Chapter 23: The Canvas of Flesh and Blood

For an investigative unit like the Criminal Investigation Brigade, the most significant cases they typically handle might involve a death or the discovery of several kilograms of Class D narcotics.

However, this time, it was an extraordinary case, one that shook everyone to the core, a case where all the suspects had already been apprehended.

But here’s the twist. The prime suspect staunchly denied any involvement in the crime.

The case escalated quickly: from the brigade to the detachment, then to the municipal bureau, and finally to the provincial department. The request? To bring in a polygraph machine. It was a rare and significant move.

Such equipment was seldom available to lower-level units and required trained professionals to operate.

When the polygraph machine, along with two expert operators, arrived and the suspect was tested, the results were astounding – a 93% likelihood that the suspect was telling the truth.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

In today’s world, a wrongful arrest or conviction could have dire consequences. If it turned out they’d got the wrong person, it could spell disaster for many, potentially causing a domino effect. One misstep and the entire city’s police force could face severe repercussions from higher authorities.

Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed when confronted with such a case?

Due to its severity – with three lives lost and a whole family tragically wiped out – the provincial department was pressing for a swift resolution. The case wasn’t just a matter for the Criminal Investigation Brigade, it had mobilized the entire city’s police force.

Should the case remain unsolved within the set deadline, there would be consequences. The provincial department was ready to step in and take charge if necessary.

Xiao Yu was fortunate. He had just helped the Criminal Investigation Brigade crack a major case and, being a trainee officer, he was granted three days off. But his luck was an exception. For everyone else, there were no breaks, day or night. The entire police force was put on overtime, operating non-stop, 24/7, to solve this… extremely serious case.

Yes, it was a massive case. The murder of three individuals marked it as an exceptionally large series of crimes. Typically, such cases would be handled directly by the municipal bureau or even by the provincial department. In the most severe scenarios, they could escalate to a matter of national security.

The misfortune lay in the fact that this case had occurred within the Criminal Investigation Brigade’s jurisdiction. If they failed to solve it, the entire brigade could face serious consequences.

This was indeed a major case.

As Xiao Yu stared at the case file before him, his mouth involuntarily twitched. Even in his past life, encounters with cases of such extreme magnitude were rare.

What era were they in? The frequency of such major criminal cases seemed more fitting for a crime drama than real life. And now, less than a week into his job, he had stumbled upon two murder cases.

What was this luck… Xiao Yu couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

He opened the file to find bold letters on the first page: ‘Massive Familial Homicide and Dismemberment Case.’

The victims were a young couple and their baby, a family of three, who met a gruesome end. Their skin had been fully peeled off and nailed to the walls. The flesh and blood were meticulously separated from the bones, sliced into pieces, while the bones were ground to dust.

But that wasn’t all.

The victims’ flesh, blood, and organs were methodically arranged and attached to the stretched-out human skins on the walls. The bone dust and blood were mixed to form a gruesome paint, used to coat the skin, flesh, and organs, culminating in a macabre ‘painting’ of flesh and blood.

Xiao Yu was utterly horrified as he read on, stunned by the killer’s extreme brutality and twisted psyche.

Can such a heinous act truly be the work of a human being?

What level of twisted perversion must one possess to commit such a monstrous deed?

Then what about the suspect apprehended by the police? He was found asleep at the crime scene.

Why did the police believe he was the murderer?

Firstly, the suspect was found right at the heart of the horrific scene. Secondly, one of the victims, the female in the family of three, was the suspect’s former girlfriend.

Sounds like a twisted plot, doesn’t it?

The police investigation revealed that the suspect’s ex-girlfriend had ended their relationship two years prior and started dating the suspect’s brother. Though not exactly a case of infidelity, this sort of betrayal is more than enough to break most men.

This led the police to suspect that the motive behind the crime was revenge.

But suspicion alone isn’t sufficient, concrete evidence is essential.

What evidence did the police have?

At the time of the crime, the suspect had received a text message from his ex-girlfriend and went to her house. Shortly after, the gruesome murder and dismemberment happened.

The police arrived at the scene to find the suspect asleep amidst the carnage and promptly arrested him.

Utilizing the crime scene fingerprints, DNA evidence, murder weapons, text messages, and a motive, the police constructed a comprehensive chain of evidence. The suspect was firmly pinned down as the alleged murderer.

Given the magnitude of the case, the police proceeded with caution, particularly because the suspect vehemently denied committing the crimes. This led them to request a polygraph test.

The results were quite telling.

According to the polygraph, it was highly probable that the suspect was telling the truth, especially concerning his knowledge of the crime. He claimed complete ignorance about the events.

The suspect himself recounted that after arriving at his ex-girlfriend’s house, he suddenly lost consciousness. By the time he awoke, he was already in police custody.

This presented a significant complication.

Setting aside the case file, Xiao Yu’s eyes narrowed in contemplation. The situation was indeed troublesome.

If we suppose that the suspect really wasn’t the perpetrator of this heinous crime, then there was only one other possibility. Someone else framed him, and the actual murderer was still at large, their identity unknown.

Yet, according to the police investigation supported by surveillance footage from the community and the building’s corridors, only the suspect was seen in the area during the night of the murders. He was the sole figure captured on camera, lingering at the doorstep of the victim’s home with no one else in sight.

A chill ran down Xiao Yu’s spine. Something was off.

How could this be possible?