Pristine Darkness

Chapter 67

Ahh! At long last, Bo Jinyan is aware of Jian Yao's presence! However, do we expect openly displayed emotions from him? Nope, it's strictly business for our master sleuth, although the undercurrent . . . whew.

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Translator: shl

Editor/ Proofreader: Anks

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The evening breeze blew gently through the window. The voices of the criminal investigators buzzed in her ear. Jian Yao looked at Bo Jinyan across the round table. The criminal investigators had finished their discussion, and no one was looking at him. An Yan was looking down with a red face, while Fang Qing, with one glance, had seen through everyone's feigned indifference.

Bo Jinyan's face flushed gradually.

He raised his head and looked in Jian Yao and Fang Qing's direction. His hand, on the table, slowly clenched. Then he reached up to adjust his sunglasses briefly.

He did not utter a word.

She did not speak either, and simply sat there in silence.

Not so long ago, didn't she and Bo Jinyan also experience such wordless moments between them?

". . . Why don't we ask Jian Yao and Fang Qing to give us their opinions first." Shao Yong's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Jian Yao said, "Ok." She looked at her notebook, but her heart still felt as if it were lying on an icy wasteland.

"We have the following preliminary conclusions. First, it was a premeditated murder. Not many people knew about Nie Shijun's habit of running at night. The killer followed and observed her, and chose a very suitable time for the murder, as well as the most suitable place, in accordance with her running route. He was able to carry out his planned murder without any witnesses. Moreover, he even prepared the ropes, paints, gloves and other necessary items beforehand. Therefore, he is not a killer who acts on momentary impulses, and neither did he coincidentally meet a night runner and decide to kill her. Nie Shijun was his specifically chosen target . . ."

Her voice calmed down by degrees. She thought it was very strange, for it was not as if she had never thought about the scene when she and Bo Jinyan would meet once again. She had imagined she would inevitably be very grieved but also excited, and might even have rushed to embrace him with big sobs, blaming him, hitting him, forgiving him. But when the actual situation occurred, everything was so quiet.

So quiet that it was as if life had merely taken a turn, and she once again encountered the man he had been.

"Second, the killer is involved in activities near Nie Shijun's rental apartment or the park, and is also very likely to live in the vicinity. According to The Geography of Criminal Psychology, no matter why the killer committed the murder, he and the victim must have encountered each other at some place previously. Nie Shijun led a very dull and monotonous life. After investigation, it was determined that she could regularly be found in four locations: at home, at work, at the park, and at the mall on weekends. Of these four places, the killer could most easily loiter and observe the victim in the vicinity of the rental apartment and the park. Moreover, in the end, he chose to carry out the murder at the park, which indicates that this was the place that he was most familiar with. If he had only encountered her briefly en route to work, or at the mall, then his place of residence would be far away. Further to that, one, it would be very difficult to track the victim continuously; two, it would be very hard for a novice killer to be comfortable with the idea of carrying out the crime at an unfamiliar location, the park.

Third, the killer is meticulous in his thinking, thorough in his planning, and efficient in the execution of his plan. This also reflects his personality traits. To him, 'butterfly' must have a special psychological significance. However, I also notice that the butterfly he painted was softer. Presently, I do not know what this implies.