Chapter 167: The Missing Page from the Diary (2/2)

It was a diary from the drawer of the victim’s writing desk. In it, the victim had neatly jotted down her daily plans and schedule. It looked like Xu Xiaohui managed her time very well.

I quickly flipped the diary to November 7th, the date when Xu Xiaohui went missing. But then I realized that the page had been torn off! On the blank page next to it, there was a handwritten note that read, “Do not investigate this case, Song Yang!”

I showed it to everyone there. Xiaotao gasped and wondered, “You mean someone knew that you were going to come here?”

“Could it be a threat left by the killer?” Dali guessed.

“No, I don’t think so,” I replied. “The murderer wouldn’t do such a bold and risky thing. It would only draw attention to them. I think this was left by that mysterious swordsman who attacked Old Zhang that night.”

“But why would he tear off the most important page of the diary?” Xiaotao pondered.

“The key point is that this person knows me, and he knows that I will investigate this case.”

I was even surer now that the swordsman was the same person who cut off Cao Mou’s ear. The note didn’t sound like a threat, but more like a warning to protect me from danger. But who was he? Why wouldn’t he show his face to me?

I flipped through the diary. It seemed like an ordinary daily planner, but then, I noticed that another page had been torn off—November 3rd. What could it mean?

I contemplated it over and over again, and finally got it. “The victim must’ve met with the murderer on November 3rd! That swordsman probably tore off the page to keep me from questioning the murderer!”

“You really are a genius, dude!” praised Dali.

Xiaotao ordered Yuanchao to track down the victim’s recent call records while the rest of us would remain here and continue searching the house for possible clues. I found an old group photo of a high school class pressed inside an old book. The victim was an introverted person who had few friends. Perhaps she was still in contact with her former classmates from high school?

Yuanchao was impressively efficient. When we went downstairs and was about to leave, he had already returned with the call record in hand. On November 3rd, the same number called the victim three times.

“I asked the IT team,” said Yuanchao. “They said the owner of this number is called Wu Li.”

Xiaotao called the number right away. Wu Li was shocked when she learned that Xu Xiaohui had died. She said that on November 3rd, there was a class reunion party for their high school class. Xu Xiaohui was really late, so Wu Li called her multiple times to check where she was.

This was an important clue. Xiaotao asked Wu Li if we could meet her now, and she agreed and gave Xiaotao an address.

We then met Wu Li at the address she just gave, which turned out to be a caf. Xiaotao, Dali, and I walked straight into the caf, but Yuanchao stopped at the entrance and just stood outside.

“Aren’t you coming in?” asked Xiaotao.

Yuanchao pointed at the ‘No Smoking’ sign on the door and shrugged.

“Seriously!” uttered Xiaotao.

“Uncle Wang smokes and drinks every day, doesn’t he, Xiaotao-jiejie?” whispered Dali. “Isn’t he worried about getting cancer?”

“Don’t worry about him,” scoffed Xiaotao. “Bullets and knives will get to him before cancer does.”

Dali stared at Xiaotao.

“What? You know I’m right!” Xiaotao retorted.

The three of us took our seats in the caf and ordered coffee. Xiaotao ordered an extra cup of latte to go and asked the waiter to deliver it to Yuanchao who was still standing outside.

When I had drunk half of my cup of coffee, an office lady with a short haircut carrying a small handbag entered the caf.

“Are you guys police officers?” she asked as she approached our table. “My name is Wu Li!”

Xiaotao invited her to take a seat and ordered her a cup of coffee. Wu Li thanked her, then asked how Xu Xiaohui died. Xiaotao replied that it was not possible to disclose any details at the moment since the case was still under investigation. She then asked Wu Li about the reunion party.

Wu Li recalled that nothing special happened that day. Xu Xiaohui had always been a quiet girl who mostly kept to herself. She only had a few close friends, and they were all girls.

“Is there any plastic surgeon among your former classmates?” I asked.

“Yeah, there is one!”

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