The next day, Su Li decided to start with Old Chen, the pharmacy owner. During last night's interrogation, Xiao Zhao mentioned buying sedatives from the pharmacy, but Chen's vague description seemed deliberately evasive. At dawn, Su Li and Ji Mo returned to the shop. Inside, Chen was rearranging shelves, his eyes flickering with unease when he saw Su Li.
"Chen, we need you to clarify some things," Su Li said bluntly, holding up the sedative analysis report. "This drug matches the residue on the yarn ball exactly. You said the buyer wore a gray knit cap, face hidden. Anything else you left out?"
Chen pushed up his glasses, forcing a dry laugh. "Officer Su, I told you, they paid cash, no name. I don't recall anything else." His fingers trembled, his gaze dodging hers.
Ji Mo noticed a half-open drawer behind the counter, a corner of gray fabric peeking out. Su Li followed his glance, yanked it open, and found a gray knit cap—nearly identical to Tailor Zhang's, with cat hairs stuck to the brim.
"Chen, what's with the cap?" Su Li's voice was icy. "Don't tell me it's a coincidence."
Chen's face paled, sweat beading on his forehead. "It's… my cap! Lots of people wear these around town, not just Zhang!"
Su Li narrowed her eyes. "And the cat hair? Why so vague about the buyer? Spill, or you're coming to the station."
Under her piercing stare, Chen crumpled into a chair. "Fine, I'll talk… The buyer was someone I know, but not Zhao or Zhang. It was… Zhao's cousin, A-Qiang!"
A-Qiang? Su Li's heart jolted. A-Qiang was a community ghost, mid-thirties, rarely seen, rumored to do small business out of town, only returning occasionally. He kept a low profile, barely noticed, but Su Li recalled a file noting a little-known conflict years ago between him and Old Lady Li—over a shady land deal.
Years back, Li owned a prime riverside plot, coveted for its good feng shui, perfect for building. A-Qiang, fresh from out of town, wanted to buy it for investment, but Li refused, saying it was her late husband's last keepsake. A-Qiang pestered her relentlessly, even spreading rumors, which turned the community against him. The rejection festered, and he vowed revenge.
"What did A-Qiang want with the sedatives? Where is he?" Su Li pressed.
Chen, head bowed, voice shaky, said, "He didn't say, just mentioned personal business. He paid me to keep quiet. I… I needed the money, so I agreed. He wore my cap that day, said he was cold. I didn't think much of it. The cat hair probably stuck to it when he took it."
Su Li immediately dispatched officers to track A-Qiang and led Ji Mo to search his home, a rundown shack on the community's edge, overgrown with weeds. In a woodpile out back, they found a plastic bag containing yarn strands, a small bottle of red paint, and muddy shoes. The shoe soles matched the prints in Li's yard perfectly.
More shocking was a note in the bag, scrawled with: "Old Lady Li, greed has its price." Su Li stared at it, the puzzle pieces finally clicking together.
That afternoon, A-Qiang was brought to the station. A lean, tall man with a sinister gaze and a cold smirk, he sat silently at first, staring at the floor. When Su Li presented the note and shoes, he looked up, his expression unreadable.
"Officer Su, you dig deep," he sneered. "Fine, I'm in. Li's cat? I'm tied to it."
A-Qiang confessed he'd never forgiven Li for rejecting him. That riverside plot wasn't just an investment—it was his shot at status. Her refusal tanked his reputation and business, and he blamed her stubbornness. He wanted her to suffer.
"I knew Zhao hated Li too—she always badmouthed him as a layabout," A-Qiang said coldly. "I egged him on to steal the cat, gave him the sedatives. Told him scaring Li would teach her a lesson. The kid's dim, botched the dose, killed the cat. I told him to dump it in the river and smear paint on a yarn ball, toss it in Zhang's trash to stir things up."
"And the second yarn ball?" Su Li pressed. "Zhao says it wasn't him."
A-Qiang paused, a strange smile curling his lips. "That was me. Wanted Li to stay scared, thinking someone was watching her. The cat blood? I nicked it from a stray, didn't kill it, just drew a bit."
Su Li felt a chill. A-Qiang's cold calculation was beyond her expectations. He'd manipulated Zhao's resentment, framed Zhang, and used cat blood and sedatives to complicate the case, delaying the investigation.
The truth emerged. Zhao stole Li's cat and accidentally killed it with an overdose. A-Qiang orchestrated it all, planting the second yarn ball and blood to mislead, pinning suspicion on Zhang. Zhang, despite caging strays, was an unwitting bystander caught in A-Qiang's scheme.
After the interrogation, Su Li stood at the station's entrance. The community's river flowed calmly, but the case had shattered its quiet.
Days later, Su Li and Ji Mo visited Old Lady Li. She sat in her yard, cradling the black cat from Zhang's basement, now named "Dark Cloud" to honor Tiger Girl. Her eyes held grief, but she said softly, "Officer Su, thank you. Tiger Girl's gone, but Dark Cloud will keep me company."
Zhang left the neighborhood after the case. Gossip swirled—some said shame drove him, others that he was tired of the rumors. Su Li didn't try to stop him; some things fade only with time.
The case seemed closed, but Su Li had lingering doubts. Were the pet disappearances years ago tied to A-Qiang's land grudge? What about his "small business" out of town—hiding deeper secrets? She flipped open the old files, eyes landing on the "Flower" case. That cat's disappearance also involved a red-stained yarn ball, its substance unidentifiable due to outdated forensics.
She closed the file, gazing out the window. "That's enough for today," she said, rubbing her forehead. "Come on, let's get hotpot."
Ji Mo's eyes lit up, days of exhaustion vanishing, though unsure what hotpot was, he sensed it was worth anticipating. The station's glass window reflected their silhouettes walking side by side into the night, Ji Mo gesturing animatedly, his excitement palpable even through the glass.