Chapter 83: Pretending to Be a Detective to Steer the Conversation
Chapter 83: Pretending to Be a Detective to Steer the Conversation
The building was like an old man in his seventies or eighties. It did not have the functions of modern apartment buildings. It was old and broken. The walls were full of signs left by time. The plaster was peeling, and there were messy drawings and footprints made by kids on them. Sunlight came through the cement-framed windows in the brick wall. It left a bright patch of light on the cement stairs. Shadows of people passed through the light patch. It felt like traveling through a time tunnel.
They reached the second floor, where Ma Fuquan’s home was located.
The door was wide open, and two police officers stood at the entrance.
“You two, follow me inside. Remember, do not touch anything and do not walk around randomly.” Liu Jun reminded them again.
Kang Haichuan followed him inside.
Li Zian looked up at the third floor. Huang Bo’s home was up there, and he really wanted to go take a look.
“Mr. Li.” Kang Haichuan called out, turning back.
Li Zian withdrew his gaze and entered the room.
There were two people inside the room. One was holding a camera and taking photos. The other was examining the body, looking like a forensic examiner. Liu Jun led Kang Haichuan and Li Zian inside. The two men just glanced over and then continued with their own tasks.
Ma Fuquan was lying on the living room floor. There was a wound on his chest, made by a sharp object piercing through. The position of the wound was right over his heart. It was a fatal strike. His shirt and pants were soaked with blood. A large, dark pool of blood remained on the floor, a shocking sight.
Seeing the wound on Ma Fuquan’s chest, the image of that White-clad Woman appeared again in Li Zian’s mind.
That White-clad Woman held a sword in her hand. Could the wound on Ma Fuquan’s body have been made by her stabbing him with that sword?
Liu Jun said: “It was a fatal stab. There are no signs of a struggle at the scene either. The killer was likely acquainted with the deceased. What do you two think?”
As he spoke, Liu Jun observed the reactions of Li Zian and Kang Haichuan.
Rather than bringing Li Zian and Kang Haichuan to the scene to look for clues to solve the case, it was more that he wanted to see their reactions upon arriving at the crime scene.
Kang Haichuan was in no mood to answer his question. Seeing Ma Fuquan’s body, he could not control his emotions again. He took off his glasses, covered his eyes, and sobbed.
Li Zian’s emotions were also affected, but he could still keep them under control.
Liu Jun’s gaze lingered on Li Zian’s face.
Li Zian felt a bit nervous under his stare, thinking to himself: “He probably suspects I’m the murderer, right? I need to find a way to remind him—the killer might be that White-clad Woman.”
Liu Jun said: “Mr. Li, didn’t you say you’d come up to take a look, to help the police solve the case? I said the killer was likely acquainted with the victim. What’s your view?”
Li Zian thought for a moment before speaking: “I do have one opinion.”
“What opinion?”
Li Zian said: “When I entered, the door showed no signs of being forced open. There are no signs of a struggle at the scene either. It really does look like someone the victim knew did it. But what if the killer was a skilled expert? Someone who could pick the lock and enter, or jump in through a window? Uncle Ma was an old man, with slow reactions. What if the opponent didn’t use an ordinary knife, but a very long sword? No close combat would be needed; with one stab, Uncle Ma would be killed. And this place wouldn’t be messed up.”
Liu Jun looked at Li Zian with a strange look in his eyes: “Use a sword? What era is this now? Who would carry a sword, climb through a window, and stab an old man?”
Li Zian said: “I was just guessing if it’s possible. Are there any Surveillance Cameras nearby? If you check them, you could see if anyone carrying a sword appeared around here, and then you’d know, right?”
Liu Jun’s eyes became sharp: “Did you study criminal investigation?”
Li Zian gave a bitter smile: “I’m not a police officer. How would I have studied criminal investigation?”
“But when you described the killer and the murder weapon just now, your tone was very certain. Your eyes didn’t flicker at all. That means you have a very definite judgment about the killer in your mind. I hadn’t even considered the possibility that the killer used a sword. How did you know?” Liu Jun’s tone also became stern.
Kang Haichuan also looked at Li Zian with a strange expression.
Yes, how did you know the killer used a sword?
The forensic examiner and the detective in the room also turned their gazes to Li Zian. Both of their looks were somewhat intense.
It seemed Li Zian’s words had trapped himself.
However, this was exactly the reaction he wanted.
Li Zian put on an innocent expression: “What are you all looking at me for? It’s not like I thought the killer might have used a sword for no reason. Earlier, I saw a White-clad Woman on the River Embankment below my home. She had a white veil wrapped around her head and covering her face. She wore ancient-style white clothes; even the shoes on her feet were white. Entirely snow-white, very eye-catching. That White-clad Woman was holding a sword in her hand. If you don’t believe me, you can go check the surveillance footage from over there.”
“You’re saying that because you saw that woman with the sword, you thought the killer might have used a sword to stab Ma Fuquan?” Liu Jun’s tone softened a bit, but still carried a hint of suspicion.
Li Zian nodded: “Yes. You can check the surveillance footage to see if anyone carrying a sword was loitering around here last night. If there was, then my guess would be correct.”
“You don’t need to tell me that; someone is already checking the nearby surveillance.” Liu Jun said.
“That’s good. I hope you can find that killer.” Li Zian said.
He secretly sighed with relief in his heart.
Finally, he had steered Liu Jun’s thinking toward that White-clad Woman.
If it weren’t for the fact that the whole incident with the incense burner in his mind was too shocking, he could have spoken about it directly. Going around in circles like this was a last resort.
“Do you still remember that Symbol?” Liu Jun asked.
Li Zian said: “I remember.”
“Then draw it.” Liu Jun handed his notepad to Li Zian.
Li Zian reached out and took it, saying: “Officer Liu, I’d like to go upstairs to take a look, is that okay?”
Liu Jun said: “No one lives upstairs. What would you go up there to see?”
Before Li Zian could speak, Kang Haichuan said: “Officer Liu, Old Ma mentioned that the upstairs apartment belonged to one of his colleagues. That colleague was named Huang Bo. He’s been missing for over ten years. That matter is related to an archaeological expedition, and a similar Symbol appeared there too. Old Ma pasted that Symbol, the one Mr. Li had me decipher, on Huang Bo’s door. The next day, he received that mysterious phone call. Now he’s gone. I think it’s necessary to take a look inside the upstairs apartment.”
Liu Jun slightly frowned: “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”
Kang Haichuan’s voice became choked up again: “Old Ma is gone, I… my mind is a mess.”
“Also, I need a copy of the recording of that phone call.” Liu Jun said.
Li Zian said: “I have it on my Mobile Phone. Take us to the room upstairs, and I’ll send it to you via Bluetooth on the way up.”
Liu Jun said sternly: “This is a clue for solving the case. If I don’t take you up, will you still send it to me?”
Li Zian was speechless: “Alright, Officer Liu, tell me your Bluetooth name. I’ll search and pair with it.”
Liu Jun said: “My name is it, the full spelling. You two, follow me.”
He walked toward the door, taking out his Mobile Phone as he went.
Li Zian found Liu Jun’s Bluetooth name. After pairing, he transferred the audio file Kang Xin had copied for him. Once the file transfer was complete, he turned off Bluetooth, and they reached the third floor.
The door was made of old wooden planks. Its original color was probably red, but the paint had peeled off, leaving only patches of faded red. A picture was pasted on the door; its colors had almost completely faded too, leaving only some blurry color patches and patterns, looking like the door god, Yuchi Gong.
A layer of Incense Ash was sprinkled in front of the door. A cat had stepped on it, leaving a few paw prints shaped like plum blossoms.
The Symbol Ma Fuquan had pasted on the door was gone.
Liu Jun reached out and pushed the door. It opened.
Li Zian said in surprise: “Officer Liu, has this door always been open?”
Liu Jun replied: “I had someone open it before you came.”
Li Zian said: “Do you suspect Huang Bo too?”
Liu Jun said: “If you hadn’t just said Huang Bo’s disappearance was related to that Symbol, I wouldn’t have known. I only heard from people here that the upstairs room hadn’t been lived in for over ten years. I thought the killer might have hidden up here, so I had someone open the door to take a look.”
“Did you find anything?” Li Zian asked.
“Nothing. It’s just an empty, dilapidated room. You can go in and take a look. This isn’t the crime scene. You can look around, but it’s best not to touch anything inside.” Liu Jun said.
Li Zian nodded and followed Kang Haichuan inside.
The room had not been lived in for over ten years. A thick layer of dust had accumulated on the floor. There was also a set of footprints, but they definitely weren’t Huang Bo’s. Most likely, they were left by the police officers who opened the door.
The windows were closed, so there was no ventilation. The air carried the musty smell of damp furniture and textiles. Although no one had lived there for over ten years, the furniture and daily items in the room were arranged very neatly. It wasn’t messy at all.
Li Zian looked around and asked: “Professor Kang, did Huang Bo have a wife?”
Kang Haichuan said: “I talked with him about it. He didn’t have a wife. I never heard him mention having a girlfriend or anything either. He was probably single. Why do you ask?”
Li Zian said: “This room is kept so tidy; it doesn’t look like a bachelor’s home. Do you think it’s possible that he didn’t disappear, and he didn’t die? He came back from the Desert, tidied up his home perfectly, and then left again?”
Kang Haichuan paused slightly: “That really could be possible!”
Liu Jun said: “Why would Huang Bo come back? And why would he tidy up his home so perfectly? What would his motive be?”
Li Zian said: “Maybe it was to take things he needed to take. He kept his home perfectly tidy so that if anyone moved something, he would know. Is that possible?”
“I’m telling you, stop trying to steer my thinking. Are you done looking? If you’re done, let’s go out.” Liu Jun said impatiently.
Li Zian thought to himself: “So straightforward, a typical tough straight guy. He definitely can’t find a girlfriend.”
After coming out of the room, Li Zian drew the Symbol in the stairwell, then handed the notepad back to Liu Jun.
Liu Jun took a look and asked curiously: “What does this Symbol mean?”
Li Zian shook his head: “I don’t know. Like I said, if I knew, I wouldn’t have asked Professor Kang to decipher it. Regarding this Symbol, Officer Liu, if you find out anything, please be sure to tell me.”
Liu Jun had a look of disdain on his face.
Just then, a police officer came up the stairs: “Captain Liu, we’ve found something. Please come take a look.”