We followed the police back to the county, unavoidably passing by my home, whereupon I immediately slumped my body to prevent being spotted. If my aunt went out shopping and caught me sitting in a police car, she would question me to no end.

When we arrived at the county police station, the other officers carried the body in while Officer Lu introduced the place to me. He shared how hard he had worked over the years and hoped we would put in a good word with the director when we returned to the city. Then, he pointed to a certificate on the wall, proudly showing off his victory. I thought it was the result of solving a crime, but when I moved closer to get a good look, I saw the words, "Third prize in the Municipal Public Security Bureau’s Table Tennis Competition.” What a leisurely policeman!

The morgue had long been turned into a storage unit. Several officers sorted out the mess so we...