‘That may be true, but you may go ahead and tell them that it has been my idea for you to investigate in secret. You have discussed it with me every step of the way, and this morning it was also my direct order for you to take the preemptive move. As the head of our squad, I’m the one responsible for it.’

‘No, I cannot do so, Chief Inspector Chen.’

‘Don’t worry about it. Tell them I have been moving in accordance with Comrade Secretary Zhao’s specific instructions.’

That was far-fetched, Chen knew, but he did not think Party Secretary Li would go so far as to double-check with Comrade Secretary Zhao, especially when Lou proved to be the murderer.

And Chen also felt justified in saying so. As Zhao had put it, things have to be seen in a larger picture. With the environmental crisis seen as one threatening the legitimacy of one-Party rule, the speedy arrest of the serial murderer was more than justified.

That did not sound so convincing, even to the inspector himself. And he knew Yu would not let him take responsibility.

‘And out of spite, Qin may actually choose to let Lou go if he continues to deny it.’

‘And then Lou will stop at nothing to complete the killings – until the end of the seventh week.’

‘Where are you, Chief?’

‘Bund Park.’

‘Your feng shui place again.’

People had joked about it, but in a way, it was a feng shui place for Chen. He had started his studies here, and what happened afterward could be traced to the park.

Twenty years gone,

it’s a surprise I’m still here.

The lines from the Song dynasty poem forced their way back to him again. It was more than twenty years. A blue jay flashed through the opaque morning air. Inspector Chen made up his mind.

It was perhaps no coincidence: he was making another crucial decision in the park.

‘Return to the backroom, Yu. Make sure that there’s just Lou and you in there.’

‘You want …’ Yu did not go on with the rest of the sentence. ‘Yes, then what?’

‘Put your cellphone speaker on. I’ll call in and say something to Lou. A conference call, so to speak.’

Two minutes later, Yu dialed Chen again.

‘OK, it’s on speaker now,’ Yu said. Then turning to Lou, ‘On the speaker now is Chief Inspector Chen, the head of the Special Case squad of the Shanghai Police Bureau.’

‘Hi Lou, my name is Chen Cao. Let me be clear about one thing first: I’m not in charge of the investigation of your case. It’s because I’ve been doing another investigation about an environmental activist for the Party Central Discipline Committee, alongside which I’m not supposed to be doing any other cases. So whatever we are talking about on the phone is off the record. You don’t have to worry about it.’

‘Yes?’

‘You do not know me, but I know your story, which my partner Detective Yu has told me in great detail. It’s a heartbreaking story, I have to say. My deepest condolences—’