Chapter 516: Nail Polish (1/2)

”Why the suspense? How did they do it?” Xiaotao asked impatiently.

”I’m just afraid others might hear us. It's quite simple actually. They painted a layer of nail polish on the fuse.”

”Nail polish?” Xiaotao looked confused.

If the voltage was too high, the fuse would burn when it reached the melting point, which was about 500 degrees. The suspects coated the fuse with transparent nail polish. Since the melting point of nail polish was only 300 degrees, when the voltage reached a certain level, it burned up, so the capacitor was burned out, and so did the fuse. But laymen wouldn’t be able to tell.

The victim was murdered before nine o'clock. The murderers placed her in the room, turned the air-conditioning to the maximum, and tampered with the fuse before leaving. At nine, the fuse blew and was replaced by the staff. Since the air conditioner was controlled by the remote, it remained off even after the electricity returned. The room temperature rose back to normal, delaying the time of death and creating an alibi for them.

”Thank goodness you’ve seen through such clever means…” gasped Xiaotao. “But this isn’t direct evidence.”

”The direct evidence is on them,” I smiled. “Bingxin may have obtained it by now. Let's go and expose them!”

When we arrived at the station, it was already noon. The fat officer stood at the entrance, yawning. Upon noticing us, he gave a thumbs-up, ”Consultant Song, you’re amazing. You’ve caught the criminals in one night.”

I waved my hand, ”It’s pure luck. By the way, where are they?”

”They’ve been feigning ignorance and won’t admit to anything, claiming they don't know what they’ve committed.”

Right then, Bingxin walked in.

“Have they changed out of their underwear?”

”Yes, I’m testing now!” replied Bingxin.

”What?!” blurted the fat officer. I invited him to the laboratory with us.

On the table was a row of test tubes that contained several bugs. Realization dawned upon Xiaotao. ”Didn’t we find this on the victim?”

”Yes, it's the pubic lice from the victim! I noticed earlier that every so often Xiao Lie would scratch his crotch, so I speculated that he’s probably infected with the parasite. As long as we can prove that the lice on his body and the victim are ‘related,' we can prove that he raped the victim. He won’t be able to escape the crime of committing murder.”

Xiaotao smiled, ”I never imagined the humble louse would be our breakthrough!”

After finishing three grilled mutton and a sheep kidney skewer, I reached out for a roasted bun and found Xiaotao staring at me, grinning from ear to ear.

”What are you looking at? Do I have sauce on my face?” I asked.

”No, you’re in a much better mood now,” Xiaotao took a bite of her saury. ”I’ve come to realize that your whole mental state changes as soon as you solve a case.”

Xiaotao was right. Although I was depressed earlier, I felt much better now. For me, the sense of accomplishment in solving crimes was just as euphoric as smoking for smokers and drinking for alcoholics.

”Will you continue to investigate the murders that happened twenty years ago after we solve the case?” asked Xiaotao.