Chapter 6: Infertility and "Deep Love"

The suspicious part was that Jane’s husband, Professor Jasper Xu, hadn't recorded a single trip abroad to visit his ailing wife in the past year.

Leo handed Jane’s files to Clara. "Verify if the dental records and pelvic structure of the remains match Jane Ginger."

Clara nodded. "On it."

By the afternoon, she brought him the results. "It’s a match. The deceased is Jane Ginger."

Leo and his team breathed a sigh of relief. Identifying the victim meant the investigation finally had a clear direction.

"Meeting, now!" Leo barked.

In the briefing room, Clara joined the team.

A photo of Jane Ginger appeared on the large screen.

Jane Ginger, 42, was an art professor at Weston University.

Three years ago, she and her parents were in a car accident. Her parents died instantly, and Jane lost her ability to paint due to severed tendons in her wrist.

Travel records showed she bought an international ticket a year ago, but based on the autopsy, she likely changed her mind and never boarded that plane.

Her husband, Jasper Xu, was also a professor at the same university. The fact that she never went abroad and had been missing for a year—yet he never reported it—was a massive red flag. Furthermore, her social media was still being updated. Only her killer could have her phone.

As it stood, Jasper Xu was the prime suspect.

Jasper Xu was brought in for questioning.

Leo entered the interrogation room, his face looking even more formidable after days of no sleep.

Jasper was middle-aged and well-maintained. He didn't have the typical "dad bod" or receding hairline; instead, he carried the refined air of an academic.

Facing Leo’s piercing gaze, Jasper pushed up his glasses, looking confused. "Officer, what is this about? Why was I brought here so suddenly?"

Leo’s voice was devoid of warmth. "Do you know that your wife, Jane, was murdered a year ago?"

Jasper’s eyes widened, and the color drained from his face. "How is that possible? She’s abroad recovering. She just messaged me yesterday."

"You’re lying," Leo said coldly, staring him down. "When you answer, your eyes flicker to the upper left—a micro-reaction of the brain constructing a false image. And when you said 'how is that possible,' the muscles at the corners of your mouth stiffened. You’re faking your surprise."

Jasper shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I truly didn't know anything happened to my wife. You can't frame me."

Leo dropped a pile of documents on the table. "You say she messaged you. Did you ever call her? Video chat? How do you know it’s her? If she’s really abroad, why haven't you visited her once?"

Jasper looked pained. "Officer, ever since her parents died and she lost her hand, she’s been miserable. She couldn't stand me being near her. She told me she wanted to go abroad to be alone. How could I dare disturb her? I even drove her to the airport the day she was supposed to leave. I had no idea she never left."

Leo slammed the photo of the suitcase in front of him. "This suitcase was a custom wedding gift from Jane’s parents. It should have been in your home. Why was her body found inside it? It disappeared from your house, and you claim you didn't know?"

Jasper shook his head in agony. "Jane and I moved three times after we married. That suitcase was never moved to our new place. I don't know where she kept it. Officer, I thought my wife was alive. To hear she’s dead... I’m in shock. She was more important to me than my own life. I could never hurt her!"

Jasper stuck to his story, tearfully expressing his deep love for Jane.

The atmosphere in the room was suffocating.

Leo’s eyes flashed with coldness.

Without hard evidence, even with special approval, they could only hold him for forty-eight hours. They had to find something solid, and fast.

Leo and Rocky went to the university.

They found Jane and Jasper’s colleagues.

"Professor Ginger and Professor Xu were a model couple. Jasper came from a poor background and relied on Jane’s family to finish his education."

"He was grateful. He married her as soon as his career stabilized. Even when she couldn't have children, he never complained. He loved her deeply."

Leo then visited their neighbors.

When Jasper’s name was mentioned, a neighbor gave a thumbs up.

"Professor Xu is a saint. After Jane’s parents died, she became temperamental and strange. She used to scream at him all the time. He balanced his work at the university while taking care of her at home. A perfect husband."

On the way back to the station, Rocky was fuming. "This guy hid it well."

The "perfect husband" persona was the perfect cover for a crime. No one would suspect him.

Leo called the tech department. "Find the exact IP address used for Jane’s social media posts."

Someone likely used a VPN to spoof a foreign location.

"Rocky, check if Jasper took any computer science electives in college."

"On it."

Back at the station, as Leo was about to go inside, he noticed a young woman standing by the flower bed, her eyes red from crying.

Leo walked over and asked gently, "Hello, can I help you? Are you here for something specific?"

The girl looked up at Leo in his uniform, her voice trembling. "Officer, I’m a student at the university. I heard Professor Ginger was... was murdered a year ago. Is it true?"

Leo studied her. "You’re her student?"

The girl nodded. "My name is Stella. I couldn't afford my tuition, and Professor Ginger helped me. She was such a good person."

Leo brought her inside and gave her some water. Once she calmed down, he continued, "Yes, it’s true. When was the last time you saw her?"

Stella began to sob. "A year ago. Professor Ginger was leaving the university and she recommended me for an exchange program abroad. It was supposed to be me, but Professor Xu recommended his own student, Lynn, instead. The last time I saw Professor Ginger, she and Professor Xu were having a violent argument about that exchange program."