Chapter 6 (1/2)
Killer Nights
Chapter 6: Smoker at an Internet Cafe
Since Jiang Zhengkai was busy responding to the latest murder, he was unaware that in the building across the street, there was another pair of eyes intently gazing at him, and those eyes belonged to A-Jiao.
When A-Jiao had heard the scream, she and her client had both crawled across the bed to the window and looked at the other side of the alley. ”Hey beautiful, I think the sound came from Building Number 3,” said the client. He’d propped himself up with both hands on the windowsill and intently observed the opposite side.
”Oh yeah?” A-Jiao had replied noncommittally. However, she’d gone along with what her client said and focused her attention on Building Number 3. ”I can't see anything!” She’d looked at the windows across the alley, then had proceeded to raise her arms and stretch out her body. It was as she was stretching that she noticed that Jiang Zhengkai was in the building directly across the alley from them. She suddenly felt a wave of nervousness. What is he doing here? She thought to herself as she unconsciously tugged at her clothing so as to better cover her chest. Was he here to spy on me?
”I think it's the building right next door to that one.” The client didn't notice A-Jiao’s reaction and continued to prop himself by the windowsill next to A-Jiao's bed. ”Look! Someone's running up the stairs!”
”That's enough, handsome!” A-Jiao's voice suddenly became very cold. ”Maybe you should go over there if you really want to get a good look!” A-Jiao told her client. She then tapped the windowpane with her finger. ”See there? Those are cops. You should leave, /now/.”
When the client heard her words, his face immediately grew tense. Following the direction of A-Jiao's pointing finger, he too saw Jiang Zhengkai standing on a balcony across the alley. Of course, as a normally law-abiding citizen, he wouldn't know who Jiang Zhengkai was. Still, he was still pretty grateful towards A-Jiao. ”You want me to get you outta here?” he asked.
”Get me out of here? Haha, when did I become a damsel in distress?” A-Jiao chuckled. She was actually quite beautiful when she smiled. Her client was in fact quite captivated by her.
”Let's get outta here together. You'll be in deep trouble too if the cops catch you!” he said.
”Thank you, my white knight!” A-Jiao said as she placed her arm around his neck. She then give her client a gentle kiss on the cheek. ”But why don't you take care of yourself for now? If you really want to help me, then come back here often and see me again.” Towards the end of the last sentence, her voice became soft and dainty once again. What more could a woman selling her body ask of a man who was buying it? Perhaps it was the most appropriate and reasonable request a woman in her position could have made.
Since there was another murder, it was a foregone conclusion that the rest of the night was a bust. Other than sleeping, there was really nothing else these women could do tonight. After all, there were no other spots in the city where a woman could safely conduct such business. This alley had become the one safe harbor for prost.i.tutes, and yet there was still another murder tonight. The alley was crawling with cops, so no one in their right mind would be turning tricks at this hour. Could be any girl really be stupid enough to tug on the sleeves of a uniformed police officer and ask, ”Hey, wanna play? I'll give you half off!”?
The next morning, Jiang Zhengkai was summoned to the munic.i.p.al police commissioner's office. Commissioner Yao Tianyu was the highest ranking police officer in the city. He also happened to be Jiang Zhengkai's mentor, instructor, and former supervisor. Still, that didn't save Jiang Zhengkai from getting the a.s.s-chewing of a lifetime.
”Inspector Jiang, are we going back to the sub-bureau or to the crime scene?” asked Wei Xin when she saw Jiang Zhengkai walking out of police headquarters.
”Where should we go?” Jiang Zhengkai thought out loud as he fiercely rubbed his chin. ”Let's… go back to the sub-bureau first. We need to carefully deliberate over the details of this case,” Jiang Zhengkai said in a grave voice. The two of them got into a police cruiser and drove towards the sub-bureau.