Chapter 14: Waiting by the Tree for a Hare
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Zhou Yi immediately showed a curious expression and looked at the other person.
Unexpectedly, the young nurse pursed her lips and said, “Forget it, I’m not going to tell you.”
“Come on, leaving me hanging like this is like mixing arsenic with rice—so uncomfortable,” Zhou Yi urged.
The nurse scolded playfully, “I want to tell you, but what if you tell others? I don’t want people thinking I’m spreading gossip.”
“I’m just an ordinary patient’s relative; I don’t know anyone in the hospital. Who would I tell?” Zhou Yi reassured her.
The nurse hesitated for a moment, then said, “Alright, but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
Zhou Yi had already guessed that this young nurse loved gossip but feared getting into trouble, so she had been holding back from sharing with others.
That was why he emphasized that he was a complete stranger who knew no one, to ease her worries and let her speak freely.
“I’ll tell you,” the nurse lowered her voice and said, “About half a month ago, I saw Du Xiaolin arguing with a woman behind the hospital.”
“What were they arguing about?”
The nurse shook her head, “I was a bit far away, so I couldn’t hear clearly, only caught Du Xiaolin calling the woman old and discarded, saying she deserved to be abandoned.”
“Anything else?” Zhou Yi asked eagerly.
“Someone came after, so they stopped quarrelling. Du Xiaolin then walked away arrogantly.”
“Did you see what the woman looked like?”
The nurse shook her head again, “No, the woman had her back to me, wearing a gray wool coat. I didn’t see her face.”
Suddenly, the nurse became alert. “Why are you asking so much? Hey, you look familiar.”
Pointing at Zhou Yi, she suddenly realized, “I remember now—you’re that man who came to the nurse station looking for Du Xiaolin last night! Who exactly are you?”
Seeing her growing suspicious, Zhou Yi had to slightly break his promise to Wu Yongcheng.
He beckoned her over with a hand signal.
The nurse approached hesitantly, and Zhou Yi whispered, “Actually, I’m a police officer.”
“P-Police… really?”
“Really. My name is Zhou Yi, from the city’s criminal investigation unit.”
“Ah, did something happen? No wonder the security department wouldn’t let us leave.”
“I can’t disclose details right now. You can wait for the hospital’s notice. I’m not here for an investigation today, just a patient’s relative chatting casually. But what you tell me, please keep it secret for now, especially from others around you.”
The nurse nodded immediately, then asked reluctantly, “Did something happen to Du Xiaolin?”
“Why do you think something happened to her?” Zhou Yi asked.
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“Because after the shift handover yesterday, I went to the storeroom to get something. But the storeroom’s back door was locked at night, so I had to go around the front. I happened to see Du Xiaolin walking out of the hospital.”
“Walking… what’s wrong with that?”
Zhou Yi had already suspected, but needed the nurse’s words to confirm.
“Du Xiaolin usually rides a bicycle to work, only taking the bus when it rains. But last night, she wasn’t on her bike. I found it strange.”
Exactly! This perfectly confirmed his earlier suspicion that Du Xiaolin walked home.
But why was there no record related to this in the cold case files? Was it an oversight by the investigators, or was there some hidden truth?
“Where do the staff usually park their bicycles?” Zhou Yi asked quickly.
“Right behind the inpatient building, in that blue bike shelter.”
“Does Du Xiaolin’s bike have any distinctive features?”
“Let me think.”
“She rides a pink Forever brand bike, with a string of plastic peony flowers hanging on the basket.”
Zhou Yi thanked the nurse and headed straight to the staff bike shelter.
It was not yet seven o’clock; the day shift for nurses and doctors started at eight, so there weren’t many bikes.
He quickly found the bike matching the description—a Forever brand with a flat rear tire.
Crouching down, he inspected the tire carefully but found no puncture or damage.
So the only possibility was that the tire had been deflated intentionally.
In the middle of the night, Du Xiaolin would naturally assume the tire was punctured.
Then, during work hours the next day, the culprit used the pump to reinflate it.
That way, even if investigators suspected foul play, seeing the bike intact would raise no alarms.
At most, they might suspect Du Xiaolin didn’t ride home herself but was picked up by someone.
Zhou Yi was certain the culprit wouldn’t come back immediately after the attack to pump the tire, as they risked being seen by the hospital security.
So it had to be done during working hours.
Only hospital staff could manage this without drawing attention. Outsiders, even if connected to Du Xiaolin, would be too conspicuous.
Zhou Yi took a deep breath, scanned the area, and soon spotted a pump tucked in the corner against the wall.
A few words were written on it in black pen: “Public equipment, please do not take away.”
It seemed the culprit had planned meticulously.
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Using the public pump was the safest choice; even if the police thought of it, they couldn’t verify fingerprints.
Zhou Yi looked around the shelter and its surroundings—there was no good place to hide and observe.
A stranger lingering here too long would arouse suspicion and alert the culprit.
Caught in a dilemma, Zhou Yi glanced up and suddenly noticed a second-floor window overlooking the bike shelter.
It was just the right vantage point to see Du Xiaolin’s bike, although the rear tire was blocked by the shelter’s roof.
But it was the only convenient observation spot. At his pace, he could rush downstairs immediately if someone tampered with the bike and catch them in the act.
Making up his mind, Zhou Yi climbed to the second-floor window and kept a watchful eye on the shelter below.
After about twenty minutes, people began arriving for work one after another.
Most quickly entered the shelter, parked their bikes, and left.
Zhou Yi checked the time; it was almost eight. Du Xiaolin’s bike still hadn’t moved.
Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly saw the bike shift slightly.
Judging from the light and shadows, someone was under the shelter.
Without hesitation, Zhou Yi dashed down the stairs and bolted outside.
He saw a man in a blue coarse cloth jacket crouching by Du Xiaolin’s bike, with the public pump beside him.
Zhou Yi felt a chill. As he was about to speak, the man stood up.
It was an unshaven old man who had just finished pumping the tire and was about to put away the pump. Zhou Yi’s sudden appearance startled him.
“Whoa, who are you? You scared me.”
“Who are you?” Zhou Yi asked sternly.
“I’m Old Liu from the boiler room. You look new around here, young man.”
Zhou Yi’s heart sank. He had misjudged the situation.
Someone as meticulous as the culprit wouldn’t operate the same way after attacking him last night.
How had he failed to realize such a simple truth?
Suddenly, Zhou Yi felt as if he was being watched. He whipped his head around.
In the distance, a shadow flashed past.