Chapter 370 The Secret of Footprints

After Su Zhixiong returned to the police station and retrieved the color high-definition photos, he immediately called Yi Jiayi, not noticing that it was already past ten o'clock in the evening.

Officer Yi did not complain, and even agreed to wait for him at the gate of the villa.

More than half an hour later, the two met in the yard. Jiayi took the photos and said as she looked at them:

"Everyone's footprints are different. For example, some people have long-term leg pain, so the footprints of this foot will be very light when walking.

"For example, some people turn their toes inward, some turn their toes outward, and some people are used to walking with a bump..."

"But this is very difficult to observe, right? "Su Zhixiong frowned and looked at the footprints carefully, but could not see any difference.

"Look at these photos..." Jiayi looked around and saw a piece of muddy and sandy land under the street light next to the villa, so she took Su Zhixiong over there.

She first walked forward, leaving a row of footprints, and then walked backwards, leaving another row of footprints.

"You see, the pressure of the footprints left behind is different when moving forward and backward." Jiayi squatted down and pointed to Su Zhixiong, "When walking forward, the front of the foot leaves the ground last, so the pressure of the footprints left behind is reflected in the sole of the foot.

"The opposite is true if we infer backwards. The pressure is left on the heel."

After Su Zhixiong observed it himself and nodded to show that he understood, Jiayi stood up and showed the photo to Su Zhixiong: "Look at this row of footprints, this one, this one, and the last one, don't they all show that the pressure on the back heel is heavy?"

Su Zhixiong picked up the photo, observed it carefully, and compared it seriously. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief, stared at Jiayi intently, and nodded vigorously:

"You are right."

"If it can be confirmed that the murderer left backwards, then it can be confirmed that he did not return... at least he returned to the crime scene before the manager found the body... It can basically be determined that he did not come back to put his shoes back on the victim's feet."

Jiayi raised her head, her expression was particularly serious under the light:

"Also, the footprints are somewhat outward-pointing. I just called a friend to ask about this, and he said this should be a habit left over from military training here. All the boys in Mr. Zhao's family were sent for training, except for the eldest daughter, Zhao Liwan.

"Then it can be basically determined that the murderer is a male.

"Or... an overly smart woman who disguised herself as a man and guessed even this."

Su Zhixiong hesitated, Jiayi smiled and said,

"I know what you want to say. You want to ask, since the murderer did not go back to put shoes on the deceased, does it mean that the murderer has a pair of shoes exactly the same as the deceased's?"

Su Zhixiong nodded, Jiayi was silent for a while and said,

"I have also thought about this, but after returning home in the evening, I asked Yabo that the shoes of the young ladies and masters are all customized, not everyone can buy them if they want. Moreover, the purchase records of this brand of shoes can be checked. If someone bought this pair of shoes specifically for the purpose of killing someone, the whereabouts of shoes of this brand and size can be checked, and the identity of the murderer can be immediately found. I always feel that it is not very reasonable for a person to rack his brains to do such a stupid thing.

"But Officer Su can also follow this line of thought to search. After all, there are many so-called high-IQ crimes, and the final flaws are all in these small things."

"No problem, so, what is your guess?" Su Zhixiong raised his eyebrows and asked again.

"I will check whether the deceased Zhao Lide has the same pair of shoes as the one he wore when he died, with the same brand and soles. But it's just a guess for now, so I hope Officer Su can keep it secret."

"No problem." Su Zhixiong nodded immediately, straightforward and sincere.

Jiayi suddenly remembered again: "Officer Su, during your investigation, you found out that there were people around several young masters and young ladies who might help the young masters do dirty work? "

Su Zhixiong shook his head," Maybe I am not professional enough in other aspects, but I can assure you in this aspect. I have led a team to check the people around several young ladies and masters one by one. No matter their financial situation, motives, past experiences, and interactions with the young ladies and masters in the past year or so, there is no definite suspicion. That's why I will rule out the possibility of hiring a killer."

Jiayi nodded, said "hmm", and shook the photo in her hand, and continued the previous topic:

"After all, we are not professionals in footprints. Some forensic experts will look at countless pairs of footprints a month. They can tell the difference at a glance, or through some experience and comparison, they can get some clues that we cannot get. "Jiayi raised her head and provided information:

"Chen Guangyao, a senior forensic chemist in the Hong Kong West Kowloon Serious Crime Unit, has written articles specifically on the footprint patterns and identification methods of Chinese people. He has accumulated a lot of experience in ordinary and extraordinary cases. If he were to evaluate these photos, perhaps there would be new discoveries."

"Have you talked to Mr. Zhao?" Su Zhixiong nodded, and suddenly raised his head to ask.

"Not yet." Yi Jiayi shook her head, "I still have some things I want to clarify, and I am not prepared to make some judgments or say some irresponsible words without any basis but only based on some groundless guesses. What I have seen for the time being is not the whole picture, and I have to be more cautious. After all, Mr. Zhao is too concerned and may not be as rational as the police officers. "

No one knows how Mr. Zhao will react after hearing her words. People with overwhelming power will always be willful and stir up trouble.

What's more, his eldest son just died, and anything is possible for him.

Su Zhixiong nodded, "Thank you, I will report to my superiors immediately and ask for professional support from the Hong Kong Police Force."

"I hope as soon as possible." Jiayi said, shaking the photos in her hand, "Can I keep them first?"

"It doesn't matter, the negatives and originals are in the police station, you can take them, and don't take them out of the villa. If you are leaving, remember to destroy them." Su Zhixiong said and looked at the time, "I'll go back and call my superiors now. "

Then he turned around and drove away, disappearing into the night.

...

That night, Tian Hu, a senior chemist in the Kaohsiung Forensic Department, was urgently summoned by phone, and his superiors reported all the information mentioned by Su Zhixiong.

Tian Hu held a few photos in his hand, looked at them for a long time, then frowned and asked Su Zhixiong: "Can you really match more detailed information?"

"I'm not sure, but I looked for relevant literature, and indeed found an article on 'footprint analysis' published by Chen Guangyao in a professional magazine in the UK." Su Zhixiong was not a person who did things by talking. After he finished communicating with Yi Jiayi, he looked up the information she mentioned. After verification, he reported to his superiors and urgently summoned his colleagues from the Forensic Department.

In this era, the new mode of investigating cases has just started. Although technology develops rapidly, it takes a long time for people to do research. Whether it is fingerprint analysis, footprint analysis, blood analysis or the application of DNA research in criminal investigation, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Tian Hu took the article from Su Zhixiong and read it carefully. When he read the last word, he smacked his lips helplessly for a long time.

After hesitating for a while, he looked up and asked Su Zhixiong: "Can you ask that Officer Yi to call and ask Mr. Chen from the Hong Kong Forensic Department to help with this?"

"Let me ask." Su Zhixiong nodded and turned to the corner to call Yi Jiayi.

After hearing this, Yi Jiayi hesitated for a while and refused, saying, "I am on vacation now, which is not in accordance with the rules."

After hearing what Su Zhixiong said, Tian Hu looked bitter, but he had no choice.

The next morning, after Tian Hu went to work at the Xiangjiang Police Station, he immediately called the West Kowloon Forensic Division to find Chen Sir.

Chen Guangyao was sitting in the office. When he heard that there was an insider from the Kaohsiung Police Station in Wanwan, he was a little surprised. Later, when he heard that it was Tian Hu, he raised his eyebrows even more.

Tian Hu was older and had delved deeper into forensics. When they met that year, he was already an elite senior in the field of bloodstain identification in Asia.

Chen Guangyao attended an academic lecture with Tian Hu abroad. At that time, Officer Tian had just won a great honor at home and abroad. He was surrounded by many people and was arrogant and didn't like to talk to people. It has always been Officer Tian of the Kaohsiung Police Station who would go to trouble him when there was a need for difficult bloodstain identification. Why would Officer Tian call him now?

Or call him in person?

Putting the microphone to his ear, Chen Guangyao curiously asked and listened carefully, and found that the other party's attitude was extremely humble, as if he, Chen Guangyao, was a particularly famous and respected industry leader.

"... Sir Chen, I have read your article on footprint identification carefully. Many of your findings are quite useful. The re-planning and in-depth analysis of each footprint mark is amazing." Tian Hu paused for a moment before continuing, "We have a case here at the police station, and we have encountered some difficulties in the area of ​​footprints. Can you please help me take a look?"

Chen Guangyao's eyes unconsciously stared at the ceiling, and he was inexplicably moved by the recognition of his former senior.

He took a deep breath to prevent the other party from seeing through his emotions, and then he quietly exhaled after moving away.

After a few breaths, he was sure that his emotions had stabilized, and then he seriously inquired about the situation and agreed.

Tian Hu immediately thanked him, and Chen Guangyao responded politely.

While hanging up the phone and waiting for the fax, he couldn't help but think of the scene when he met Tian Hu - at that time, he had a yearning for other people's achievements, and also a kind of unwillingness of "Why are you so proud?" Now all of this has calmed down. His chest was full of tender emotions that mocked his childishness, and a sense of sadness and joy of having made it through.

A few minutes later, Sir Chen's strange and happy laughter rang out in his independent office:

"Hehehe..."

"?" Diane put down the documents in her hand and looked up to find the source of the strange laughter.

"?" Ajie, who worked with her, also stared at Sir Chen's office: Did Brother Da Guangming get the money?

Within 2 hours, Chen Guangyao completed the footprint analysis report with absolute concentration and super speed, and faxed it to the Kaohsiung Police Department.

…

This top-secret document from Hong Kong recorded his gait analysis of the footprints, among which the more important point is [the footprints left by the person with small feet not wearing inappropriate large shoes. But it is not ruled out that the footprints were left by a larger foot squeezed into a slightly smaller leather shoe. ]

So basically Zhao Liwan, Mr. Zhao's second wife Zhao Lin, and the deceased's widow Zhao Wang Yuqing were ruled out as suspects, because the shoe sizes of the three were much smaller, and wearing Zhao Lide's shoes would inevitably be about two fingers wider.

"Nowadays, footprint analysis is only used as a reference in law. Although the reference ratio is not very low, we still need more powerful evidence to find the real murderer." After reading the document, Tian Hu had to admit that it was indeed well written.

"I understand. We will do our best." Su Zhixiong nodded and was about to leave to meet Yi Jiayi.

Tian Hu called Su Zhixiong again: "Can I meet this Yi Jiayi?"

"?" Su Zhixiong held the document with a puzzled look on his face.

"Mr. Chen from the Hong Kong Forensic Department said that he has done thousands of footprint analyses in the past two years. Every month, he collects various different footprints in the streets and other places for comparison and research. That's why he can have such a deep understanding of the situation of the footprints." Tian Hu said.

"..." Su Zhixiong still didn't understand what this had to do with meeting Yi Jiayi.

"The reason why he did this kind of research was initially inspired by Yi Jiayi." Tian Hu pursed his lips, "At that time, a criminal psychology expert came back from the UK, who was very familiar with foreign criminal psychology portraits. I remember that when you came back from further studies in the UK a few years ago, you also mentioned that there are great differences between Western and Eastern cultures, and many of the contents that have been deeply explored by others are not fully adapted to the local area.

"Tannen also encountered such a dilemma when he came back from abroad.

"At that time, the Serious Crime Unit happened to send him to Serious Crime Unit B where Yi Jiayi was located to cooperate in the work. It is said that Yi Jiayi provided many portrait details and professional ideas of local criminals, thus inspiring this criminal psychology expert. Tannen began to travel to all prisons and police stations in Hong Kong, interviewing various local criminals, analyzing and studying their words, deeds, psychology, etc.

"Sir Chen from the Forensic Department also learned the path of research, and began to spontaneously promote the in-depth exploration of the new professional direction of the Forensic Department...that is the footprints."

"It's Tannen, an expert from the Serious Crime Unit of the West Kowloon Police Station in Hong Kong! "Su Zhixiong knew Tannen. The Asian criminal psychology article he wrote at the beginning of the year was published in the most authoritative magazine in this field. Almost all detectives have read it carefully and studied it together. Everyone also expects Tannen to expand this article into a book...

unexpectedly... Yi Jiayi she...

Su Zhixiong had never thought that such a thing would happen to Yi Jiayi, but... thinking back to the absolutely focused look of this detective colleague when investigating the crime scene, he felt that everything did not seem surprising.

She seemed to be such a person.

"If you want to see Yi Jiayi... the situation is more sensitive now. I will take you to the villa to see Officer Yi. Mr. Zhao and several young masters and ladies of the Zhao family are afraid that it will cause trouble if they see it. Why not communicate as a 'participant' when there is an opportunity to cooperate with the Hong Kong police force or have professional discussions in the future? "Su Zhixiong turned around and was about to leave, but then he thought of something and turned back: "I will ask Officer Yi for her phone number. If she is willing, I will tell you."

"OK, OK, go ahead and do your work. I will take a look at this report." Tian Hu sighed, waved his hand, and turned back to his office.

Su Zhixiong then took a few reports and drove to the Zhao family villa with Dai Gui.

When I went to see Officer Yi before, I just thought of it as completing a task assigned by my superiors, without any burden. Now that I have a deeper understanding of Yi Jiayi, and even have some respect for her as a colleague, I feel a sense of burden instead.

When passing by a fruit store, I would think about going to see Officer Yi. Should I buy some fruit to show my courtesy?

When I was waiting for the red light and saw that it was almost noon, I wondered if going to see Officer Yi now would affect his meal? It was not

until I knocked on the door of the Zhao family villa that Su Zhixiong suddenly realized that this uneasy mood was the same tension and anxiety as when he went to see his superiors.

He chuckled and shook off all the meaningless emotions, and still decided to go to see Officer Yi in a matter-of-fact state.

Dai Gui, who followed Su Zhixiong, no longer complained or spoke nonsense due to emotions. After

being convinced by Yi Jiayi's ability, he finally regained his previous rational state and began to focus purely on this case that was quickly picked up for review.