Chapter 167 Does the old lecher need to hire someone to kill him...?
"It'll be 11:40 when we get to the old Liancheng train station. Captain Qiu should have left by then." Xiaobai was an honest girl. She felt guilty for using someone else's name when she tried to buy something on credit, just like her sister Pearl.
Feeling guilty, Pearl finished the last bite of her chicken leg, threw it into her lunchbox, wiped her mouth, and said, "We should be able to leave. It's been 6 or 7 hours. Who could sit still at the train station and wait patiently?"
Xiao Bai thought Chen Zhenzhu was right, and Zhao Qiqi also thought Chen Zhenzhu was right. Liu Erxin opened his mouth, but didn't dare to speak.
He thought to himself, "If only the police were this impatient."
The four of them ate until they were stuffed, and with more than an hour to go back, Chen Zhenzhu opened her notebook and sat down in front of Liu Erxin.
The headlights in the carriage were off, leaving only the faint glow of individual lights. The already sparsely populated space was now completely empty except for them, as the final stop approached.
The air was still filled with the aroma of a hearty meal. Liu Erxin was drinking water when he saw this and started burping.
After he finished drinking the water and burped, Chen Zhenzhu slowly said, "Don't be nervous. We'll just chat like this. Just answer whatever I ask."
Liu Erxin didn't believe Shen Zhenzhu's nonsense. He knew he would be held legally responsible, so he braced himself and said, "Ask away."
The first question Chen Zhenzhu asked him made him nervous: "How did you transact the three thousand yuan?"
Liu Erxin thought she had forgotten about the three thousand yuan. He clenched his fists on his knees and said cautiously, "He found me in the market a week ago and said he had something to talk to me about. He asked if I wanted to earn a few thousand yuan. I was worried about my child's medical expenses at the time, so I agreed without thinking."
This aligns with what Lao Dao said.
Chen Zhenzhu asked another question: "What kind of money is it? Large bills or smaller denominations? New or old?"
Liu Erxin said, "It's old, the codes are all messed up. It was in an envelope, and it even smells like perfume."
Shen Zhenzhu lowered her eyes, realizing that the person who orchestrated this was even more cunning than she had imagined.
"How did Lao Dao describe to you that he wanted to kill Qiao Jinqiu?"
"He said there was an old artist who was lying in bed half-dead. His mistress didn't want to take care of him anymore, so she hired someone to kill him."
"Are there any requirements regarding the methods of violence and the time of the crime?"
"I told them to make it look natural, preferably to cover it up. The old man is paralyzed in bed and is old, so as long as the death isn't exaggerated, basically no one will investigate. They told me to do it within three days, but I said that was too short a time and to wait until five days. Five days is enough time for me to take my wife and children to Beijing for medical treatment."
"So you're saying you already planned to take the money and not do the job, right?"
"That's right."
"Did you agree that you would get paid after the murder?"
“No, the three thousand was the full amount.” Liu Erxin paused and said, “I know he must have taken a cut. Why should I let him take the money for free? I’d rather go and get shot.”
Shen Zhenzhu took out the portrait of Lao Dao and placed it in front of Liu Erxin, saying, "Do you recognize this person?"
Liu Erxin said, "Old Dao, he's the one who gave me money to kill someone. Oh, and he also said that the old artist's mistress was actually his nanny, and that if the old man died, the nanny would get several houses and a lot of calligraphy and paintings. I asked him if the nanny would give me a reward if I really killed the person, and he said I shouldn't dream. The nanny took the money and ran away long ago, and she definitely wouldn't admit to bribing me to kill someone."
Listening to his words, Shen Zhenzhu felt that Yu Wanqing was somewhat contradictory. She did give off an impression of simplicity, but her clothing and appearance revealed that she was a vain woman at heart.
What kind of environment allows her to maintain a simple appearance, or rather, to pretend to be simple? Could it be that she did it all to smoothly enter someone else's home and rise to a higher position as a nanny who cleans up excrement and urine?
Shen Zhenzhu put a question mark next to Yu Wanqing's name. At this moment, the three words "Yu Wanqing" appeared as a fog in Shen Zhenzhu's eyes.
Everything was happening around her; was she innocent or the mastermind?
As Chen Zhenzhu was pondering this, her pager sent a message.
She grabbed her mobile phone and called back. Rong Chengcheng's voice came from the other end: "Section Chief Shen, the autopsy results are in. I'll give you a brief summary. It's consistent with the preliminary assessment: death by mechanical asphyxiation. The time of death has been narrowed down to between midnight and 6 a.m. There were no other signs of resistance on the body, but a chemical substance was found near his cheek. After testing, it was found to be the same substance as the perfume on Yu Wanqing's body."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Does that mean the marks on Qiao Jinqiu's face were caused by her? Are there fingerprints?"
Rong Chengcheng said, "We can only say that they belong to the same perfume, but there are no fingerprints on the traces. Anyone who uses this perfume could be the murderer. This alone is not enough to convict Yu Wanqing."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Qiao Jinqiu was paralyzed from the waist down. It is said that he was able to go out and paint in a wheelchair two months before his death. If someone had attacked him, he would have fought back. I am not doubting your results, but this conclusion contradicts his own life."
Rong Chengcheng said, "I understand. During the autopsy, I examined his blood and stomach contents and found no drugs or other chemicals that could cause sluggishness."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I am grateful to the forensic doctor Rong for his great help, and I would also like to ask him to thank Section Chief Qin for traveling all the way to Jinshan Funeral Home to provide support."
Rong Chengcheng seemed to chuckle briefly on the other end, then said, "Okay, I'll pass it on. I'm filling out the autopsy report now, you'll get it when you arrive."
See you later.
See you later.
Shen Zhenzhu hung up her cell phone and relayed the result to Xiaobai and Zhao Qiqi.
Xiao Bai and Zhao Qiqi were both convinced that Yu Wanqing was the murderer, but after reaching this conclusion, Shen Zhenzhu frowned and asked, "If you were to commit murder, would you deliberately wear perfume?"
Xiao Bai hesitated and said, "No, but Yu Wanqing doesn't seem to be very educated. Is she unaware of this?"
Zhao Qiqi said, "I smelled her perfume on her face, but she left no other traces on Qiao Jinqiu's face... Thinking about it, something seems off. This woman is not simple."
They held small meetings along the way and soon arrived at Liancheng Railway Station.
The old Liancheng Railway Station is located in the city center, a 40-minute drive from Baolu city center, making it more convenient than the railway station on the outskirts of Baolu.
Some locals living in the border area choose this train. Chen Zhenzhu stretched and saw people getting off the train in twos and threes on the platform. Some spoke with a Haizi accent, and some spoke with a Bao Lü accent.
"Thank you, ma'am. Please tell me your address for tonight's rest, and I'll have someone bring you the money later." Shen Zhenzhu walked to the carriage door and spoke politely to the train attendant.
At this moment, Xiaobai, who was standing behind, tugged at Chen Zhenzhu's sleeve.
Chen Zhenzhu stepped aside and said with a grin, "You get off first? This is the final stop, it won't be going any further."
Zhao Qiqi reached out and tugged at Chen Zhenzhu's sleeve, but Chen Zhenzhu turned to the other side: "Then you go first?"
Xiao Bai and Zhao Qiqi said in unison, "Sister Pearl, you go first."
Shen Zhenzhu didn't waste time with them and pulled Liu Erxin to get off the train. The flight attendant next to her said, "Oh my, your colleagues have come to pick you up."
Shen Zhenzhu looked up in great surprise. Looking around, the platform was packed with people from the Bao Lü Criminal Investigation Team. Who else could be leading them but Qiu Taishan?
Shen Zhenzhu stopped giggling, forced herself to get out of the car, and muttered to Liu Erxin, "You'd better behave yourself later."
Liu Erxin was confused: "What's wrong? You're acting tough now that your colleague's here?"
What a load of rubbish! They've already tucked their tails between their legs.
Shen Zhenzhu steeled her heart, walked up to Qiu Taishan, raised her head slightly, and said, "Team Leader Qiu, we can't take even a needle or thread from the common people."
Qiu Taishan sneered, "Is that even a question?"
Shen Zhenzhu extended her hand, revealing a sincere, kind, and polite smile: "Captain Qiu, could you please lend me fifty yuan? We didn't pay for our boxed lunches earlier."
Qiu Taishan, unable to contain himself any longer, said, "You're asking me for money? What are you thinking? I'm asking you, what's going on in your head?"
"Fine, I won't give it to you then—"
"Hey, hey, hey, how can you talk like that?!" The flight attendant yelled as she got off the train, "This young lady works so hard on her case, we flight attendants all see it. She has no money for food and just drinks cold water. And you, as her supervisor, are yelling at her? What are you yelling about?!"
Qiu Taishan, whose eyes were rarely opened, finally opened them wide: "Leader? What leader?"
The flight attendant said, "I'm just asking you, are you the leader of the Baolu Criminal Investigation Team?!"
"...yes."
"That's right!" The flight attendant put her hands on her hips; she would have rushed forward if her colleagues hadn't stopped her.
Qiu Taishan, unable to contain himself any longer, glared at Chen Zhenzhu: "What other tricks are you going to pull?"
The flight attendant stood up for Shen Zhenzhu, pushed past her colleague, walked up to Qiu Taishan, bumped into him, and shouted aggressively, "Give me the money, fifty yuan, hurry up!"
"..." Qiu Taishan's blood pressure soared, and his temples bulged.
Even so, under pressure from the flight attendant, I still took out my wallet, took out fifty yuan, and handed it over.
"Perfect, keep the change." The flight attendant happily accepted the money, patted Chen Zhenzhu's bottom, and said, "Next time you take the train, look for me. I'm not like some leader who doesn't give the horse any feed but expects it to run."
Chen Zhenzhu slowly and guiltily lowered her head.
After the flight attendant boarded the train, Qiu Taishan lowered his head and said through gritted teeth, "What did you eat up there? A boxed lunch cost fifty yuan?"
Suddenly, the train attendant leaned out of the window and yelled, "How old are they? How old are you? They still need to grow. What's wrong with them eating a few more bites? Do you think we'd charge extra for our clearly priced train meals? You wait, I'm going to get off here and make a scene with you."
"..." Qiu Taishan was speechless, staring at Chen Zhenzhu with his mouth tightly shut.
Shen Zhenzhu quickly stopped her and said, "Big sister, big sister, it's alright. Captain Qiu is just all bark and no bite; he's actually a very nice person."
The flight attendant angrily retorted, "Good my foot!"
Chen Zhenzhu forced a smile and said in a low voice, "Don't let one person affect your impression of Bao Lü. Bao Lü has beautiful mountains, rivers, and scenery. You and your daughter are welcome to come and eat cherries there."
"I'd go for you too." After being persuaded, the flight attendant closed the window and muttered something to herself with her colleague inside.
Ignoring Qiu Taishan's expression, Shen Zhenzhu pulled Liu Erxin over and pushed him in front of Qiu Taishan, saying, "Here you go, I went through a lot of trouble to catch him. See if this can pay for your meal."
"Bring her over." Qiu Taishan realized that all the moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education he had previously emphasized were superficial in front of Shen Zhenzhu.
He stared at Shen Zhenzhu's face as if he wanted to burn it: "Captain Shen, has anyone said that you have surpassed your teacher?"
Shen Zhenzhu thought he was praising her, so she looked up with a smile, but when she saw Qiu Taishan's deadpan face, she quickly lowered her head and stopped smiling.
He's old, so whatever he says is right.
Shen Zhenzhu frantically waved behind her, signaling Xiaobai and Zhao Qiqi to retreat first.
When I turned around again, Xiaobai and Zhao Qiqi were no longer visible.
Those two bastards have already run away!
Shen Zhenzhu was "escorted" into the police car by Qiu Taishan.
As she left the train station, Shen Zhenzhu was still wondering whether she should call Gu Yanzheng to ask about the appropriate boundaries, worried that she might have bullied him.
Before getting into the car, Qiu Taishan held the door and spoke frankly to Shen Zhenzhu: "I was wrong before, and I apologize to you. I shouldn't have kept people under my control. What happened between me and Gu Yanzheng back then is in the past. As the new captain of Liancheng, it's good for both of us to maintain a good and harmonious relationship. Especially when we encounter similar situations that require cooperation in handling cases, we can't keep wasting police resources."
Shen Zhenzhu and Qiu Taishan had similar thoughts: they had bullied people, spent their money, and even apologized to them.
Shen Dong extended his hand, smiling, and said, "Captain Qiu, please forgive me for my rudeness. I am a sentimental person and like to repay even the smallest kindness with the greatest gratitude."
Qiu Taishan understood her unspoken meaning: he had done something wrong before, which was why she retaliated in an even more intense way.
That's the advantage of talking to smart people; Qiu Taishan apologized but didn't use it as a moral blackmail to back down.
He grasped Chen Zhenzhu's hand and smiled for the first time: "I've certainly learned my lesson. What are your plans for the next step?"
Shen Zhenzhu didn't care whether he knew or not. Since the other party had taken the initiative to back down, she was also willing to take a step back: "I want to interrogate Yu Wanqing. It seems that she is still a major suspect."
Qiu Taishan glanced at Liu Erxin, who was being forced into a car in the distance, and said, "Is this the last one?"
Shen Zhenzhu laughed: "This is the last one. I took three thousand yuan to pay for the child's medical treatment."
Qiu Taishan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief; he had had enough of being arrested one after another these past two days.
Have the stolen funds been recovered?
Shen Zhenzhu said, "It wasn't on him. By the time we remembered, we were already on this train."
Qiu Taishan looked at her intently and said in a low voice, "Is the child very ill?"
Shen Zhenzhu nodded: "The persistent high fever may have damaged his brain."
Qiu Taishan didn't ask any more questions. He opened the car door himself and said, "Room 211 in the funeral home's rest room is a temporary interrogation room. You can use it as you like."
"Thanks." Shen Zhenzhu got into the car, thought for a moment, and asked, "Since you were able to find Lao Dao's address, are there any other clues I haven't discovered?"
Qiu Taishan smiled and said, "You have everything under control. How could you not have discovered any clues? I'd like to know, why are you forensic doctors still here? Have you made any new discoveries?"
Shen Zhenzhu smiled insincerely: "They were all dissected together, so who knows, you forensic doctors might have made some discoveries as well."
He doesn't tell the truth, and neither does she.
The two were outwardly friendly but inwardly estranged, and said goodbye with smiles.
Shen Zhenzhu got into the car, and Qiu Taishan also walked towards his own convoy.
Zhao Qiqi was pretending to wipe the steering wheel in front, while Xiaobai was picking at his fingernails while staring at the pitch-black scene outside.
Shen Zhenzhu was amused by their antics: "Don't worry, I wasn't eaten by Captain Qiu."
The two breathed a sigh of relief. Zhao Qiqi drove to the funeral home, and Xiao Bai grinned and asked Chen Zhenzhu, "Sister Zhenzhu, do you want some King of Kings?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I want to eat human flesh."
Xiao Bai, feeling guilty, muttered, "Captain Qiu is too scary, I'm so afraid. Brother Aqi said that the scar near his temple is from a close-range gunshot wound, and when I see him, I feel a chill run down my spine."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "It would be good for someone like that to be the head of the serious crimes unit; he's got a tough life."
Seeing that Shen Zhenzhu didn't seem really angry, Xiao Bai grinned and came closer, grabbing Shen Zhenzhu's hand and saying, "After the case is over, Brother Aqi and I will write the case report. There's no need for Captain Shen to worry about it."
Chen Zhenzhu gently pinched her nose: "That's more like it."
Xiao Bai touched his temple, pointed to the approximate location, and said, "I can't believe I didn't die even when I was shot here."
Zhao Qiqi saw her movements in the rearview mirror and whispered, "He definitely won't die like this, but if he were half a finger's width higher, he would definitely die."
Xiao Bai asked curiously, "How did you know?"
Zhao Qiqi paused for two seconds, then slowly said, "My parents were shot and killed right there."
Xiao Bai, unaware of Zhao Qiqi's past, realized her mistake and said with remorse, "I'm sorry, Brother Qi... I shouldn't have asked..."
Zhao Qiqi sighed, turned the steering wheel, and said, "You don't need to apologize. I'm proud of them. The sad days are over. Now I'm a criminal police officer, and I will continue to follow in their footsteps, do my best to catch criminals, and make my parents proud in heaven."
“I will definitely be proud.” Shen Zhenzhu said, “Brother Qi, you are really an excellent, pure and kind person. I feel very reassured to have you as my companion and to entrust my back to you in times of danger.”
Zhao Qiqi saw Shen Zhenzhu's serious expression in the rearview mirror. The sudden praise made his ears turn red. He said shyly, "If I do something wrong, you can criticize me. My grandma always says, 'A sapling won't grow straight if it's not pruned.' So prune it as hard as you can."
These words amused both Shen Zhenzhu and Xiaobai.
It was already 1 a.m. when they returned to Jinshan Funeral Home. Chen Zhenzhu met Rong Chengcheng, who was still waiting, in the duty room where she had slept the night before.
Rong Chengcheng personally handed the autopsy report to Shen Zhenzhu and explained the chemical test report inside.
"Section Chief Shen, I remember you like to examine corpses. Would you like me to take you to see some?"
Chen Zhenzhu said softly, "I won't go. Thank you for your kindness."
She's not someone who can't solve cases without her "Heavenly Eye"; she didn't see it before, and she doesn't need to now. How she acquired it, or whether it will disappear in the future, are all uncertain. All she can do is continuously hone her abilities, making her Heavenly Eye a bonus rather than a necessity.
"Okay, you can contact me 24 hours a day if you need anything." Seeing Shen Zhenzhu's confident attitude, and thinking that she was competing with the Bao Lü Major Crimes Unit in solving cases, Rong Chengcheng said a few words of encouragement before leaving.
It was impossible to conduct an interrogation at this time. Xiao Bai ran in and out fetching water and making bedding, like a busy maidservant, allowing Chen Zhenzhu to concentrate on reading the autopsy report.
"Sister Pearl, is there anything else you need to tell me?" Zhao Qiqi asked as she came to the door, still steaming from her shower and wearing a tank top.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Let's all rest today. We'll get up at 7:30 tomorrow morning for breakfast, and then meet in room 211 at 8:00 after breakfast."
"Understood." Zhao Qiqi jumped up and down a few times and said, "I'll get up early tomorrow and run a few laps. The steamed buns tasted alright today. If I see them again, I'll buy some more."
Shen Zhenzhu told him a practical problem: "I'm out of money, but luckily my wallet and ID were separate."
Xiao Bai opened his big backpack, took out a shoulder bag, then took out his wallet from the shoulder bag and pulled out a hundred-yuan bill: "Brother Aqi, buy whatever you want!"
"real?!"
"real."
Zhao Qiqi excitedly took the hundred-yuan bill and said before leaving, "Don't worry, I definitely can't finish eating all this money."
After he left, Shen Zhenzhu said to Xiaobai, "Next time we go to a buffet, we must bring Brother Aqi along."
The following day, early in the morning of the third day of the investigation.
Shen Zhenzhu ate the steamed buns that Zhao Qiqi bought again, and also drank tofu pudding.
After having breakfast together, we arrived at the door of room 211 on time.
The room door was open, and Yu Wanqing, a key suspect, was already in custody. She was handcuffed and staring blankly out the window.
Police officer Bao Lü had already been greeted at the entrance. When he saw Chen Zhenzhu arrive, he nodded and let them in.
Today, Xiaobai is sitting next to Shen Zhenzhu to assist with the interrogation, while Zhao Qiqi is taking notes.
After asking for basic information such as name and gender, Shen Zhenzhu said, "You should know that you are the prime suspect, right? Yu Wanqing."
"I know." Yu Wanqing looked at Chen Zhenzhu with a blank expression. She had taken off her inappropriate mink coat and put on a yellow vest.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Do you have anything to explain?"
Yu Wanqing remained silent.
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Yu Wanqing, if you feel you have been wronged, now is your last chance to explain."
Yu Wanqing glanced at Chen Zhenzhu with raised eyelids and sighed, "Youth is so beautiful. At this age, you have everything you could want."
Xiao Bai scolded her, "Don't say irrelevant things, face the problem and answer it."
Yu Wanqing looked at Xiaobai again, tilted her head and gave a cheeky look, saying, "What can I say?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Then explain why the chemical substance found on the cheek of the deceased Qiao Jinqiu is the same as the extract from your perfume?"
Yu Wanqing smiled calmly and said, "Does this even need an explanation? That old lecher is always urinating or defecating, he stinks so much. Even if I don't wear perfume, I'll still smell like him. What does it mean if he wears a little perfume?"
"That proves you were close to him before he died." Shen Zhenzhu said solemnly, "You disregarded other people's lives, and you also want to die such an unclear and unjust death?"
Yu Wanqing lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "Who can I compare to? I have nothing, just a simple-minded country girl. I was ignorant and didn't know how to work. I finally got a job taking care of the elderly in a nursing home, but I was fired. How could I possibly kill that old lecher? At most, I'd slap him a few times to force him to draw for me. You don't know how wicked his conscience is. In his eyes, women are all appendages, they all have to depend on men to live. Not only me, but also his ex-wife and his daughter, he has never shown any respect. He keeps telling us to put our husbands first, to be good wives and mothers, to respect him and his son. If he doesn't respect women at all, why was he born into a woman's womb?"
Chen Zhenzhu extracted the key information from her words and asked, "You hit him?"
Yu Wanqing said bluntly, "So what if I hit you?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "You just said that he treats his daughter badly. Has the daughter expressed any resentment?"
Yu Wanqing said, "What complaints could she possibly have? She's been thoroughly corrupted by his ideas. She even called to tell me how to serve her father. Actually, I don't blame her. She's been influenced by his culture since she was a child; what other thoughts could she possibly have?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Then tell me about you and Guo Zhi."
Yu Wanqing's expression suddenly changed, and her previously calm demeanor cracked. She said with shame and anger, "What is there to say about him? He's just a heartless man."
Shen Zhenzhu asked, "What is your relationship?"
Yu Wanqing quickly replied, "We have no relation whatsoever."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Then how do you explain that you wrote him a love letter and then tore it up?"
"He didn't want it, so I tore it up when I got home!" Yu Wanqing said, unable to bear it any longer. "He seduced me with roses first. We went out a few times afterward, and sometimes he would say things I couldn't understand. City people just look down on country folk. He got bored after he was done with me and wanted to dump me!"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Did you give him money to kill Qiao Jinqiu for you?"
Yu Wanqing sat up straight, shocked, and said, "I paid him to kill Qiao Jinqiu? Am I crazy? I haven't even had that old lecher paint a few more pictures yet, why would I hire him to kill someone?"
Shen Zhenzhu said, "Guo Zhi accused you of hiring him to kill Qiao Jinqiu."
"What utter bullshit!" Yu Wanqing shouted. "Does that old geezer need to hire someone to kill him?" After saying this, Yu Wanqing paused for a moment, then shut her mouth and leaned back in her seat.
Shen Zhenzhu noticed her unspoken meaning, tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, and said to her, "Then tell me, who is the most suspicious?"
"I don't know," Yu Wanqing said without hesitation. "Anyway, I didn't kill him, so how would I know who did? But I can tell you the truth: he hid a kitchen knife under his pillow. He was keeping an eye on me. If he hadn't died so suddenly, how would I have inherited anything?"
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Author's note: See you tomorrow, there are 100 red envelopes waiting for you! [Let me see]
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