Chapter 3: Crime Scene
The cold wind, carrying fine snow particles, swirled between the two of them. Yu Hao subconsciously touched the cigarette box in his pocket, then remembered that they were near the crime scene, so he withdrew his hand. "How do you feel?" He turned his head to look at Lu Chao. Lu Chao stuffed his hands deeply into the pockets of his police uniform, "I think there are too many suspicious points about this woman." He pursed his slightly chapped lips, his brows twisted into a knot, "Captain Yu, look at her dress--" He lowered his voice, as if afraid that the whistling cold wind would blow away his words: "Wang Shun is just a worker on a construction site, and the down jacket his wife wears is even more than 8,000 yuan. Is this reasonable?" Lu Chao said, unconsciously rubbing his old cotton coat that was pilling. Yu Hao did not respond immediately, his eyes swept over the messy footprints on the ground. There was too much traffic in front of the rental house, and valuable footprints had long been destroyed. "And her expression..." Lu Chao scratched his ears, itching from the cold, struggling to form his words. "Something feels off. When she cried, her eyes were dry..." Yu Hao's lips curled up slightly. "You hit the nail on the head when you said 'fake.'" He pulled out his phone and checked the time. "Check her itinerary, down to the minute. We need to check the train station surveillance, too. I need to know if she really took that bus." "Captain Yu, are you suspicious of her?" Lu Chao quickened his pace to catch up with Yu Hao. "Not so much," Yu Hao's voice was soft, but every word clear. "But she must be hiding something important." By the time they returned to the rental house, the on-site investigation was nearly complete. The only remaining heat had long since dissipated, and the faint smell of blood hung in the cold air. "Did you find any other clues before I came?" Yu Hao put on rubber gloves and rechecked the items on the table. Lu Chao motioned for a young police officer to come over, and the officer trotted over to hand over an evidence bag. "We found a few long hairs, but we're not sure if they're related to the case." Yu Hao took the transparent evidence bag and walked to the window to examine it carefully against the light. A few strands of sugar-brown hair, about thirty centimeters long, shone with a satiny sheen in the sunlight. He remembered Li Rong's short hair, dyed bright yellow, which only reached her shoulders at most. And the hair quality was obviously different. The hair in the evidence bag was softer and shinier. "Where was it found?" Yu Hao raised the evidence bag, letting the sunlight penetrate the hair. "On the dining table," Lu Chao added, pointing to the dishes and chopsticks on the table. "Right next to the bowls, it looks like it fell off naturally while eating." "Send it for inspection first." Yu Hao returned the evidence bag to the police officer, his eyes on...
The cold wind carried fine snow particles, swirling between the two people.
Yu Hao subconsciously touched the cigarette box in his pocket, then remembered that they were near the crime scene, so he withdrew his hand.
"How do you feel?" He turned his head to look at Lu Chao.
Lu Chao stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his police uniform. "I think there are too many suspicious points about this woman."
He pursed his chapped lips, his brows knitted into a knot, "Captain Yu, look at her outfit—"
He lowered his voice, as if afraid that his words would be blown away by the howling cold wind: "Wang Shun is just a worker at a construction site, and the down jacket his wife wears costs more than 8,000 yuan. Is this reasonable?" Lu Chao said as he unconsciously rubbed his old cotton coat that was pilling.
Yu Hao didn't respond immediately, his eyes scanning the chaotic mess of footprints on the ground. The sheer volume of people in front of the rental house had destroyed all the valuable footprints.
"And her expression..." Lu Chao scratched his itchy ears and tried to organize his words. "I always feel like something is wrong. When she cried, her eyes were dry..."
Yu Hao's lips curled up slightly. "What you said about 'fake' hits the nail on the head." He took out his phone and checked the time. "Check her itinerary, accurate to the minute. We also need to check the surveillance footage at the train station. I need to know if she really came on that train."
"Captain Yu, are you suspicious of her?" Lu Chao quickened his pace to catch up with Yu Hao.
"I wouldn't call it suspicion." Yu Hao's voice was soft, but every word was clear. "But she must be hiding some important information."
By the time we returned to the rental house, the on-site investigation was nearly complete. The only remaining heating in the house had long since gone out, and the faint smell of blood hung in the cold air.
"Did you find any other clues before I came here?" Yu Hao put on rubber gloves and rechecked the items on the table.
Lu Chao motioned for a young police officer to come over, and the officer trotted over and handed over an evidence bag. "We found a few long hairs, but we're not sure if they're related to the case."
Yu Hao took the transparent evidence bag and walked to the window to examine it carefully. A few strands of sugar-brown hair, about thirty centimeters long, shone like satin in the sunlight.
He recalled Li Rong's short, bright yellow hair, which had reached her shoulders at most. Furthermore, the hair quality was noticeably different; the hair in the evidence bag was smoother and more lustrous.
"Where did you find it?" Yu Hao held up the evidence bag, letting the sunlight penetrate his hair.
"On the dining table," Lu Chao added, pointing to the dishes and chopsticks on the table. "Right next to the bowls, it looks like they fell off naturally while eating."
"Send it for inspection first." Yu Hao returned the evidence bag to the police officer and looked around the living room.
His eyes rested on the worn-out wardrobe against the west wall. The door, with its mottled paint, was slightly askew, and there were a few fresh scratches on the floor at the base of the wardrobe.
"Captain Yu, do you have any idea about this case?" Lu Chao rubbed his hands to keep warm. His knuckles were red from the cold, and his teeth chattered unconsciously when he spoke.
Yu Hao did not answer directly, but asked, "What about you?" He walked to the wardrobe, squatted down to check the scratches on the floor, and found a few tiny wood chips.
Lu Chao was stunned for a moment, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, "I think it was a murder of passion. Wang Shun found a third party, and the third party joined forces with her husband to kill him." After saying that, he looked at Yu Hao expectantly.
"Too many loopholes." Yu Hao walked to the window and pointed at the half-blurred footprint on the windowsill. "If it's a lover's quarrel, why would they climb through the window? Can't they just go through the main door?"
He turned to look at Lu Chao, his eyes burning, "Besides, what kind of husband would watch his wife have sex with someone else and then kill someone?"
Lu Chao blinked, his cheeks flushed slightly. "That's right..." He scratched his head, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. "Then... could it be that the deceased's wife and her lover committed the crime together?"
He lowered his voice and moved closer to Yu Hao. "Li Rong, dressed like that, I don't believe she didn't cheat. And did you notice that the first question she asked was whether she could get the money back?"
Yu Hao smiled slightly, walked to the window, and gently stroked the window frame with his fingers: "It's interesting, but the idea is still too limited. Why must it be a murder of passion?" He pushed open the window, and the cold wind immediately rushed in.
Lu Chao's eyes lit up: "Theft! The 50,000 yuan!" He said excitedly, his speech speed unconsciously speeding up, "Maybe a colleague knew he got the bonus, sneaked in at night and killed him... Wait, that's not right, why did they have sex?" His expression became confused again.
Yu Hao nodded, "Let's discuss this with the team. Let's verify the situation on the scene first."
Walking towards the shabby wardrobe, he opened the door.
It was filled with yellowed sponge stuffing that looked like it had been removed from an old sofa and had no special features.
"Do you want to call the landlord?" Lu Chao came over and asked.
Yu Hao closed the cabinet door thoughtfully and said, "Call him over and ask him."
The landlord Guo Zhong was soon found.
This man in his fifties had a hunched back and a fawning smile on his face. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes hid shrewd calculations, and his small eyes kept rolling around.
"Captain Yu, are you looking for me?" His voice was shrill, with a deliberately flattering tone.
Yu Hao sized up this outsider, a man with a poor reputation in the village. Guo Zhong, not a local, had bought two rows of abandoned school buildings for a low price five or six years ago and converted them into pigeon-cage-like rental housing.
Luo Xin moved from an even more dilapidated house to the rental house he had renovated.
"Boss Guo, when did Wang Shun rent the house?" Yu Hao looked directly into the other person's eyes and noticed that Guo Zhong touched his nose unconsciously.
Guo Zhong rubbed his hands. "About two years ago. He liked to drink a lot and was always late with the rent..." He paused and suddenly raised his voice. "But he doesn't owe it now!"
Yu Hao watched his expression change coldly. "This wardrobe," he suddenly changed the subject, tapping the door with his fingers. "Why don't you move it out?"
"Well..." Guo Zhong laughed dryly. "I thought it could still be used, so I kept it. Wang Shun had no objection either."
Yu Hao remained silent, believing that the right to speak always lies in the hands of the living.
He walked slowly to the window, pretending to check the footprints, but in fact he was observing Guo Zhong's shoes through the reflection of the window glass - a pair of old leather shoes covered with mud and snow, which was obviously inconsistent with the sneaker prints on the windowsill.
"Where does Wang Shun work? Who is he familiar with?" Yu Hao asked with his back to him.
Guo Zhong's voice suddenly rose: "Captain Yu, I just said that I'm really not familiar with him!"
Yu Hao turned around and caught the panic that flashed across his eyes: "Is there anything else you need to explain about him?"
Guo Zhongzhi shook his head and denied it again, "No, no, I'm not familiar with him at all."
Yu Hao smiled slightly. "Okay." He handed over a business card. "Contact me anytime if you think of anything."
"Okay, okay, I'll definitely cooperate." Guo Zhong bent over and retreated towards the door.
Looking at his receding figure, Lu Chao muttered, "This guy doesn't look like a good person."
"What? After becoming a criminal policeman, everyone seems suspicious to you?" Yu Hao chuckled, but his eyes remained serious.
"Didn't you say that to solve a case we have to suspect everyone who deserves suspicion?" Lu Chao argued, stamping his frozen feet.
Yu Hao patted his shoulder and said, "Let's go to the back mountain and take a look. Bring your camera and evidence collection tools."
It is called a hillside, but in fact it is a small mound formed by piles of construction waste, and trees have been planted on it by villagers over the years.
Covered with snow, everything looks pure and peaceful.
The two climbed up on the thick snow. Lu Chao almost slipped several times and was pulled up by Yu Hao.
"With your body shape, you should exercise more." Yu Hao glanced at Lu Chao's slightly protruding belly.
Lu Chao nodded repeatedly, feeling embarrassed. "Of course, of course." He quickly followed.
"Captain Yu, do you suspect the murderer jumped over from here?"
The two men stood at the top of the mountain, exactly level with the window of Wang Shun's room.
Yu Hao squatted down, pushed aside a patch of snow, and observed carefully: "Look at these traces. Although covered with snow, it is obvious that someone has been here not long ago."
He touched the indentation in the soil with his fingers and found some broken dead grass. "If there was no snow, it wouldn't be difficult to jump from here to the windowsill." He motioned for Lu Chao to take a photo for evidence.
Lu Chao leaned over to take a look, but suddenly his foot slipped. Yu Hao grabbed him and said, "Be careful." Just then, he noticed a red object hanging from a branch below.
"What is this?" Lu Chao also discovered it when he turned his head.
Yu Hao put on gloves and carefully took it off - a red amulet, exquisitely crafted, with the word "Liu" clearly embroidered on it and small golden tassels on the edge.
"A peace amulet from the Tianhou Temple." Lu Chao leaned over. "I asked for it when my mom had surgery, but it had the word 'Lu' embroidered on it."
He pointed at the fine stitching on the talisman bag and said, "This one is hand-embroidered. It costs over two hundred yuan each."
Yu Hao checked carefully: "There is no sign of being soaked by snow water, and the edges are also very clean. It is very likely left here yesterday." He sniffed gently and smelled a faint scent of sandalwood.
"Looking for this Liu?" Lu Chao shook his head. "It's too difficult. The Tianhou Temple has so many visitors every day..."
"Check the surveillance footage and try to find him." Yu Hao bagged the evidence and added, "Also, interview the staff to see if they have any recollection. Focus on questioning the pilgrims between 5 and 8 pm yesterday." He stood up and looked around. "The murderer may have been lurking here."
As they were descending the mountain, they were surrounded by villagers who had come after hearing the news. Among the crowd were old men leaning on crutches and women holding children, each with a look of fear and uneasiness on their faces.
"Captain Yu, was Wang Shun killed?"
"Are we safe here?"
"Will the murderer come again?"
Amidst the flurry of questioning, Yu Hao raised his voice and briefly explained the situation: "Don't panic, the police have obtained important clues. Please go out less at night and keep doors and windows closed..." His voice was steady and powerful, gradually calming the agitated crowd.
After the crowd finally dispersed, Yu Hao stopped Lu Chao who was about to leave and said, "Wait a moment."
"Anything else?" Lu Chao turned around in confusion.
Yu Hao's gaze passed over him and fell on a dark figure in the distance.
"Let's go meet someone." Yu Hao said, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
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