"Yes, the first one has about a month left to live, and the second one, probably won't make it to tomorrow!"
"I see, what a pity. This porphyria must be very rare, right?"
"Exactly. As one of the world's ten most peculiar diseases, it's extremely rare in our country. Porphyria generally refers to porphyrin disease, also known as hematoporphyria. It's a group of porphyria metabolic disorders caused by a deficiency or reduced activity of a certain enzyme in the heme synthesis pathway. It can be congenital or acquired. The main clinical symptoms include photosensitivity, gastrointestinal symptoms, and neuropsychiatric symptoms."
"I understand. Thank you, Dr. Huang. Is there no way to treat it?"
"General treatment involves avoiding direct sunlight or radiation that causes skin damage. Topical application of 3% dihydroxyacetone and 0.13% henna cream, and wearing sun-protective clothing. Severe and prolonged hemolysis is a clear indication for splenectomy; reducing photosensitivity can prevent hemolysis. Cholestyramine taken before meals, along with antioxidant vitamin E, is effective in preventing the progression of liver disease. Certain medications like dipyrone or beta-carotene, riboflavin can be used to block the enterohepatic circulation of protoporphyrin and promote its excretion, thereby reducing photosensitivity and skin lesions."
"It seems porphyria can be treated, if it's discovered early..."
"That's right. When these two individuals were found, they were already in a critical state, so there was nothing I could do."
"Besides them, do you know of anyone else suffering from porphyria?"
"A friend of mine at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangming City Medical College, a woman named Gao Xiaoying. She is our city's third porphyria patient. After that, I don't know of any others."
I murmured the name a few times and asked Dr. Huang for some information, then we drove to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangming City Medical College.
When we found Gao Xiaoying's attending physician, she told us, "Miss Gao is quite pitiful. She's been receiving treatment here for over a year, but it hasn't been effective. Fortunately, she's managed to survive."
At that moment, an extremely haggard woman weakly pushed a wheelchair out of a ward. The moment I saw her, I wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but I felt she bore some resemblance to Gao Mingqiang. She looked to be around 34 years old, but I remembered Gao Mingqiang only had a younger sister, no elder sisters. So, this woman...
Gao Xiaoying approached us, her voice weak and devoid of life, "Officers, I heard you're here to see me?"
"That's right, Gao Xiaoying. Is your condition very severe?" I raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively.
"Can't you see for yourself? I can't even stand up!"
As she spoke, Gao Xiaoying sighed with a pale face and bluish lips. Her legs trembled violently. I could see she didn't even have the strength to lift her arm.
I mused internally, this is strange. Could the killer not be a porphyria patient at all? How could such a patient possess the ability to suck blood and kill? A casual push from a victim would probably send her rolling dozens of times.
When Liu Yuning and I went downstairs, we had already ruled out Gao Xiaoying as a suspect.
On the way back, Liu Yuning looked embarrassed. I covered her small hand and comforted her, "It's alright. Investigating another angle doesn't hurt us. At least we can rule out a wrong direction. Don't blame yourself too much!"
Liu Yuning nodded slightly.
Fortunately, I had instructed others to apprehend the suspicious individuals seen near Wangyue Lake. When we returned to the provincial department, someone was already waiting for us in the interrogation room.
Xiahou informed me, "Among the suspects, there is one woman and two men."
"Alright, I'll see the woman first. Others can take turns interrogating the two men."
We had confirmed the commuting routes and daily habits of all three suspects. We brought them in precisely because they didn't usually frequent that area.
As I instructed, I walked into the interrogation room of Dai Bai'an (the female suspect).
"Miss Dai, may I ask you a question? On the morning of the 28th, between 9 and 10 AM, why were you near Wangyue Lake?"
Dai Bai'an answered without hesitation, "I wanted to go fishing!"
"Fishing? The surveillance shows you weren't carrying anything. Were you planning to fish with your bare hands?"
"Uh, well, I originally intended to check out the situation on the lake and then buy fishing gear!"
Seeing Dai Bai'an hesitating and looking flustered, I slammed the table, "Dai Bai'an, do you know what you're saying? What fish are there to catch in Wangyue Lake? Ever since a case happened there last time, most of the fish have died, and no one goes there anymore. And you're telling me you went fishing?"
"I really..."
"Just confess. We've checked your medical records, and you don't have porphyria. But do you know that we found a body in the lake with all its blood drained? Tell me, did you see anything that day?"
"Sob, sob, Officer He, I really wasn't lying to you. The reason I went to Wangyue Lake that day was to meet my brother. He's being chased by people recently, so I was afraid to say anything!"
"What's going on?"
"He's involved in the underworld. Recently, he accidentally killed someone close to a prominent figure, and he's on the run. A month ago, he told me he was leaving soon and wanted to see me one last time. I don't know why he chose to meet me there, but I went. After meeting him, he asked me for money. I had no choice, after all, he's my only brother, and I didn't want him to die. So, I gave him 100,000 yuan, and he ran off. I haven't seen him since. But my brother didn't kill anyone by the lake. That incident, I really don't know the specifics of what happened..."
"Our Second Criminal Investigation Team seems to be investigating your brother's case. You don't need to worry about that. If it's confirmed you're not the killer, we'll release you soon. But if you saw something at the time and didn't dare to speak, and we find out later, you'll be charged with concealing information!" I said sternly.
Dai Bai'an nodded vigorously, "I understand, but I really didn't see anything!"
I could tell Dai Bai'an wasn't lying, or perhaps she was there on the 28th, but the time frame didn't match. It seemed I needed to question the other two suspects.
Zhang Keying and I went to the interrogation room of another suspect. I sat down and said to Shan Cheng Zai (the second suspect), "Do you usually have a hobby of fishing?"