National Forensic Doctor
Chapter 744 - 687: Liu Jinghui Feasting in the Rain

Chapter 744: Chapter 687: Liu Jinghui Feasting in the Rain

"Could it be another master-apprentice tradition? Has Beijing preserved the traditional culture so thoroughly?"

Liu Jinghui arrived upon hearing the news, happily engaging in discussion as soon as he entered the room—of course, with all due respect for the deceased.

Tao Lu wasn’t sure whether to be happy or distressed, rubbing his forehead he said, "The last case was a master-apprentice one, and if this case turns out to be another master-apprentice, I think we really could start a special operation from prison, which could be called..."

"Unashamed to ask and learn from one’s subordinates," Cui Qishan joined the discussion with enthusiasm.

"Tirelessly ruining others," Xiao Si said with a serious expression, as if he were seriously discussing the matter.

"What I meant was... follow the vine... never mind, for us police, it’s by mentoring that we solve cases. It’s possible that the criminals are just now starting to learn, if they’re a bit dumb, right?" Liu Jinghui spoke, picking up the investigation file from the table to read.

In the room, there were two other criminal investigation experts sent from the city police, both to understand the situation and to offer assistance.

Various groups each took a file and formed small circles to discuss in low voices.

Liu Jinghui might seem like he was joking, but his joke was something no one could refute.

Logically, there was indeed such a possibility, and considering that the Zhengguang Bureau had just encountered such a situation in the previous case, discussing probabilities was meaningless.

"How did the interrogation go?" Jin Baozhen, a senior police superintendent from the city bureau, could be recognized as a veteran from the "川" character lines on his forehead.

Tao Lu replied, "We’ll definitely get a confession, but when they’ll break is unknown."

"Then don’t rush it, take your time with the interrogation," Jin Baozhen arranged.

"Hmm. The main concern is that the accomplice might get wind of it and run away," Tao Lu said, clearly a bit anxious. In the previous case, it was a master and his apprentice, and the apprentice, not sure if he had been forewarned, withstood several rounds of interrogation, giving his master the chance to escape and kill again.

For this, Tao Lu was likely to be held accountable. His rush to get Huang Qiangmin to sign off on a new quota was also to make up for this mistake.

However, nobody expected that the "Rain-soaked Corpse Case" would proceed extremely smoothly, only to get stuck during the interrogation.

If there was another master, and he managed to escape, Tao Lu would not be able to take it anymore.

The experienced detectives present all particularly understood the pressure Tao Lu was under, but they were also powerless to help. In fact, from the beginning, this case had already strayed from the old detectives’ understanding; it was Jiang Yuan’s personal case through and through.

Legal Botany, the pollen profile—it sounded straightforward, but recognizing and understanding it was another matter entirely. And if one couldn’t understand, and was merely following Jiang Yuan’s instructions, then what right did they have to question Jiang Yuan’s judgment...

Soon, everyone’s eyes turned to Jiang Yuan.

"This case is a bit strange," Jiang Yuan, who had returned from the scene, said, "The long-handled dagger we found at the scene, after analysis, was confirmed to be the weapon that caused the death of victim number three. The bloodstains found in the suspect’s villa, which are suspected to belong to the victim, were also confirmed to be from victim number three. However, how the suspect knew the details of the ’Rain-soaked Corpse Case’ and why he chose to imitate it remains uncertain."

"The suspect himself claimed that he saw the reports online, and that day, because of an argument over the price of prostitution, he had a conflict with his companion and killed him in a fit of rage. He then thought of the case he had seen online, felt it suited his situation, and as it was raining a lot those days, he imitated the way the body was disposed of," Liu Cheng followed up behind Jiang Yuan, providing additional explanation.

"The pollen profiles of the first scenes of bodies number one, two, four, and three are similar, indicating that the first scene is not in He Wei’s home but rather in a villa close to his home. We’ve begun to investigate his neighbors and close relations," Jiang Yuan added.

The experts from the city bureau frowned and said, "A tremendous effort is now focused on He Wei alone? If this thread breaks, we will be left with nothing."

"Old Sun is already conducting the interrogation over there," Tao Lu shook his head, indicating he was powerless to do anything.

The atmosphere in the office became somewhat gloomy for a moment.

Liu Jinghui laughed heartily, forcibly lightening the mood, "No matter what, we’ve solved a murder case. Even if it’s not the ’Rain-soaked Corpse Case,’ it’s still pretty good. Let’s not be so tense."

Tao Lu gave a wry smile, "Once bitten, twice shy."

Liu Jinghui shook his head, "You’re like a student who scored 99 on a test and insists on crying about losing that one point. We don’t have to ace every single subject..."

Tao Lu, now smiling too, turned and said, "Actually, it’s Jiang Yuan who got the 99. I didn’t score at all. Honestly, I’m still somewhat bewildered about how this case was solved."

The process and details of the case were clear to everyone present, including the two criminal investigation experts from the city bureau; at this point, they were also in favor of what Tao Lu had said. Working on this half-baffling case up to now, where could one even begin to look for omissions and fill in the gaps?

At last, everyone confirmed the time for dinner and dispersed.

After all, it was still the stage of cracking a major case, and even though the leads had stalled here, it really wasn’t appropriate to gather for dinner in such a relaxed manner.

Jiang Yuan led the members of the Cold Case Squad as well as Liu Jinghui and others back to the temporary residence.

The house had also been bought by his father. Back when Jiang Village was being demolished, a street next to the resettlement housing developed overnight with various foot massage parlors, KTVs, mahjong and poker rooms, and the like. Some villagers ended up spending large amounts of demolition compensation on pleasures and gambling. Jiang Fuzhen was likewise tempted, fooled by an agent to go to Beijing, and bought several apartments in a remote area outside the third ring road. He returned with only a few thin pages of documentation, at one point even suspected to have been scammed.

Now, Jiang Fuzhen hadn’t really seen much of these houses either, as they had been rented out for years; it was only when Jiang Yuan came to Beijing and an apartment lease happened to expire that he took it back.

But the chefs from Shan Nan were very convenient—it wasn’t long before they came over on a scheduled flight, bringing with them some local delicacies. By the time Jiang Yuan and the others arrived home, the chefs were already rattling pans in the small kitchen.

Liu Jinghui settled into the independent sofa to the side, stretched his back and let out a sigh of relief, saying, "Having our own place is pretty good. At times like this, eating out at restaurants is uneasy, for fear of being recognized and hearing them say we’re indulging in food and drink while in the midst of solving a case..."

"We are indeed planning to have a big meal," Wang Chuanxing actively placed a can of beer in front of each person and said, "Remember, those on driving duty tonight should not drink, or we’ll need to switch drivers."

Liu Jinghui cracked open a beer with a "pop," took a sip, and said, "The current situation is that we’ve hit a dead end with the leads. The copycat crime cases are as good as solved. The Rotten Corpse in Rain case either needs to be reopened or we must have a breakthrough with suspect number three. This meal is like a banquet to close the case."

As he spoke, Liu Jinghui looked at Jiang Yuan, somewhat expecting to be contradicted.

Jiang Yuan also took a sip of beer and then continued, "Speaking of leads, the crime scene investigation yielded very clear signs of the crime and there is evidence that He Wei committed the act. The problem is, these can only prove the case of victim number three. The only thing now that ties cases one, two, and four to number three is the pollen map created by Legal Botany."

"So the breakthrough still lies with the suspect we’re looking at today," Liu Jinghui said after finishing most of his beer in one gulp and then asked, "If the pollen maps are similar, does that mean the primary crime scene is at the same location or at least in close proximity?"

"That’s pretty much the case," Jiang Yuan nodded.

"Then I actually have a question. There were too many people in the office just now, so I didn’t mention it," Liu Jinghui began, continuing, "You found the murder weapon that killed victim number three at the scene, as well as the victim’s blood, right?"

"Right."

"There was nothing from victims one, two, and four?"

"Right."

"This actually suggests that finding the blood of number three is quite strange," Liu Jinghui looked around at the detectives, confirming they were all Jiang Yuan’s people before adding, "The murderer displayed extreme caution at the secondary crime scene, including the third victim. I remember the investigation record stating that the area around where the body was dumped was spotlessly clean of any blood and other bodily fluids, and the murderer didn’t leave any trace, so how could there be bloodstains of number three in his own home?"

Jiang Yuan slowly nodded, admitting that from a logical standpoint, this indeed didn’t make much sense.

Wang Chuanxing said, "The secondary crime scene had rain and was in the wilderness, so traces like small amounts of blood were probably washed away and decomposed."

Liu Jinghui shook his head, clearly not agreeing with Wang Chuanxing’s analysis, yet reasoning was like this—logic wasn’t always facts, the oddities of reality often mystify rational people, and the irrational behavior of criminals is often extreme.

Liu Jinghui continued, "I looked at the crime scene photos. He Wei’s home was also very clean, and since he lived alone, if he was diligent in cleaning, how could the place where he killed not be meticulously cleaned up? Were the leftover traces easy to find?"

"Not too difficult—behind the drain pipe, traditional location," Jiang Yuan, now at LV5 in crime scene investigation, was actually unsure whether the traces left by the murderer were too easy or too difficult to find.

"We should investigate He Wei’s social relationships thoroughly; it’s unlikely that he would let a stranger into his house to deal with a body," Wang Chuanxing suggested.

Liu Jinghui shook his head, "That brings us back to the original question. If he really had a master or apprentice, is that something outsiders could find out?"

"What about the access control in the residential complex? In this kind of villa community, they check everyone coming in and out, right? Even if they don’t register, there must be some use for the surveillance."

"Perhaps. But I think no matter what the relationship between the two, they definitely wouldn’t visit frequently," Liu Jinghui deduced, his expression revealing some difficulty, yet his eyes gradually brightening.

It had been a long time since he had encountered a case with such a compelling feel!