Profiler

CHAPTER 21

Early the next morning, Fang Mu knocked on Meng Fanzhe's door. There was no answer. He knocked again and again, almost 20 times, but there was still no response. He looked through the small window in the door. No lights seemed to be on inside. He didn't know whether Meng Fanzhe had already gone out or just didn't want to answer.

All that day Fang Mu could think of nothing but Meng Fanzhe. The fellow student's pale face and cavernous eyes seemed to always be hovering in front of him.

A behavioral scientist for the FBI once proposed a related theory. If an individual manifested at least two distinct traits while young, the likelihood of him committing crimes later in life would be fairly high. Among those traits were continuing to wet the bed past a certain age, starting fires, and torturing animals or smaller children. These types of behaviors were caused by weak self-control coupled with strong anti-social impulses. And, from the perspective of behavioral science, the need to torture animals often came from anxiety caused by feelings of powerlessness and loss of control in daily life.

So what was making Meng Fanzhe feel powerless and out of control?

And the other important question: What would he do next?

Meng Fanzhe had a weak personality, but he was kind and sweet-natured. Tearing a living cat apart and then eating it was not something a person like him would do. And it had been obvious to Fang Mu that last night, while Meng Fanzhe was mutilating Tom, he was in a very confused state.

What had caused Meng Fanzhe to begin acting this way?

"Tom… They all hate him…so I can't…rely on him…any longer…"

Rely on him?

If Meng Fanzhe had been relying on Tom, what had the cat been protecting him from?

Rats?

Fang Mu knew Meng Fanzhe was afraid of roll call. Perhaps he was scared of rats as well.

Keeping a cat would give him a subconscious feeling of protection and would cause his fear of rats to disappear, at least to a certain extent.

The problem was that this would make him reliant on this source of protection, and should it ever go away, not only would his fear of rats resurface, it would probably be even stronger than before.

If Fang Mu was right, then by killing his treasured Tom — whom he most likely saw as his protector — Meng Fanzhe was essentially burning all his bridges, or rather, destroying the basket in which all his eggs had been placed.

A person who could do something like that was dangerous.

Fang Mu was just as lost in thought that night while studying for class.

After being ignored by him for half the evening, Deng Linyue finally spoke. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing really." Realizing that he had been acting a little cold, he turned to her and smiled apologetically.

She didn't smile back, just looked down and continued reading. After a while, she said quietly:

"Are you thinking about a certain someone?"

"Who are you talking about?" For a moment he didn't know how to react. He had no idea when she could have met Meng Fanzhe.

"You know…the girl who's always on your mind."

He stared blankly for a moment, and then shook his head helplessly. "I'm not. Don't get so carried away."

She looked searchingly into his eyes, obviously not believing him. "Will you tell me about her?"

"No!" He stopped the conversation in its tracks.

Deng Linyue didn't say another word to Fang Mu for the rest of their time together. When he walked her back to her dorm, she didn't ask him for a hug or a kiss like usual. She just said, "I'll see you later," and walked to the door, leaving him alone on the sidewalk.

With no other choice, Fang Mu turned to go. After walking only a few dozen feet, he turned and looked back. Deng Linyue was still standing in the doorway of the women's dormitory, looking in his direction.

He started to walk towards her, but before he had gone more than a few steps, she spun and hurried upstairs.

He hesitated for a moment and then walked over to the dorm. He waited for fifteen minutes before deciding that Deng Linyue wasn't coming back out. He shook his head, turned, and left.

Is this what love looks like?

After returning to his dorm, Fang Mu first went to Meng Fanzhe's room. Even though he could see from the doorway window that no lights were on, he knocked anyway.

No response, just as he had expected.

He had already talked to Zou Tuanjie, who said that Meng Fanzhe still hadn't come to class that day, and no one had seen him all day.

Where had he gone?

When Fang Mu returned to his room Du Yu was already there, but much to his surprise, he wasn't playing Counter-Strike. Instead he was sitting at his desk with a serious look on his face.

"What are you doing?" asked Fang Mu. Having grown accustomed to Du Yu always having a smile on his face, Fang Mu found his current expression to be a little amusing.

"Do you have a moment?" Du Yu asked, turning an unhappy look on him. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" Fang Mu couldn't help but feel a little baffled.

"About you and Deng Linyue."

He stared at Du Yu for several seconds. "Are you just curious? Or is it something else?"

"It's not that." Du Yu paused for a moment. "I just wanted to talk to you as a friend."

Fang Mu pulled his chair over and sat down, and lit a cigarette. "What do you want to know?"

"Are you and Deng Linyue…really a couple?"

Fang Mu hesitated for a moment. "I…suppose we are."

"What do you mean 'you suppose?'" Du Yu brought his chair closer to Fang Mu. "Do you love her?"

For a moment Fang Mu was silent. He took several drags from his cigarette. "To be honest, I don't know."

He really didn't know. Several days ago, the name Deng Linyue had meant only victim to him. Now, however, she was his girlfriend. The whole process had been like an unrealistic dream that he had fallen into without realizing it.

It wasn't the first time this problem had occurred to Fang Mu. In fact, he had been trying to avoid thinking about it for the past several days.

He had avoided it because he had grown accustomed to his new life.

Accustomed to a girl's warm eyes looking at him adoringly.

Accustomed to someone caring deeply about his daily life.

Accustomed to having a soft, sweet-scented body beside him.

And accustomed to those hugs and kisses that made him tremble inside.

Du Yu was watching him, waiting for more of Fang Mu's reply. He sighed. "Actually," he said, speaking slowly, "as your friend I really support you and Deng Linyue being together. And Yaoyao and I both feel that you two are very good for each other. It's just that you became a couple so fast that, especially right now, it really surprised everyone." He paused. "You know what everyone's saying about it, right?"

Fang Mu suddenly realized exactly why Du Yu had been so serious about wanting to discuss the subject with him. It was because of Liu Jianjun.

Seeing that Fang Mu wasn't going to say anything, Du Yu answered the question himself. "They're saying that you took advantage of Liu Jianjun's injury to steal his girlfriend."

Fang Mu laughed hollowly. This was hardly the first time others had misunderstood him. Wasn't he called a freak all the way back to the beginning of school? Well, he still didn't give a damn.

"Is that what you think, too?" Fang Mu asked at last.

"Of course not! I know you too well to think that." Du Yu paused, and then quickly added, "However, I'm still not totally clear about what exactly happened."

Fang Mu had no desire whatsoever to keep discussing this topic with Du Yu, but when he saw the firm and trusting look in his roommate's eyes, he thought for a moment longer and then told him everything that Deng Linyue had said about her relationship with Liu Jianjun.

After listening, Du Yu was quiet for some time. But when Fang Mu lit his fifth cigarette, Du Yu suddenly seemed to come to some internal conclusion and jumped up and placed his hand firmly on Fang Mu's shoulder.

"I support you, brother," he said rather loudly. "You did nothing wrong, and neither did Deng Linyue. Next time I hear someone criticize you, I'll tell them what really happened!"

Fang Mu was about to tell him he really didn't need to do anything like that, but when he saw the self-sacrificing look on Du Yu's face, he just laughed and nodded.

With this weight lifted from his mind, Du Yu slept soundly that night. Fang Mu, however, couldn't get to sleep. To his roommate, his explanation had probably seemed perfectly reasonable, but it did nothing to relieve Fang Mu's self-doubts.

Do I really love Deng Linyue?

He had always known that he had the power to see into other people's hearts, and there was no doubt in his mind that Deng Linyue loved him. But could he say the same?

It is difficult for a doctor to treat himself.

At that moment, Fang Mu understood what the old saying meant. He felt like a flashlight — able to illuminate the darkest corners, but unable to shine a light on himself.

Perhaps this was how it had to be.

Everyone had a road they must walk. Some were smooth, others bumpy.

Mine, thought Fang Mu, is covered in thorns and beset by danger on all sides. There will be blood and monsters and regret and sadness, and my only company will be nightmares and the spirits of the dead.

I've already walked so far. And I'm so tired

His thoughts drifting, Fang Mu gradually fell asleep. His doubts had not been answered, but he had already begun to wonder whether that even mattered.

All he knew was that when Deng Linyue held him, he felt so warm.

The next day Tai Wei came to see him.

As soon as he walked inside, he tilted his head and looked at Fang Mu. He chuckled. "Well, you're looking pretty good."

He knew Tai Wei was trying to make fun of him about Deng Linyue. He ignored him.

Tai Wei had grown a lot thinner lately and looked a little green around the eyes. He appeared not to have slept well in some time. "Why didn't you go with Ms. Deng to the study room today?"

"Her parents came to visit her today and took her out to dinner." In fact, all day she had been hinting that Fang Mu should go with them, saying she really wanted her parents to meet him, but he never agreed to go. Perhaps it was because he still had such a bad impression of her mother from that day in the hospital. Also, he knew that if he did go, it would give the unmistakable impression of a future son-in-law paying his respects to his girlfriend's parents — and that was something he didn't want to do at all.

"So how's it going?" he asked Tai Wei. "Any discoveries?"

"None. We haven't made any progress whatsoever." Then without asking for permission, Tai Wei flopped onto Fang Mu's bed. "Right now all we can do is wait around helplessly. Fuck, man, when is all this going to end?"

The previous afternoon Tai Wei had returned to the city bureau to report to the director. Just as he had walked into the office he happened to pass the deputy mayor and the Jiangbin City American consul coming out. The director hadn't looked too pleased, but he had held his temper and listened to Tai Wei give his report. When Tai Wei finished, the director didn't give any specific comments, just told him to stay vigilant and crack the case as soon as possible. Tai Wei knew that after the fat American was killed, the bureau had been under an enormous amount of pressure. He decided not to wait around and returned directly to JiangbinCityUniversity.

The past few days Fang Mu had been mainly thinking about Deng Linyue and Meng Fanzhe, and hadn't paid much attention to the case. But now that he saw how exhausted Tai Wei looked, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Taking out a pack of Hibiscus King cigarettes, he handed one to Tai Wei and then made him a cup of strong tea.

"How about on your end? Anything strange been going on?" Looking like a dignified old man, Tai Wei sipped his tea, his cigarette still hanging from the corner of his mouth. "Of course, besides that time Deng Linyue got pissed at you outside her dorm."

Jeez… thought Fang Mu, glaring at Tai Wei and shaking his head.

Tai Wei chuckled and continued to smoke his cigarette and drink his tea. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked: "Fang Mu, what kind of person do you think this guy is?"

Fang Mu was taken aback. "Didn't I already tell you in detail about his probable physical and psychological characteristics?"

"You did," Tai Wei said, nodding. "There's something else, though, and I don't quite know how to put it." He gave Fang Mu a scrutinizing look. "For a while I've felt that this guy…is very similar to you."

Fang Mu said nothing. Actually, he had been thinking the same thing himself. The killer had designed each of his murders to challenge Fang Mu, which meant that he had to possess a deep of understanding of criminology, or at least think he did, and at JiangbinCityUniversity, Fang Mu only knew of one other criminal profiler.

Fang Mu's heart fell.

Could it really be Professor Qiao?

Impossible. He immediately rejected this idea. From his professional integrity to his personal morality, Professor Qiao was exemplary. Besides, Fang Mu knew his skills were nothing compared to Professor Qiao's. There was no need for the professor to compete against him. Also, not only did these crimes require technique, they also demanded strength, and that was something that the old professor no longer possessed.

Almost 20 days had passed since the last crime and the killer had done nothing. The waiting was really akin to torture.

A gloomy atmosphere gradually fell over the room, spreading like the smoke from their cigarettes. Soon Tai Wei and Fang Mu could barely discern the other.

And, as if to mirror the haze, neither could see the man they were seeking. After a while, Tai Wei rose to his feet, sluggishly extended his arm and looked at his watch. "It's almost nine. I'm going to swing by several of the observation points to check things out. You want to come?"

Fang Mu thought about it. Having nothing else to do, he decided to go.

The police were still focusing most of their attention on the women's dormitories and areas relating to the number six. Although the observation points were all different, the policemen standing watch were all exhausted and irritable.

The nonstop battle had been going day and night for over a month. Anyone in their position would feel just as bad.

Fang Mu and Tai Wei visited several observation points, one after another, and each reported that "everything was normal." The sight of his comrades continuing to man their stations despite their obvious exhaustion was too much for Tai Wei, so he and Fang Mu went to one of the little restaurants outside the school gates and ordered several boxes of take-out food. Tai Wei even went so far as specifically asking the owner to put in a little extra meat and vegetables in the orders to back to the officers. Seeing the few sad-looking bills in Tai Wei's wallet, Fang Mu stopped at the supermarket on the way back and bought two cartons of cigarettes. He was going to buy alcohol, too, but Tai Wei stopped him. When they got back with the food, the officers were delighted. After each took a box, they leaned against the walls or crouched on the floor and immediately dug in. The male cops ate crudely, stuffing huge amounts of food that had already gone a little cold into their mouths, chewing roughly before swallowing it down. Every now and then one of them would bite into a bit of sand or small stone from the unwashed vegetables, but then just swallowed that, too. The female cops ate in a group, quietly commenting on the food and exchanging pieces back and forth — a chunk of meat for you, a bit of ribbonfish for me — that sort of thing. And when they had finished, the women still remembered to hand out tissues to all their male comrades who were about to wipe their faces on their sleeves.

But even while they ate, the cops continued to carefully scrutinize everyone who walked past. Even those who were chatting still had their ears perked, listening for any suspicious sounds.

Watching them, Fang Mu couldn't help but be filled with admiration. They were haggard and exhausted and yet still just as alert as a hunter in the forest. While passing out the cigarettes, he made sure to give two extra packs to the officer he and Deng Linyue had tricked. The man obviously didn't hold any hard feelings, giving Fang Mu a grateful smile as he took the packs.

Observing all the officers devour their food, Fang Mu felt a little hungry himself, so he and Tai Wei decided to share a box. He was astonished at how good it tasted. Even though he was eating it while leaning against a cold wall, even though the rice was far from fresh and a chilly wind was blowing all the while, Fang Mu still felt it was the most delicious meal he'd had in days.

After they ate, Tai Wei brought Fang Mu back through all the observation points once more. By the time they finished it was almost eleven that night and the campus was empty. Dormitory lights were blinking out one by one. After a long, noisy day the only sound left on campus was the cold wind.

Fang Mu and Tai Wei hurried down the empty street towards Fang Mu's dorm. Just as they arrived, Tai Wei suddenly stopped and looked behind them.

"What is it?" Fang Mu asked. He looked back. Not far away stood a lonely streetlight, illuminating the patch of street underneath. Everything else was shrouded in darkness and the campus was silent.

"Nothing," said Tai Wei. Frowning, he looked around. "I must be hearing things."

They walked single file into the dorm. When they passed the first floor bathroom, Tai Wei suddenly stopped and held his stomach. "You go on ahead," he said. "That ribbonfish wasn't fresh. I think I'm going to be sick."

Fang Mu nodded. "I've got some herbal meds in my room. You should come get some when you're done." He headed on upstairs.

The stairwell was eerily quiet. Every now and then he could hear the faint sound of water running through the pipes. He had been walking all night and now his legs ached a little, so he climbed the stairs slowly, listening to his footsteps echo throughout the stairwell.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps that didn't belong to him.

The steps were coming from somewhere nearby. They were moving neither fast nor slow, and sounded almost careless.

When Fang Mu reached the second floor landing, he stopped and listened closely.

At once the sound of footsteps vanished, as if they had never been there.

Fang Mu held his breath and listened. After a few seconds, he stepped forward and began again slowly climbing the stairs.

Sure enough, the other footsteps started up again as well.

As Fang Mu climbed, he held onto the handrail and glanced down. He could see a long, thin shadow swaying on the stairs between the first and second floor, moving slowly higher.

Fang Mu felt all the hairs on his body stand up. There was no time to think. He bolted up the stairs as fast as he could and into the third floor hallway. When he reached the door to Room 313, his room, he hesitated for a moment, and then ran past it to the far end of the hall. There was a low wall next to Room 320 that was big enough to hide behind. When he passed Room 318, he saw a large shattered mirror leaning against the wall beside the door. The broken mirror had been left outside for the cleaning people to deal with, as was customary. Fang Mu leaned down and grabbed a decent-sized piece and then kept going. When he reached the low wall, he placed the mirror across the hall beside the door to Room 321 and angled it so it reflected the other end of the hallway. Positioned this way, when he crouched down behind the wall he could see what was happening in the rest of hall without revealing his location.

After a few seconds, a vague figure appeared in the mirror.

He was walking at a steady pace and appeared to be about 5'9" and very thin. He kept one hand inside his pocket while the other swung freely back and forth at his side.

For some reason, Fang Mu suddenly felt that the figure looked extremely familiar.

All the while the figure continued to walk closer and closer. Then, without any warning, he stopped. Judging from his position, Fang Mu guessed that he was standing outside Room 313.

The person stood there for several seconds, and then suddenly extended one arm and began moving it across the door.

Fang Mu frowned, wondering what was the man was doing.

Looking into the blurry mirror, he did his best to determine what was going on, but he still couldn't make it out. Taking advantage of the fact that the person was still facing the door, Fang Mu quickly popped his head out.

It was Meng Fanzhe.

Fang Mu sighed with relief and came out of his hiding place.

"Hey, it's you."

Meng Fanzhe snapped his head around and stared blankly at Fang Mu approaching.

Fang Mu was taken aback. It had only been a few days, but Meng Fanzhe already looked a lot more haggard than the last time he'd seen him. His face was deathly pale, the skin around his eyes dark, and his cheeks sunken. His hair, which looked like it hadn't been washed in a long time, stood up in tufts all over his head.

Fang Mu's eyes fell to the hand that Meng Fanzhe had just been moving across the door. In his long, thin fingers he held a felt marker.

At once Fang Mu thought of the five-pointed star. He stopped walking. He asked guardedly, "What are you doing?"

Seeming not to hear, Meng Fanzhe just continued staring dully at him.

Fang Mu cautiously took another step toward him. "Meng Fanzhe, what are you doing?"

Before Fang Mu's very eyes, Meng Fanzhe's empty, lifeless eyes suddenly filled with wild ferocity. The muscles in his face twisted. He opened his mouth, revealing frighteningly white teeth, and let out a deep, animalistic roar.

"Aghh!"

Fang Mu was so startled that he jumped back two steps. Before he could say anything, Meng Fanzhe pulled out the hand that had been in his pocket the whole time. In it was a huge box-cutter.

Fang Mu's senses alerted. "What are you…?"

Meng Fanzhe flicked his finger and the blade shot out, glittering coldly. Gripping the knife, he muttered something and began walking toward Fang Mu. Suddenly he raised his arm overhead, the blade catching the light, and then lunged forward.

As Meng Fanzhe's arm swung down, Fang Mu leapt back, feeling the blade whistle past his nose and then slice through the fabric of his jacket. "Are you out of your mind, Meng Fanzhe?" he shouted, dodging backwards. "It's me, Fang Mu!"

But his words were useless. Seeing that his previous attempt had fallen short, Meng Fanzhe raised the knife again and went straight for Fang Mu's neck.

Fang Mu hurriedly ducked down, avoiding the blade, and then darted behind Meng Fanzhe and kicked him savagely in the back of the knee.

Meng Fanzhe fell forward onto the floor. Immediately Fang Mu leapt forward to pin him down, but Meng Fanzhe was too fast. Before even standing up, he swung the blade backwards.

Fang Mu tried to dodge, but he was a second too late. The knife edge sliced one of his fingers. Blood spurted.

Meng Fanzhe got to his feet and advanced on Fang Mu, growling under his breath. In the overhead light, Fang Mu could clearly see Meng Fanzhe's clenched jaw and the white froth surrounding his mouth, much like a mad dog. Squeezing his bleeding finger, Fang Mu hastily walked backwards.

Suddenly the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind him. He spun around. From out of the darkness at the other end of the corridor appeared Tai Wei, one hand going to his sidearm as he ran toward them.

In the blink of an eye, Tai Wei was beside him. With a taut face, the cop pulled Fang Mu behind him and raised the gun. "You all right?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he yelled toward Meng Fanzhe, "I'm a police officer! Put the knife down now!"

This had no effect on Meng Fanzhe. He seemed oblivious to Tai Wei. He just kept staring at Fang Mu and continued to walk closer, closing the distance between them.

Tai Wei cocked the hammer of the gun. "Put the knife down now or I'll shoot."

Fang Mu nervously grabbed Tai Wei's arm. "Don't fire; he's my classmate."

Tai Wei stared at Meng Fanzhe a few seconds before easing the gun hammer. He holstered it and took a combat stance.

One after another the doors along the hallway opened. Having heard the commotion, various underwear-clad students stuck their heads out to take a look. Once they saw what was going on, however, they gave an alarmed cry and shrunk back inside their rooms, keeping their doors cracked just wide enough to observe the scene.

Du Yu also came out into the hall. After standing there helplessly for a few seconds, he grabbed a broom from inside his room and ran behind Fang Mu. Shaking with fear, he said, "Meng Fanzhe, don't do anything crazy now."

Meng Fanzhe let out another growl and then swung the knife.

Tai Wei quickly stepped forward, grabbed Meng Fanzhe's knife hand, and twisted his wrist. Despite the pain, Meng Fanzhe did not release his grip on the blade, so Tai Wei gave his knee a hard kick. At last the knife clattered to the floor. Tai Wei yanked Meng Fanzhe toward him, grabbed his collar, and tossed him forward. Meng Fanzhe smashed into the wall, falling roughly to the floor. He curled up in pain.

Tai Wei rushed forward, flipped him over, and held him down with his knees on his back. He cuffed the student's hands together.

Lying on the floor, Meng Fanzhe could do nothing but pant for breath.. Tai Wei took out his phone, dialed, and then said simply, "Dormitory Five, Room Three-Thirteen. Get here as fast as you can." He hung up and turned to Fang Mu. "What happened here? Who is this guy and why'd he want to kill you?"

Fang Mu didn't respond to the question, just stared blankly at Meng Fanzhe as he groaned and breathed heavily on the floor. Fang Mu could only think of a single word.

Why?

By this time the hallway was filled with noise. Nearly everyone who lived on the floor had run out of their rooms to see the excitement. Several yelled out in surprise: "Isn't that Meng Fanzhe?" "What's going on?"

Suddenly Fang Mu rushed forward and knelt beside Meng Fanzhe. In a loud voice, he said, "Can you hear what I'm saying? What's going on with you?"

Meng Fanzhe's eyes were closed, his breathing labored. He made no response.

Fang Mu let go of his bleeding finger, grabbed hold of Meng Fanzhe's shoulders and shook him forcefully. "Talk to me, Meng Fanzhe. What were you doing just now? Why do you want to kill me?"

Meng Fanzhe's eyes opened at once, flashing the same murderous look as before. Twisting his body, he mustered all his strength and lurched at Fang Mu, trying to bite him.

Fang Mu fell backwards onto the floor as Tai Wei stepped forward and kicked Meng Fanzhe in the face.

"Keep still!" he yelled.

Unfazed, Fang Mu crawled forward and grabbed hold of Tai Wei's leg. "Don't hurt him," he said. "Something is definitely wrong here! He's not normally like this…"

Meng Fanzhe's mouth was cut from the blow and as the blood trickled down his ashen skin, his appearance changed beyond recognition.

Fang Mu's wounded finger had also split open and the blood ran down his fingertips and onto the floor. Before long, a small pool had formed.

Seeing that Fang Mu was bleeding, Du Yu quickly grabbed his arm. "Come back to the dorm. I've got bandages."

His mind blank, Fang Mu let Du Yu pull him to the door of Room 313. When they reached the entrance, Fang Mu suddenly remembered that Meng Fanzhe had been drawing something on their door, so he pushed Du Yu off and looked closely at it.

The door appeared empty. Meng Fanzhe didn't seem to have written anything.

After sweeping his gaze across the surface, Fang Mu began inspecting the door inch by inch. Suddenly, he noticed something on the room number.

In-between the "3", the "1" and the "3", Meng Fanzhe had written two "+" signs with his felt-tip marker.

"Three plus one plus three…" muttered Fang Mu. Suddenly, he felt a chill pass through his entire body.

Seeing Fang Mu standing motionless in front of the room door, Tai Wei turned to two of the students nearby. "Watch him for me," he said, pointing at Meng Fanzhe, who was still writhing on the floor. He walked over to Fang Mu.

"What is it?" Tai Wei asked.

Fang Mu didn't respond, just stared dumbstruck at the numbers.

Tai Wei followed his gaze. A few seconds later, Fang Mu heard the cop's breathing suddenly quicken. He looked over. Tai Wei's eyes were locked on the room number, his face registering shocked realization.

By this time the other police had arrived at the scene. "What should we do, Captain?" one of them yelled to Tai Wei. "Interrogate him here or take him back to the station?"

Tai Wei just waved his hand. "All of you, get over here right now!"

Once the officers had all crowded around the door, Tai Wei pointed at the number. "Comrades," he said, his voice shaking slightly, "we got him. This is the guy!"

The police all turned to the room number. After a few seconds of silence, shouts of accomplishment suddenly erupted from the group. Filled with the rush of relief, they congratulated and jostled each other. One of the female officers even rushed through the crowd and hugged Tai Wei.

Squeezed in the middle of this madly happy group, Fang Mu was knocked to and fro. But there wasn't a hint of a smile on his face. He just stared blankly at the door number, that single word still the only thing in his mind.

Why?

"All right, all right," said Tai Wei, waving his hand for silence. In a confident tone, he yelled out: "Everyone on your marks! Let's get to work!"

After giving a brief shout of agreement, the officers all attended to their own tasks. They sealed off the crime scene, collected evidence, determined the suspect's identity. It was the typical follow-up.

Before long, all the onlookers were told to disperse, leaving only Meng Fanzhe lying on the floor and Fang Mu still standing in the doorway.

Two of the cops lifted Meng Fanzhe off the floor, and then with one man grabbing each arm, they began dragging him toward the first floor. Fang Mu tried to run after them, but he was stopped by Tai Wei.

"You need to go to the hospital," the cop said. "Your wound looks deep."

"It's fine," said Fang Mu impatiently. "I need to talk to him; something about this doesn't seem right to me."

Tai Wei seemed a little annoyed by the remark. "Anything that doesn't seem right will be cleared up once we start interrogating him. Little Zhang," he said, waving to one of the officers nearby, "take Fang Mu to the hospital."

The cop nodded and walked over. Having no other choice, Fang Mu followed him downstairs.

A number of police cars were parked at the entrance to the building, lights flashing. Fang Mu saw Meng Fanzhe sitting in one, his head down. Police officers were sitting on either side of him, holding his arms tight.

The cop who was taking Fang Mu to the hospital waved him over to a nearby police car. As Fang Mu walked toward it, he kept his eyes on Meng Fanzhe, as if he hoped to find some clue in his face. It was then that Meng Fanzhe looked up at him.

At once Meng Fanzhe leapt at the window, but now the murderous look was gone from his eyes, replaced instead by one of bottomless fear and despair. He knocked against the window as hard as he could, yelling soundlessly, tears streaming down his face.

The two cops quickly restrained him, beating him about the face and the body.

Fang Mu ran forward, wanting to open the door. But just as he reached the rear bumper, the car suddenly sped off, knocking him to the ground. By the time he climbed to his feet, the car had already turned a corner and was nowhere to be soon, leaving only the sound of its siren echoing across campus.