiangxiang had said, the incisions were exceptionally clean, and the chest cavity had been washed thoroughly, with no trace of organs or blood. “These cuts were made with a scalpel or dissection knife—no knife you’d buy on the street is this sharp; only scalpels or surgical blades can produce such clean wounds. The neck was severed using a medical-grade instrument. The neck is soft, but with the vertebrae it’s extremely difficult to cut cleanly—yet this cut is flawless, a mark of real skill. Hm?” Yaoguang paused. “Turn the torso over.”

Huo Mingkun and Tianyou stepped forward to flip it over.

“This livor mortis here is odd—an irregular circle.” Yaoguang leaned in to examine the victim’s neck, only a small portion of which remained attached to the torso. She noted a semi-circular area of compression on the cut edge, absent on the side and back. The exposed surface of the cut showed no vital reaction, but the compression injury did. “She died of mechanical asphyxiation. She was strangled, then dismembered after death.”

“How can you tell?” Xiangxiang asked in surprise.

“Look at the neck here, near the incision—there’s a compression injury with vital reaction, meaning it was inflicted while she was alive. The other cut surfaces show no such reaction. The compression extends from the front of the neck toward the side, but disappears at the back. Also, the irregular circular livor mortis on the back—I surmise the killer pressed a knee into her back and strangled her from behind with a thin, smooth plastic cord, something like an electrical wire. There are no scratch marks on her neck, so she was likely restrained during the strangulation. Her ankles and legs show no binding marks, meaning padding was used when tying her up. The high position of the livor mortis on her back suggests she was lying flat, with the killer lifting her from behind, pressing a knee into her back, and strangling her with a cord before dismembering her. The neck was severed here to conceal the ligature mark. There’s also a formalin odor on the body, used by the killer for preservation,” Yaoguang explained, then turned to the organs. She was so absorbed, she didn’t notice the astonished looks from Li and Xiangxiang. Xuan Chen noticed their shock and waved it off as something to get used to. Xiangxiang glanced at Li, her gaze saying, “This one’s a master.”

Yaoguang studied the thoroughly washed organs. There was no trace of blood, even the stomach and intestines had been cut open and rinsed. The heart, astonishingly, had been pressure-washed—was the killer doing laundry? The sight of it all left Yaoguang feeling vexed. Wait—she paused. “This victim had severe stomach issues. Look at the numerous ulcers in the stomach lining—she suffered from chronic gastric ulcers, likely due to years of irregular eating, a fondness for spicy food, or long-term drinking. In this case, I suspect chronic alcoholism,” Yaoguang said.

“How can you tell?” Xiangxiang asked.

“Look at her liver: moderate cirrhosis, fatty infiltration, spider angiomas, localized necrosis—classic signs of alcoholic liver disease. Take a tissue sample for confirmation,” Yaoguang said, picking up the heart for a closer look. “This killer is peculiar—who pressure-washes a heart? Hm?” She compared the heart to her own fist, then exclaimed, “This is not the victim’s heart.”

“What did you say?” Xuan Chen was the first to react, coming over to look.

“Everyone knows the human heart is just a bit bigger than a clenched fist. I’m 172 centimeters tall, and my heart is only slightly larger than my fist. Now, look at this heart.” She placed her fist beside it; the heart was noticeably larger. “The victim was about 160 centimeters tall, so her heart should be, at most, about the same size as mine. But this heart is much bigger. If she had a condition like cardiomegaly, it might be possible, but look—the surface is smooth, the vessels are clear, the shape normal. This doesn’t look diseased. I suspect this is a man’s heart. Unless the victim was an athlete, but look at her knees—no injuries, perfect shape. The calluses on her toes and heels suggest she wore high heels for years. Have you ever seen a female athlete who wears high heels all the time? Xiangxiang, run a DNA comparison between this heart and the body, and check the other organs, too. I’d bet this case has at least two victims,” she said, putting down the heart, removing her gloves, and washing her hands before leaving the lab. She sat on the criminal police office’s sofa and massaged the bridge of her nose. “Mind if I smoke?”

“Go ahead,” Li handed her a paper cup as an ashtray.

“No need to be so formal, Captain Li. We’re all colleagues—brothers from now on.” Yaoguang accepted the cup. “The victim’s identity still isn’t confirmed, right? Any recent missing person reports, or other cases?”

“No, we haven’t identified the body, and there’s been no matching missing person report. We checked, and there’s no information in the missing person database that matches the victim, nor any other recent reports of disappearances or murders,” Li answered.

“That’s troublesome. So the owner of that heart hasn’t been found yet. Why?” Yaoguang mused, taking a drag.

“Either the body hasn’t been discovered yet, or the killer hasn’t disposed of it,” Xuan Chen speculated.

“You’re right. This killer is calm, methodical, meticulous, and almost ceremonial in his actions. He’s highly educated, disciplined, and, judging by his methods, professionally trained and extremely knowledgeable about human anatomy—possibly a doctor or a forensic examiner,” Yaoguang said.

“I get the doctor part, but why a forensic examiner?” Tianyou asked.

“Suppose he was a butcher—could he process a body this cleanly? Surgical blades, dissection knives, medical instruments, a cardiac pump—are those easy to buy on the street? Formalin isn’t an everyday item, either. A butcher might know animal anatomy, but do you think a human body is the same as a pig’s? Please, show a little respect for others’ professions.” Yaoguang leaned back. “Without a clear identity for the victim, things get tricky. Let’s review what we know.”

She stood and walked to the whiteboard, pen in hand. “Female, about thirty, around 160 centimeters tall, weighs roughly fifty kilos, smooth skin, chronic gastric ulcers, moderate cirrhosis—likely from long-term drinking. No DNA match in the database, no missing person report matches. What does this tell us?” Yaoguang looked around.

“A woman, long-term drinker. If not a personal habit, it’s job-related. And since no one cares she’s missing, she must have no family or friends in Jiangcheng, living alone,” Li observed.

“Exactly. So what kind of woman fits that profile?” Yaoguang prompted.

“Long-term drinkers—female executives, secretaries, bar or KTV hostesses. Executives are unlikely—if a boss went missing, the company would notice. Secretaries too—the boss would know if his secretary disappeared. That leaves bar or KTV staff,” Xuan Chen said.

“But the victim’s skin is well cared for, and her body shows no signs of slackness. That doesn’t match typical bar or KTV staff,” Tianyou pointed out.

“That makes things difficult—do we have to check every bar, KTV, company executive, and secretary in Jiangcheng? That’s like investigating every thirty-year-old woman in the city,” Huo Mingkun said, staring at the whiteboard.

“Let’s look at how the killer disposed of the body. The sanitation worker found the box at seven in the morning, so the killer must have dumped it at night. It was a big, heavy box—he couldn’t have carried it far. Either he lived near the scene, or he had help, or a vehicle. But given his personality, he’d never use an accomplice—someone who treats murder as an art form would insist on doing everything himself. So he must have used a car. Given the tools he used, he’s financially stable. The easiest way to move a heavy box to a roadside bench is to park the car right in front. I saw the box—it was a common kraft paper carton, not very strong. He wouldn’t have carried it far,” Jiang Yun said.

“Any clues from the box or vacuum bags?” Huo Mingkun asked.

“No, they were clean, and both are easy to buy online,” Jiang Yun replied.

“If the car was parked by the bench—Jiang Yun, you’re smart. I think we should check out the scene. Has it been secured?” Yaoguang asked.

“It has,” Li Zhitao replied. “Let’s go.”