will take responsibility for specific areas of the investigation. Zhao, we need to talk to the victims’ old teachers. Qian, we need to interview fellow pupils, all their old classmates. It may be that somewhere among them are the next two victims. And we want to get to them before the killer.’
Sang interrupted. ‘Aren’t we jumping the gun a bit here, boss? I mean, OK, so the first three went to the same school. But obviously the American didn’t.’
‘Fair point,’ Li said. ‘But the fact that the others did is too big a coincidence not to be significant. And it’s the first chink of light we’ve had in this case. There’s every possibility it could illuminate a great deal more.’ He paused. ‘Sang, I want your group to try to identify the weapon used. And Wu, I want your people to look at all the forensic evidence again. There’s got to be something we’re missing. We’ll meet again when we’ve got more information on Yuan Tao.’
The meeting broke up amid a hubbub of speculation on new developments, and as a pink-faced Zhao got to his feet, Li caught his eye and nodded. ‘Well done,’ he said. Zhao blushed more deeply.
Clouds of cigarette smoke wafted out into the corridor with the detectives.
Chen wandered round the table to where Li was collecting his papers. ‘I’m glad you finally seem to have learned the importance of working as a team, Deputy Section Chief Li,’ he said with a tone.
‘Just when they’re talking about introducing the concept of one-officer cases, too.’ Li’s tone echoed that of his boss, to Chen’s annoyance.
‘You know I don’t agree with that,’ he said.
‘Which is just about the only thing you and my uncle would have agreed on.’
‘But you don’t?’
‘I think the old way has its virtues, Chief. But we’re living in a changing world.’ Li glanced at his watch. ‘I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. The autopsy starts at ten.’
‘I’m afraid it doesn’t,’ Chen said, stopping Li in his tracks. ‘That’s why the Deputy Minister of Public Security was on the phone. The autopsy’s been delayed until this afternoon. And the Commissioner wants to see you at headquarters right away.’
II
The first blink of sunshine for days dappled the sidewalk beneath the locust trees in Dong Jiaominxiang Lane. The haze of pollution, as it sometimes did, had lifted inexplicably and the sky was breaking up. The city’s spirits seemed raised by it. Even the normally dour bicycle repairmen opposite the rear entrance to the municipal police headquarters were chatting enthusiastically, hawking and spitting in the gutter with renewed vigour. Li cycled past the Supreme Court on his right and turned left into the compound behind police headquarters. He alone, it seemed, was not uplifted by the autumn sunshine that still fell warm on the skin. As he passed an armed police officer standing to attention, and free-wheeled under the arch through open gates, he recalled his first encounter here with Margaret. Her official car in collision with his bicycle … his grazed arm … her insolence …
His smile at the memory was glazed over with melancholy.
He parked and locked his bicycle and walked apprehensively into the redbrick building that housed the headquarters of the criminal investigation department. He had stopped off at his apartment on the way to change into his uniform – dark green trousers, neatly pressed, pale green short-sleeve shirt with epaulettes and Public Security arm badge, dark green peaked cap with its red piping and loop of gold braid. He removed his hat as he stepped inside, ran his hand back across the dark stubble of his flat-top crewcut and took a deep breath.
The divisional head of the CID, Commissioner Hu Yisheng, was standing by the window when Li entered his office. The blinds were lowered, and the slats adjusted to allow thin lines of sunlight to zigzag across the contours of his desk. They fell in bright burned-out bands across the red of
Sang interrupted. ‘Aren’t we jumping the gun a bit here, boss? I mean, OK, so the first three went to the same school. But obviously the American didn’t.’
‘Fair point,’ Li said. ‘But the fact that the others did is too big a coincidence not to be significant. And it’s the first chink of light we’ve had in this case. There’s every possibility it could illuminate a great deal more.’ He paused. ‘Sang, I want your group to try to identify the weapon used. And Wu, I want your people to look at all the forensic evidence again. There’s got to be something we’re missing. We’ll meet again when we’ve got more information on Yuan Tao.’
The meeting broke up amid a hubbub of speculation on new developments, and as a pink-faced Zhao got to his feet, Li caught his eye and nodded. ‘Well done,’ he said. Zhao blushed more deeply.
Clouds of cigarette smoke wafted out into the corridor with the detectives.
Chen wandered round the table to where Li was collecting his papers. ‘I’m glad you finally seem to have learned the importance of working as a team, Deputy Section Chief Li,’ he said with a tone.
‘Just when they’re talking about introducing the concept of one-officer cases, too.’ Li’s tone echoed that of his boss, to Chen’s annoyance.
‘You know I don’t agree with that,’ he said.
‘Which is just about the only thing you and my uncle would have agreed on.’
‘But you don’t?’
‘I think the old way has its virtues, Chief. But we’re living in a changing world.’ Li glanced at his watch. ‘I’m sorry, I’ve got to go. The autopsy starts at ten.’
‘I’m afraid it doesn’t,’ Chen said, stopping Li in his tracks. ‘That’s why the Deputy Minister of Public Security was on the phone. The autopsy’s been delayed until this afternoon. And the Commissioner wants to see you at headquarters right away.’
II
The first blink of sunshine for days dappled the sidewalk beneath the locust trees in Dong Jiaominxiang Lane. The haze of pollution, as it sometimes did, had lifted inexplicably and the sky was breaking up. The city’s spirits seemed raised by it. Even the normally dour bicycle repairmen opposite the rear entrance to the municipal police headquarters were chatting enthusiastically, hawking and spitting in the gutter with renewed vigour. Li cycled past the Supreme Court on his right and turned left into the compound behind police headquarters. He alone, it seemed, was not uplifted by the autumn sunshine that still fell warm on the skin. As he passed an armed police officer standing to attention, and free-wheeled under the arch through open gates, he recalled his first encounter here with Margaret. Her official car in collision with his bicycle … his grazed arm … her insolence …
His smile at the memory was glazed over with melancholy.
He parked and locked his bicycle and walked apprehensively into the redbrick building that housed the headquarters of the criminal investigation department. He had stopped off at his apartment on the way to change into his uniform – dark green trousers, neatly pressed, pale green short-sleeve shirt with epaulettes and Public Security arm badge, dark green peaked cap with its red piping and loop of gold braid. He removed his hat as he stepped inside, ran his hand back across the dark stubble of his flat-top crewcut and took a deep breath.
The divisional head of the CID, Commissioner Hu Yisheng, was standing by the window when Li entered his office. The blinds were lowered, and the slats adjusted to allow thin lines of sunlight to zigzag across the contours of his desk. They fell in bright burned-out bands across the red of
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