“Wu shared the same hotel room with Guan?”
“Exactly. What’s more, Wu took some nude pictures of Guan there, and then there was a violent quarrel between them.”
“But in your previous report, you said Guan was not involved with anyone at the time of her death.”
“That’s because they kept the affair a secret.”
“That is something.” Li added after a pause, “But an affair does not necessarily mean a murder.”
“Well, things went wrong between them. They had a violent argument in the mountains. We have a witness to that. Guan wanted Wu to divorce his wife; Wu would not. That’s what caused the fight, we believe.”
“So you assume that was why Wu Xiaoming killed her and dumped her body into the canal?”
“That’s right. At the beginning of our investigation, Detective Yu and I established two prerequisites for the case: the murderer’s access to a car, and his familiarity with the canal. Now, as an educated youth during the seventies, Wu Xiaoming had lived for several years in a small village about fifteen minutes’ walk from the canal. Wu must have hoped that her body might lie at the bottom of the canal for years, until, finally, it disappeared without a trace.”
“Supposing your theory is right-hypothetically, that is-that Guan and Wu had an affair, and things went wrong between them,” Li said more slowly, seeming to be weighing every word. “Why should Wu have gone that far? He could simply have refused and stopped seeing her, couldn’t he?”
“He could, but Guan might have done something desperate to bring Wu down,” Chen said.
“I don’t see it. Guan had her own reputation, and her political career, to think about. Let’s say she was desperate enough. Do you think Wu’s work unit would have made a big deal about such an affair?”
“Maybe, maybe not, you never know.”
“So far, your theory may explain some things, but it’s flawed. I cannot see a real motive.”
“That is what we are trying to find.”
“What about Wu’s alibi?”
“According to Guo Qiang’s testimony, Wu Xiaoming stayed in his study for the whole night, developing pictures. As a professional photographer, Wu has his own darkroom and equipment; why should he have used Guo’s place that night?”
“Did Wu offer any explanation?”
“Wu said that there was something wrong with his own darkroom, but that’s not believable. Guo’s no pro-he doesn’t even have proper equipment. It did not make sense for Wu to have gone there. Guo is Wu’s buddy, and he’s just trying to cover up for him.”
“Well, an alibi is an alibi,” Li said. “What are you going to do next?”
“With a search warrant we’ll be able to find further evidence.”
“How can you justify proceeding further against Wu under these circumstances?”
“We do not have to issue the warrant on the murder charge. To start with, fabrication of a marriage license is more than enough. The witness I’ve found in Guangzhou can testify against him, not only about the false document, but also about his taking nude pictures of Guan-which amounts to a Western bourgeois decadent lifestyle.”
“Western bourgeois decadent lifestyle, um, a fashionable charge.” Li suddenly stood up, grinding out his half-smoked cigarette. “Comrade Chief Inspector Chen, there is a reason that I wanted you to come to my office tonight. It’s not just about the case, but about something else.”
“Something else?”
“To listen to a report made against you.”
“A report against me?” Chen also stood up. “What have I done?”
“About your Western bourgeois decadent lifestyle-exactly the same charge-during your investigation in Guangzhou. The report claimed that during your stay in Guangzhou you were inseparable from a dubious businessman, going to all kinds of classy restaurants, three meals a day-”
“I know who you are talking about, Comrade Party Secretary. It’s about Mr. Ouyang, isn’t it? He is a businessman, but what’s wrong with that? Nowadays our government encourages people to start their own private businesses. As for the reason that he treated me a couple of times, it is because he also writes poems.”
“I’ve not finished yet,” Li said. “The report also says that you went to a massage salon.”
“Oh, the massage salon. Yes, I went there because I had to find Xie Rong, the witness I have just mentioned. She works in the salon.”
“Well, a copy of the massage salon receipt says that you paid for what is called the ‘full service’ there. The Internal Security people have got hold of the copy, and people know what ‘full service’ means.”
It was the second time that Internal Security had been mentioned to Chen during the day. First in Director Yao’s office, now in Li’s. Internal Security was a special institution, dreaded particularly by policemen-the police of the police.
“Why Internal Security?”
“Well, if you haven’t done anything wrong, you don’t have to worry about the devil knocking at your door in the depth of the night.”
“I don’t know how they could have obtained such a receipt. I did not have one myself. In fact, Mr. Ouyang had paid for me. I did not even know that it was a salon before I got there. As for the ‘full service,’ whatever it may mean to other people, I did not have any.”
“But why approach your witness there?” Li said, lighting another cigarette for himself. “I, for one, can’t see why you did not have the girl brought into the Guangzhou police bureau for questioning. It’s common practice, and it produces results.”
“Well-this way might be more effective, I thought.”
Chief Inspector Chen had considered bringing her to the local police station, but he had made a promise to Professor Xie, and he owed a lot to Ouyang, too. Besides, it was beyond Party Secretary Li, who lived in the high cadre residential building complex in west Huaihai Road, to understand how ordinary people like Xie Rong were intimidated by the high cadres and their children. Xie would not have dared to say anything against Wu in the Guangzhou Police Bureau.
“I stayed in Guangzhou for only five days,” Chen went on. “With so many things waiting at the bureau here, I could not afford the time to investigate in a routine way, and the people in Guangzhou Police Bureau were too busy to help me. I had no choice.”
“You spent over two hours in the massage room, alone with her. Afterwards, you took her to the White Swan Hotel, a private room, too. And you paid more than five hundred Yuan for the-meal- more than a month’s salary. You call that investigation, Comrade Chief Inspector Chen?”
So, Chief Inspector Chen’s every step in Guangzhou had been watched. He realized what serious trouble he was in. Party Secretary Li was well informed about his trip.
“I’ve an explanation, Comrade Party Secretary Li.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. I treated her to make sure that she would cooperate with us. The meal was expensive, but everything in Guangzhou is expensive. And I made a point of paying out of my own pocket.”
“For a massage girl! You are generous indeed.”
“Comrade Party Secretary Li, I was investigating a murder case there. As a detective, I decided to approach a witness in a way I thought proper and right. How come I was under surveillance every step of the way in Guangzhou?”
“What you did there may have aroused people’s suspicions.”
“Comrade Party Secretary Li, it was you who introduced me into the Party. If you do not trust me, what’s the point of my saying anything more?”
“I trust you, Comrade Chief Inspector Chen. As a matter of fact, I’ve told Internal Security that all you did in Guangzhou was necessary for the investigation. I’ve even said that you had discussed everything with me.”
“Oh, thank you, Party Secretary Li. You’ve done such a lot for me, ever since my first day in the bureau. I am most grateful.”
“You don’t have to say that to me.” Li shook his head. “I know you have done good work. And on this case too.”
“So we have to-” Chen came to a sudden halt, coughing with a fist against his mouth-”go on with our investigation.”
