Chapter 113
hundred percent?
Luo Jingyao's gaze fell back on the evidence bag in the man's hand. The deep red cigarette butt looked gray and there was nothing special about it on the surface.
Taking off his gloves and stuffing the evidence bag into his pocket, Lin Jiafan stood up and brushed off the dust on his sleeves. "I'll have the laboratory expedite the process. I think we'll have the results soon."
"It's really unacceptable that there were such mistakes in evidence collection at the crime scene."
Luo Jingyao is also skeptical about this.
She often comes into contact with the people in the laboratory department, and the titles held by each of them are so scary that if they are told to others in the related industry, they will scare people to death.
Not to mention that they have always maintained a perfect record of never missing any important evidence in the cases they have handled in the past, she did not believe that a meticulous team that even scanned every inch of the window frame outside the crime scene for fingerprints would miss a cigarette butt.
Obviously, Lin Jiafan thought the same. Compared with Luo Jingyao, he had a deeper understanding of his colleagues in the laboratory department.
And it was precisely because he had absolute confidence in his colleagues that he became suspicious of the source of the cigarette butt at the first moment.
Glancing back around the room, Lin Jiafan pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen a few times, and sent a message: "We need to call the laboratory to re-examine. If this cigarette butt is really what we think it is, it means someone was here after the police left yesterday."
There might be traces like footprints left behind.
Of course, since the other party dared to sneak into the crime scene and frame someone, they must have made full preparations in advance. But since they have already raised suspicions, they still have to go through the necessary procedures.
Although there is still a cordon downstairs, its effect is very limited, and it is not difficult for those who are interested to enter and exit the building.
After confirming that there was nothing else missed on this trip, Lin Jiafan took Luo Jingyao downstairs.
As soon as they walked out of the building, they saw several property staff members who were sticking their butts out and throwing gravel out onto the lawn.
Lin Jiafan and Luo Jingyao first exchanged glances, and then walked to a small path not far from the crowd in tacit understanding.
Lin Jiafan took out his cell phone and started taking pictures of the residential building. Luo Jingyao pointed at it from time to time. The two of them huddled together, looking at the screen and discussing quietly, which soon attracted the attention of others.
As more and more staff members looked at them, someone finally couldn't help but speak up: "Excuse me, are you two police officers?"
Lin Jiafan put away the phone without changing his expression and turned his head to look at the other person.
He was a man, about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, with a square face and wearing a neat black suit.
It was the standard attire of a property staff member, but because the work he was doing was a bit messy, he looked a little disheveled.
"I am." Lin Jiafan nodded and responded in a deep voice.
"Ah, hello, police comrade. I am the deputy manager of the community property. My last name is Zhao." After receiving a positive reply, the man hurriedly rubbed his dusty hands on his trouser legs, strode out of the lawn green belt, and walked towards the two of them.
"I just want to ask, when can this cordon be removed?"
After shaking hands with Lin Jiafan, Manager Zhao spoke nervously, as if afraid of upsetting them. He quickly explained, "It's the owners of this building. They've been bombarding us with various methods since yesterday, wanting to know why we can't go home."
"Officer, you should understand. This is the owners' home after all. It's understandable that they want to see and understand the situation firsthand after the accident."
"Manager Zhao, the police should have never concealed what happened in this building, so you, the property management, are aware of it, right?" Lin Jiafan did not answer the question directly, but asked the other party a question in return.
Manager Zhao rubbed his hands subconsciously, his expression hesitant: "Understood."
"They said a dead person was found in the house on the second floor where the gas exploded."
"When it comes to a murder case, the procedures and processes are naturally more complicated. I believe the owners can understand this. Isn't that right, Manager Zhao?"
Hearing this, the man nodded quickly, but soon his expression became troubled again. "We will definitely explain it to the owner of this building. But officer... we are under a lot of pressure too, so it's better not to publicize this matter if we can."
In just a second, Luo Jingyao understood the deeper meaning behind the property manager's words.
There is a difference between being murdered and dying accidentally in an explosion. At the moment, most owners probably only know that a body was found in the building and they don’t know any more details.
When people tell others about those who were killed in the explosion, most people will just sigh for a while and then move on. At most, they will worry about the safety of their own gas and spend a little money to replace valves, gas stoves, etc.
But once the owners know that the deceased was murdered, they will naturally feel infinite fear.
Being unable to sleep at night is the least of their worries. As long as the police have not closed the case and the murderer has not been caught, the residents of the community will not feel at ease.
The consequence of this is that the workload of the property will increase exponentially. The troubles faced by the employees are no big deal, and the related expenses incurred are what really give the property a headache.
Of course, that kind of scene is what these property practitioners least want to see.
"Of course, calming the owners is your job, not ours." Lin Jiafan's words reassured Manager Zhao, "My colleagues will come over later to re-inspect the unit in 201. If there are no problems, the cordon can be removed."
Sure enough, a smile of relief suddenly appeared on Zhang's square face.
Taking advantage of the other party's good mood, he pressed the issue again: "Has anyone entered or left this building since the police left last night?"
Manager Zhao quickly waved his hand, his words filled with confidence: "No, according to your request, in order to avoid disturbing the crime scene, I specifically instructed my subordinates not to go in to investigate."
"For this reason, the company has also increased the frequency of nighttime patrols in the park to confirm that only residents are entering and leaving the park, and no suspicious individuals have been found."
Lin Jiafan was skeptical of Manager Zhao's words, but he didn't intend to ask further questions. Instead, he pointed to the surveillance camera hanging above the intersection ahead and asked, "Is the surveillance system in the community restored?"
"Not yet." Manager Zhao chuckled. "The power supply nearby hasn't been fully restored yet. This kind of high-tech stuff..."
In short, it is more difficult and don’t even think about it in the short term.
This result was expected, and Lin Jiafan was not disappointed. He pointed to the residential building next to him and said, "I'd like to trouble Manager Zhao to contact the community and ask both of you to provide us with a list of the owners and residents of this building, as well as their contact information."
"The police need to understand the situation with them, but don't worry, they will try their best to avoid the specific details of the case."
Although Manager Zhao had some concerns, since he had said so, he could only nod in agreement reluctantly.
"Okay, then you go ahead and get busy."
After saying goodbye to the gloomy Manager Zhao, Lin Jiafan simply took Luo Jingyao for an aimless walk in the park.
When she reached the building behind, Luo Jingyao suddenly stopped and looked up at the entire building.
The overall architectural color tone of the community is earthy brown. The basic condition of this building looks much better than the one where the crime scene was located, but there are still some problems such as peeling exterior paint, hidden cracks in the walls, and broken glass windows.
"Officer Lin, are there any specific regulations regarding visits and inspections during case investigations?" After a long silence, she suddenly asked.
Before she finished speaking, Lin Jiafan keenly sensed her true intention and looked up, following her gaze. "Coach Luo, are you planning to drag me into their home for an investigation?"
“Are there any specific goals?”
Luo Jingyao hesitated for two seconds, then nodded slightly. "The room on the left of the third floor is directly opposite the room where Yu Wenxin's body was found. Although it's one floor higher, there shouldn't be any obstruction to the view."
"I just saw someone was in that house from my bedroom. Yesterday's spicy stir-fry restaurant bombing affected a wide area, and there are almost no residents in the nearby buildings right now. Catching someone to get any information is going to be a bit of a gamble."
"It's already happened, so let's try our best to save it."
Lin Jiafan only considered her proposal for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
Without delay, the two of them quickly went up the stairs to the third floor and knocked on the security door of 301.
There was silence on the other side of the door. Luo Jingyao frowned and couldn't help but wonder if she was seeing things.
After patiently waiting for a moment, Lin Jiafan raised his hand and knocked on the door again without any impatience, saying, "Hello, is anyone home? We are from the Jinshi Public Security Bureau and would like to know more about yesterday's explosion."
At the same time, some subtle noises were heard in the room.
A dozen seconds later, a sound of footsteps came from afar, and the half-new security door opened from the inside to the outside, revealing a pair of vigilant eyes in the gap.
Lin Jiafan took out his work ID and waved it in front of those eyes.
The person inside the door widened the gap a little and stood there, completely blocking the two people's view, with no intention of inviting them in.
"What do you want to ask?" The thin man spoke hoarsely. His slightly long and slightly curly hair covered most of his face, and the linen home clothes he wore looked a little empty.
As he spoke, he wrapped his skinny arms tightly around himself, looking very insecure.
"Where were you when the bombing happened yesterday morning?"
Lin Jiafan seemed unaware of the man's unusual behavior and asked in a businesslike manner.
"At home." After the man said that, he grasped the door handle with his other hand, as if ready to close the door again at any time.
Unfortunately, Lin Jiafan took two steps forward and put half a foot into the house, nipping the other party's plan in the bud.
"I see that the front and back windows of your house are damaged to varying degrees. It's winter now, and the temperature has been terribly low these past two days. Is it still possible to live in the house?" He spoke with concern, but his sharp eyes passed through the man's shoulders and quickly swept across every corner of the house.
Finally, his gaze rested on the living room balcony.
The heavy curtains were drawn in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the balcony, making the light in the room very dim.
Because the glass on the window was broken, the cold wind that kept pouring in from outside blew the curtains up and down, vaguely revealing the camera tripod standing behind the fabric.
Luo Jingyao naturally noticed that place as well. At first, because of the distance between them, she just felt that the person's condition was not quite right. She never expected that there would be such an unexpected surprise.
Taking a small step back, the young man moved his body imperceptibly, trying to block their prying eyes. "The construction experts came to assess our building yesterday, and there's no problem with the structure. The windows in the second bedroom are still good, and we can live there."
"If you don't have any other questions, I'd like to rest."
Faced with such an obvious order to leave, Lin Jiafan did not show any displeasure. Instead, he looked a little apologetic: "I'm so sorry, but I have to use the restroom. Can I use it for a moment?"
The man wanted to refuse at first, but after looking up at the people blocking the door, perhaps because he was afraid of Lin Jiafan's aura, he unexpectedly agreed.
Pointing in the direction of the bathroom, he silently gave up his position in the entrance hall.
In order not to alert the young man, after confirming that Lin Jiafan had entered the house, Luo Jingyao stood outside the door very sensibly without moving.
Endless silence spread in the air.
While Lin Jiafan was taking care of his urgent need, Luo Jingyao just stared at the person standing next to the shoe cabinet until a sound of flushing came from the direction of the bathroom.
"Thank you so much. I don't know what to call this gentleman..."
Lin Jiafan opened the bathroom door and spoke until his eyes fell on the wall in the living room, and the rest of his words suddenly stopped.
He slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze moving downwards, finally stopping on the ground under the sofa.
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