‘I’m working on it. It’s quite a long and detailed report, that much I can assure you. Hopefully I’ll deliver it to you in a day or two.’

It was a self-imposed deadline, which he needed more urgently in the light of the latest information from the restaurant. He touched the flash memory stick in his pocket.

‘Good. I’m looking forward to reading it.’

When Detective Yu got back home that evening, it was past nine.

Peiqin was on their bed, reading a magazine with a pair of new glasses under the lamp.

‘Another busy day for you, I bet.’

Last night they had had a long discussion about the serial murder case, so Peiqin was looking forward to learning something new.

‘Yes, another lousy day.’

‘I’ll warm up the fried noodles with organic spinach. The purple seaweed soup will take just a minute or two on the stove.’

‘Don’t bother. I’ve had a bite on the way back. But a cup of tea may help.’ He added, ‘I think I’ve a lot to discuss with you.’

‘That’s fine, a cup of your favorite Uloon will be ready in one minute,’ Peiqin said, jumping barefoot from the bed. ‘Still about that serial murder case of yours?’

Sipping at the tea, Yu began to tell her what had happened during the day: about his following Lou to the New World in the morning, about the investigation done concerning Lou in his neighborhood, and about the bits and pieces from Lou’s company which Yu visited after the neighborhood committee, including some of the latest information he had not even discussed with Chen yet.

Like him, like Chen, Peiqin had little doubt about Lou being the one, but she maintained that Yu should discuss it with Qin and his people before attempting to do anything.

‘After all, it’s their case, and they have everything at their disposal for any action they want to take. And for any responsibility, too.’

Peiqin surely had a point, but she knew little about the politics in the bureaus. He did not think that Qin would listen to him. Not at this moment.

The sex video about Geng and Xiang must have so convinced Qin and Internal Security of the political direction they had been pursuing.

In contrast, Yu had nothing except an unlikely theory supported with neither evidence nor witnesses.

And he would have too much explaining to do about how he had come along to this point – with no cooperation with Qin’s squad.

Instead, Yu chose to talk more about the seven-seven ritual with Peiqin.

‘Lou’s such a grief-distraught husband,’ Peiqin said softly in response. ‘It’s not unimaginable that the sight of the caregiver walking out of the hospital – at that place, at that minute – triggered the killing. For the seven-seven ritual or not, he must have seen some real justification for the killings in his twisted mind.’

‘I think you’re right about that. Supposing he turned murderous on the spur of that moment, at that place – what about the other victims?’